How to Find Syntax Errors in the Apache Configuration file on Linux

Everything in Linux is a file.

All software and hardware devices are configured with the .conf file to work.

If you make any changes to it, you have to restart a service to take the changes effect.

If you make changes incorrectly, it will not allow you to restart the associated service.

When you try to restart them, it will result in an error and it will not allow you to bring up the related service.

So when you make any changes to the configuration file, it is advisable to back up the configuration file.

If you want to install Apache on Linux, see the following article.

If you have a backup, it allows you to restore them into the previous state If something went wrong.

Do not place the backup file in the same location as the actual configuration file, which may cause some other problems, so move it elsewhere.

Apache is offering a small syntax checking tool. It allows you to run a configuration file syntax test.

It parses the configuration files and either reports Syntax Ok or detailed information about the particular syntax error.

The apachectl script returns a 0 exit value on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

1) How to Find Apache Configuration Syntax on CentOS/Red Hat/Fedora Systems

Use the following command to check for Apache syntax errors on RHEL-based systems such as Centos and Fedora.

This can be done using the httpd command or the apachectl command.

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the httpd Command.

# httpd -t
Syntax OK

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the apachectl Command.

# apachectl configtest
Syntax OK

# apachectl -t
Syntax OK

1a) How to Find Apache Virtual Host Definitions on CentOS/Red Hat/Fedora Systems

It has another option to check all virtual hosts on the server, their options, and the file names and line numbers that they defined.

This will display an error message with the line number, which is very useful for troubleshooting the configuration file.

It can be done using the httpd command or the apachectl command.

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the httpd Command.

# httpd -S

VirtualHost configuration:
ServerRoot: "/etc/httpd"
Main DocumentRoot: "/srv/http"
Main ErrorLog: "/var/log/httpd/error_log"
Mutex default: dir="/run/httpd/" mechanism=default 
PidFile: "/run/httpd/httpd.pid"
Define: DUMP_VHOSTS
Define: DUMP_RUN_CFG
User: name="http" id=33 not_used
Group: name="http" id=33 not_used

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the apachectl Command.

# apachectl configtest
or
# apachectl -S

VirtualHost configuration:
192.168.1.6:80       is a NameVirtualHost
         default server ns1.2daygeek.com (/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:301)
         port 80 namevhost ns1.2daygeek.com (/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:301)
         port 80 namevhost magesh.co.in (/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:362)
                 alias mail.magesh.co.in
                 alias www.magesh.co.in
         port 80 namevhost linuxtechnews.com (/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:431)
                 alias mail.linuxtechnews.com
                 alias www.linuxtechnews.com
.
.
192.168.1.6:443      is a NameVirtualHost
         default server magesh.co.in (/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:14467)
         port 443 namevhost magesh.co.in (/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:14467)
                 alias mail.magesh.co.in
                 alias www.magesh.co.in
                 alias webmail.magesh.co.in
                 alias cpanel.magesh.co.in
                 alias webdisk.magesh.co.in
         port 443 namevhost linuxtechnews.com (/etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:14581)
                 alias mail.linuxtechnews.com
                 alias www.linuxtechnews.com
		 alias webmail.linuxtechnews.com
                 alias cpanel.linuxtechnews.com
                 alias webdisk.linuxtechnews.com
.
.
ServerRoot: "/etc/apache2"
Main DocumentRoot: "/etc/apache2/htdocs"
Main ErrorLog: "/etc/apache2/logs/error_log"
Mutex mpm-accept: using_defaults
Mutex rewrite-map: dir="/run/apache2" mechanism=fcntl 
Mutex ssl-stapling-refresh: using_defaults
Mutex ssl-stapling: using_defaults
Mutex proxy: using_defaults
Mutex ssl-cache: dir="/run/apache2" mechanism=fcntl 
Mutex default: dir="/var/run/apache2/" mechanism=sysvsem 
PidFile: "/run/apache2/httpd.pid"
Define: DUMP_VHOSTS
Define: DUMP_RUN_CFG
Define: MODSEC_2.5
Define: MODSEC_2.9
User: name="nobody" id=99
Group: name="nobody" id=99

2) How to Find Apache Configuration Syntax on Ubuntu and Debian Systems

Use any of one below command to check apache syntax error on Debian based systems such as Ubuntu and LinuxMint.

It can be done using the apachectl command or the apache2ctl command.

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the apachectl Command.

# apachectl configtest
Syntax OK

# apachectl -t
Syntax OK

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the apache2ctl Command.

# apache2ctl configtest
Syntax OK

# apache2ctl -t
Syntax OK

2a) How to Find Apache Virtual Host Definitions on Linux

The similar way that we can check it on Debina and Ubuntu systems.

It can be done using the apachectl command or the apache2ctl command.

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the apachectl Command.

# apachectl configtest
or
# apachectl -S

How to Check Apache Configuration Syntax on Linux Using the apache2ctl Command.

# apache2ctl configtest
or
# apache2ctl -S

About Magesh Maruthamuthu

Love to play with all Linux distribution

View all posts by Magesh Maruthamuthu

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