Can't start httpd/apache on macbook

Well, the obvious issue is the fact that you've installed Apache 2.

Mac OS X ships with Apache 1.3 so you're operating outside of the normal bounds. That's not to say you can't do it - you can, but you cannot assume that the OS knows what to do with it - for example, the preferences assume 1.3.

As for your issue, the log seems to clearly indicate what the problem is:

(13)Permission denied: httpd: could not open error log file /Library/Apache2/logs/error_log.

Either the directory /Library/Apache2/logs/ doesn't exist, or apache doesn't have permission to write to it.

The OS isn't going to fix that for you since it knows nothing of /Library/Apache2. The standard location for apache logs is /var/log/httpd

Hi there.

This is a problem i have encountered.

A working webserver that had been up and running for weeks died.

(I think due to a monthly log rotate, monthly out process)

On trying to restart the server i kept getting a file permissions error relating to the apache log file. usually located /var/log/httpd/error_log

The reason seems to be that as apache starts as root and passes to www, (and i was not logged in as root).
apache could not gain write priveleges to the log file.

i think a process is mis-ordered in the bootsequence.

The solution in my case was to log in as root and start the Web.
Problem solved.

However this may cause problems for those without Root access, there may be other ways around this. - Hope this helps someone.

oh i should point out that i am not using server admin.

so to start : apachectl start



Godbless all.

Simon2.3 wrote:
so to start : apachectl start

Actually, for the stock Apache shipped with Tiger, you'd want to do:

sudo /usr/sbin/apachectl start

You might not need the full path to apachectl, but the important part is to use sudo, since that gives you higher privileges, and Apache should then be able to write to the log.

charlie

Hi Charlie.

I stand corrected....


Will try that next time.

regards.
Simon

I'm having the same problem but I think due to a different reason. It was all working fine in Tiger but with Leopard, Apache got upgraded to 2.2 and now it gives me this error.

I tried my old G3 with tiger on it and it works fine with no problems on 1.3 but since I upgraded my G5 and MBP with Leopard first thing it did was to tell me that access is forbiden (Error 403) to http://localhost/~user/

I'm trying to get a CMS ironed out before it goes on our server so I am just trying to do it through the Sites folder. I have also installed PHP 5.25 and MySQL 5 on the G5. First I thought that PHP and MySQL wrecked the Appche, but MBP hasn't been touched and it does the same thing.

Full error:

Last login: Thu Jan 3 11:04:50 on console
a-ms-power-mac-g5:~ am$ apachectl -k restart
httpd not running, trying to start
(13)Permission denied: make_sock: could not bind to address [::]:80
(13)Permission denied: make_sock: could not bind to address 0.0.0.0:80
no listening sockets available, shutting down
Unable to open logs


I tried to do what previous post said and here is what I got:

a-ms-power-mac-g5:~ am$ sudo /usr/sbin/apachectl start
Password:
org.apache.httpd: Already loaded

I also tried to look for the location to put "logs" folder into and I can't seem to find it.

Help!!!

Please start a new thread with your problem instead of resurrecting an unrelated, 6-month old thread.

Thank you.