Apache Web server installation problem

[n1ll0]

There seems to have been some problem during the installation of apache 2.2 http server. After I installed it I tried to start it up via that apache services monitor and it would not work. I got an error that said that "the requested operation has failed!" I looked in the error log and this is what was in it:

Starting the Apache2.2 service
The Apache2.2 service is running.
rmine the server's fully qualified domain name, using 192.168.1.175 for ServerName
[Tue Nov 18 14:50:40 2008] [notice] Apache/2.2.10 (Win32) configured -- resuming normal operations
[Tue Nov 18 14:50:40 2008] [notice] Server built: Oct 10 2008 12:39:04
[Tue Nov 18 14:50:40 2008] [crit] (OS 5)Access is denied. : Parent: Failed to create the child process.
[Tue Nov 18 14:50:40 2008] [crit] (OS 5)Access is denied. : master_main: create child process failed. Exiting.
[Tue Nov 18 14:50:40 2008] [notice] Parent: Forcing termination of child process 36
httpd.exe: Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified domain name, using 192.168.1.175 for ServerName
[Tue Nov 18 14:51:08 2008] [notice] Apache/2.2.10 (Win32) configured -- resuming normal operations
[Tue Nov 18 14:51:08 2008] [notice] Server built: Oct 10 2008 12:39:04
[Tue Nov 18 14:51:08 2008] [crit] (OS 5)Access is denied. : Parent: Failed to create the child process.
[Tue Nov 18 14:51:08 2008] [crit] (OS 5)Access is denied. : master_main: create child process failed. Exiting.
[Tue Nov 18 14:51:08 2008] [notice] Parent: Forcing termination of child process 36

This is before any configuration changes have been made to httpd.conf. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the server but the same thing happens. Any ideas what could be causing my problem?

[jdMorgan]

Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified domain name, using 192.168.1.175 for ServerName

192.168..1.175 is a non-routable Local Area Network IP address, not a fully-qualified domain name. So, put your domain name into the ServerName [httpd.apache.org] configuration directive instead of an IP address. If you don't have a domain name, pick one; You can use example.com or any other domain name that won't conflict with any actual sites' domain name.

If you don't have a registered domain name and use a made-up one, you will need to create DNS entries in all machines which will refer to your server by domain name, to point that domain name to the WAN IP address of your server. This is done by editing the 'hosts' file on each machine. The location varies among operating systems and versions, but the file is always named 'hosts' -- no file extension, just 'hosts'. You will also need to configure your network's border router to port-forward incoming port 80 requests to the LAN IP address of your server.

Looking at what you've posted, you would use 192.168.1.175 as the IP address for your domain in all machines on your LAN that you want to access your server. If you run a browser on the server itself, then you would put 127.0.0.1 in the hosts file on that machine.

There may be other problems, but this one is most obvious. Fix it first -- divide and conquer.

Jim

[n1ll0]

Thanks! I will give it a try! This would still apply if I am connecting to the internet via a broadband router correct? I have set the router up to forward port 80 to the local address listed above.

[n1ll0]

The ServerName entry in the httpd.conf file was commented out. The name in the commented out section was blahblah.net which is what i put in the server name field when i was installing the server. I tried putting my WAN IP in this spot and uncommenting the entry but i still got the same error I mentioned above when i tried to start the server.

[jdMorgan]

ServerName must be a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN). The word ServerName in my post above is a link to the documentation.

blahblah.net is perfectly acceptable as long as no-one has registered that domain, or registers it while you are using it. And even then, it won't be a problem as long as no-one on your LAN tries to access the 'real' blahblah.net.

Jim

[n1ll0]

Thanks for all your help :) I really appreciate it. So eventually I would like to have a domain point to my server but this is really just a first look for me at the apache webserver and I would like to just be able to get to the server from the outside world by typing in my ip address. would i still need a a FQDN. would it be acceptable to just leave the ServerName entry commented out as the htpd.conf file comes originally? the only problem in that case is server seems to pull my local ip, which i have set up as a static DCHP ip on my router, for the ServerName.

[n1ll0]

it seems also that every time I try to start the server I get the same error message added to my log file:

[Wed Nov 19 08:16:40 2008] [notice] Apache/2.2.10 (Win32) configured -- resuming normal operations
[Wed Nov 19 08:16:40 2008] [notice] Server built: Oct 10 2008 12:39:04
[Wed Nov 19 08:16:40 2008] [crit] (OS 5)Access is denied. : Parent: Failed to create the child process.
[Wed Nov 19 08:16:40 2008] [crit] (OS 5)Access is denied. : master_main: create child process failed. Exiting.
[Wed Nov 19 08:16:40 2008] [notice] Parent: Forcing termination of child process 36

[jdMorgan]

If you are on Vista, you may be having problems with system-access and -execute privileges. Apache will have to be installed under Program Files, but read/write data such as log files will have to be stored under "Documents" unless you change all these paths or know how to use the Windows Admin tools to modify execute and read/write privilege settings. I wouldn't recommend that anyway, since it defeats Vista's improved security model.

Unfortunately for you (and fortunately for me), I've never had this problem. Maybe someone else can offer more useful advice.

If you installed Apache as a pre-configured package such as LAMP or XAMP, etc., try the support forums at the Web site for your particular package -- You will likely get access to a more experienced user-base, and you'll likely get more focused replies as a result.

Jim

[n1ll0]

hmmm i am actually running windows xp pro. well thanks for your suggestions1 :)

[coopster]

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the server but the same thing happens. Any ideas what could be causing my problem?

Uninstalling and reinstalling the server will not get rid of the existing configuration files. Apache is pretty nice about keeping your old conf files around for you on Windows, even if you forget to back them up before uninstalling or reinstalling a new Apache version.

My recommendation would be to uninstall Apache again, remove all the files from the installation directory -- after you backup anything you need first, such as any configuration files you want to keep, document root directories for any web sites you may have stored in the Apache sub directories, any log files you wish to retain, etc.

Do a fresh install and start over. Be very careful about editing your configuration files.

As a side note, Apache 2.2.x ... I forget which version ... starting a new directory format on Windows within the "conf" sub directory. They started putting in an "original" sub directory that is an exact duplicate of the "conf" directory itself, including the default "extra" sub directory and it's associated *.conf files. You could actually select everything in the "original" sub directory and copy it back into the "conf" root and replace any mods you made to the conf files by resetting them back to Apache default installation settings. Note again, if you choose to do this instead and want to retain copies of the modifications you have made in the "conf" directory, make a backup!

[n1ll0]

I tried this as well. After uninstalling the server I deleted the whole apache directory from the program files directory. After a fresh install and without any changes to the httpd.conf file I tried starting the server and got the same error.

[n1ll0]

also an weird note: at one point the server actually was up and going for a few minutes. After the first installation of apache i couldnt get the server started so I restarted windows over a remote desktop connection from my work with cmd.exe shutdown -r command. When the server computer had been restarted i reconnected to it and it looked like the apache server had been automatically started. the apache services monitor had the little green dot on the feather indicating a running server. I typed in my ip address in a browser at work and my test page i had created and stored in my DocumentRoot directory was displayed. I made some other configuration changes to the httpd.conf file (I think changed the DocumentRoot directory) and save it and then tried to restart the server and got the same error described above. Following this I tried a fresh install of apache and couldnt get it running again.

[jdMorgan]

Look around in the c:\documents and settings\username\applications and c:\documents and settings\username\local settings\applications paths as well. If there are any Apache files in there, then you'll need to clean those directories after an uninstall as well.

After uninstalling, you might want to run a registry clean-up tool as well; Old configuration data in the registry may be surviving and messing up the new install as well.

So, in other words, don't just uninstall Apache, but root out and delete every possible left-over from the previous install...

I like Apache - a lot, as should be fairly obvious. :) But I'm not very proud of these frequent uninstall problems... :(

Also, be aware that having the "free" IIS server enabled or trying to run Apache and Skype together without changing Skype's port assignments can cause trouble.

Jim

[n1ll0]

Hey thanks for all your help! your suggestion to try cleaning up my registry helped out a bunch! haha i tried to install a registry cleaning tool and i got almost the exact same error as the one i got during the apache installation and subsequent attempts to start the server. this lead me to google the error and i eventually found some guy that had the same thing happen to him when h tried to install software on his computer. the problem turned out to be my COMODO firewall software. Im not sure exactly what it was blocking but the posted solution was to uninstall comodo. I tried this and everything works perfectly. haha again thanks for the suggestions!

[jdMorgan]

Well good, because such problems are very difficult to debug "remotely" by talking about them in a forum.

Some days, you just get lucky... :)

Me, I'd try re-installing the firewall (or at least *a* firewall), turning off all the firewall rules I could find, and then turning them back on one-by-one, checking to see if the server will still start and run. Leave as many rules on as you can, and check to see if you can define "exceptions" for the rules that interfere with the server. And write everything down for safekeeping; You might need the information for a later firewall upgrade or re-install.

You *do not* want to run a server on Windows without a hardware or software firewall: You will see port scans within a few seconds of putting the machine on-line (The longest I've seen recently took 17 seconds from plugging in the Ethernet cable). The least I would settle for is a router with stateful packet inspection (SPI) and even then, I'd keep it on a separate subnet from my other machines, delete any and all personal data files and non-server-related programs from it, and disable all file and printer sharing. Lock it down solidly, because I can assure you that the burglars are already looking at it...

Jim

[edited by: jdMorgan at 4:38 am (utc) on Nov. 20, 2008]