Apache failed to start on centos7 on cwp

Question

Am running contos7 in my server, yesterday i tried to restart my apache but it failed and since then could not start again. Everytime i try to start it will show below warning.

Job for httpd.service failed because the control process exited with error code. See "systemctl status httpd.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details

I tried following this post https://stackoverflow.com/a/37131726/8778864, but stocked on what next to do after i have list all port, please am very new in linux / server, can anyone help out.

netstat -punta | grep LISTEN

My output when i run the above command

tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:993             0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   394/dovecot
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2082            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2083            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:995             0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   394/dovecot
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:7777            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   376/sshd
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2086            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2087            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:10025         0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   552/master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:587             0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   552/master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2030            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:110             0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   394/dovecot
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2095            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2031            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:143             0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   394/dovecot
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:2096            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:465             0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   552/master
tcp        0      0 132.17.288.75:53        0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   411/named
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:53            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   411/named
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:21              0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   397/pure-ftpd (SERV
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:25              0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   552/master
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:953           0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   411/named
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:2302          0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   426/cwpsrv: master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:4190            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN                   394/dovecot
tcp6       0      0 :::7777                 :::*                    LISTEN                   376/sshd
tcp6       0      0 :::3306                 :::*                    LISTEN                   434/mysqld
tcp6       0      0 :::587                  :::*                    LISTEN                   552/master
tcp6       0      0 :::465                  :::*                    LISTEN                   552/master
tcp6       0      0 ::1:53                  :::*                    LISTEN                   411/named
tcp6       0      0 :::21                   :::*                    LISTEN                   397/pure-ftpd (SERV
tcp6       0      0 :::25                   :::*                    LISTEN                   552/master
tcp6       0      0 ::1:953                 :::*                    LISTEN                   411/named

[root@host admin101]# systemctl status httpd.service

● httpd.service - Web server Apache
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/httpd.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2019-01-02 05:38:34 UTC; 2h 38min ago
  Process: 15750 ExecStart=/usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl start (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Dec 31 11:11:12 host.example.com systemd[1]: Failed to start Web server Apache.
Dec 31 11:11:12 host.example.com systemd[1]: Unit httpd.service entered failed state.
Dec 31 11:11:12 host.example.com systemd[1]: httpd.service failed.
Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com systemd[1]: Starting Web server Apache...
Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com apachectl[26747]: AH00526: Syntax error on line 15 of /usr/local/apache/conf.d/vhosts-ssl.conf:
Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com apachectl[26747]: SSLCertificateFile: file '/etc/pki/tls/certs/website1.com.cert' does not exist or is empty
Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com systemd[1]: httpd.service: control process exited, code=exited status=1
Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com systemd[1]: Failed to start Web server Apache.
Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com systemd[1]: Unit httpd.service entered failed state.
Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com systemd[1]: httpd.service failed.
[root@host admin101]#

Answer 1

There is most likely a hostname vs certificate resolution problem.

Please see following: https://forum.centos-webpanel.com/centos-7-problems/cwpsrv-service-failed-emerg/

Ensure correct certificates listed in: /usr/local/cwpsrv/conf/cwpsrv.conf/cwpsrv.conf

} ssl_certificate     /etc/pki/tls/certs/hostname.cert;
} ssl_certificate_key /etc/pki/tls/private/hostname.key;

Then: 1) From cwp save your hostname again and it will generate a new certificate and key

If not possible to access CWP as happened to me... Access server through CLI and key in the following command/s

sh /scripts/generate_hostname_ssl

OR if this above does not work;

sh /usr/local/cwpsrv/htdocs/resources/scripts/generate_hostname_ssl

Answer 2

Dec 31 11:19:37 host.example.com apachectl[26747]: SSLCertificateFile: file '/etc/pki/tls/certs/website1.com.cert' does not exist or is empty

Looks like you are trying to install SSL but misconfigured. Checkout with your SSL first, and rebuild vhosts. This would solve your issue and let you start apache again.

Answer 3

If you use "AutoSSL" delete all certificate which built from it (All Let's Encrypt), then restart Apache service.