LinuxQuestions.org - Cannot start apache2 as a service (but I can using apachectl)

Hello there,

I got this weird issue with a complete fresh install of a server, which should end up as an Apache webserver. The system is running OpenSuSE 13.1 with Apache 2.4.6.

Whenever I try to start apache2 using the service command provided (service apache2 start) it starts up, then the service command waits for some time and kills off apache again:

Code:

# service apache2 start

Job for apache2.service failed. See 'systemctl status apache2.service' and 'journalctl -xn' for details

Code:

# systemctl status apache2.service -l

apache2.service - The Apache Webserver

  Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service; enabled)

  Active: failed (Result: timeout) since Fri 2013-09-27 17:29:50 CEST; 13min ago

 Main PID: 2160



Sep 27 17:28:20 mail systemd[1]: Starting The Apache Webserver...

Sep 27 17:28:20 mail start_apache2[2160]: [Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.239493 2013] [core:warn] [pid 2160] AH00117: Ignoring deprecated use of DefaultType in line 140 of /etc/apache2/httpd.conf.

Sep 27 17:29:50 mail systemd[1]: apache2.service operation timed out. Terminating.

Sep 27 17:29:50 mail systemd[1]: Failed to start The Apache Webserver.

Sep 27 17:29:50 mail systemd[1]: Unit apache2.service entered failed state.

I've set logging to debug. In the apache2 error log I get this:

Code:

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.448152 2013] [ssl:debug] [pid 2160] ssl_engine_pphrase.c(181): AH02199: SSL not enabled on vhost ****:80, skipping SSL setup

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.550164 2013] [ssl:warn] [pid 2160] AH01873: Init: Session Cache is not configured [hint: SSLSessionCache]

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.550327 2013] [ssl:info] [pid 2160] AH01887: Init: Initializing (virtual) servers for SSL

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.550460 2013] [ssl:info] [pid 2160] AH01876: mod_ssl/2.4.6 compiled against Server: Apache/2.4.6, Library: OpenSSL/1.0.1e

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.570223 2013] [mpm_prefork:notice] [pid 2160] AH00163: Apache/2.4.6 (Linux/SUSE) OpenSSL/1.0.1e PHP/5.4.19 configured -- resuming normal operations

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.570623 2013] [mpm_prefork:info] [pid 2160] AH00164: Server built: 2013-09-03 15:40:57.000000000 +0000

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.570809 2013] [core:notice] [pid 2160] AH00094: Command line: '/usr/sbin/httpd2-prefork -f /etc/apache2/httpd.conf -D SYSTEMD -D FOREGROUND'

[Fri Sep 27 17:28:20.571564 2013] [mpm_prefork:debug] [pid 2160] prefork.c(995): AH00165: Accept mutex: pthread (default: pthread)

[Fri Sep 27 17:29:50.206994 2013] [core:info] [pid 2160] AH00096: removed PID file /run/httpd.pid (pid=2160)

[Fri Sep 27 17:29:50.207075 2013] [mpm_prefork:notice] [pid 2160] AH00169: caught SIGTERM, shutting down

In the one and a half minute before I get SIGTERM, I can use the server just fine, so I'm assuming the control job of the service command is not getting notified that the service is running.

When I just start the service using the command

Code:

apache2ctl start

it just starts and keeps running.

For the time this is workable, but I'd like to have the apache2 service start at boot as a service, so any ideas on how to fix this issue are greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,
Louis