apache2 won't start

[apsaras]

Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS.

Clean install of apache2 (version 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.8 amd64)

apache2 won't start due to syntax error in config file, but I can't see the error.

Steps to reproduce:

sudo apt-get purge apache2
rm -r /etc/apache2
sudo apt-get install apache2

Expected to see: error-free start

What happened:
...
Job for apache2.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status apache2.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.
invoke-rc.d: initscript apache2, action "start" failed.
● apache2.service - The Apache HTTP Server
     Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Sat 2021-12-04 10:48:59 GMT; 10ms ago
       Docs: https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/
    Process: 3059008 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apachectl start (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Dec 04 10:48:59 mycomputer systemd[1]: Starting The Apache HTTP Server...
Dec 04 10:48:59 mycomputer apachectl[3059021]: apache2: Syntax error on line 147 of /etc/apache2/apache2.conf: Syntax error on line 22 of /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/alias.conf:
Dec 04 10:48:59 mycomputer apachectl[3059008]: Action 'start' failed.
Dec 04 10:48:59 mycomputer apachectl[3059008]: The Apache error log may have more information.
Dec 04 10:48:59 mycomputer systemd[1]: apache2.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Dec 04 10:48:59 mycomputer systemd[1]: apache2.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 04 10:48:59 mycomputer systemd[1]: Failed to start The Apache HTTP Server.
...

[apsaras (xbuntuone)]

The apache2 error log did not have more information:

/etc# ls -l /var/log/apache2/
total 0
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 0 Dec 4 10:48 access.log
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 0 Dec 4 10:48 error.log
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 0 Dec 4 10:48 other_vhosts_access.log

The config file that is tripping it up is /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/alias.conf, which apart from empty lines and comment lines contains

<IfModule alias_module>
        Alias /icons/ "/usr/share/apache2/icons/"

        <Directory "/usr/share/apache2/icons">
                Options FollowSymlinks
                AllowOverride None
                Require all granted
        </Directory>
</IfModule>

I don't know why this would be a problem.

[Chris Guiver (guiverc)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better.

Bug reporting is about finding & fixing problems thus preventing future users from hitting the same bug.

I suspect a Support site would be more appropriate, eg. https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu. You can also find help with your problem in the support forum of your local Ubuntu community http://loco.ubuntu.com/ or asking at https://askubuntu.com or https://ubuntuforums.org, or for more support options please look at https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/community-support/709

(this bug report can be converted into a question)

In order to process this bug report, we need more details.

Please execute the following command only once, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:

apport-collect 1953222

When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this functionality at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

[apsaras (xbuntuone)]

Thanks for the reply. I ran the apport-collect command, though it said that no new information was going to be added.

Given you are suggesting a Support site, does that mean that I've just done something silly and it's not a bug? (I can believe that.)

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

> Given you are suggesting a Support site, does that mean that I've just
> done something silly and it's not a bug? (I can believe that.)

Hi apsaras, hopefully by now you've sorted out a solution to your issue, but just to follow up, the link Chris pointed to has an excellent run down of what makes a good, actionable bug report. Having that would help isolate whether the problem is due to a defect in the operating system itself, or just like a local issue (e.g. a typo in a config file, etc.) Support channels are better for getting rapid turnaround on questions and working through the steps to isolate the nature of the problem, and so are a great place to start.

If you do think this is a problem in apache itself, though, please do feel free to reopen.

[apsaras (xbuntuone)]

Thanks for the reply. I've not yet sorted out the problem as it happens.

I'll take your advice and ask on another forum. I am a bit puzzled because my steps to reproduce are very simple - apparently just a clean install - but I dare say something is misconfigured somewhere somehow.