Trouble starting HTTPD after install

[jonathonoss]

After I compile and install Apache from the .tar.gz file, I get the usual message from Apache advising that your install was a success. I then use the httpd or apachectl command to start the server, but the server never starts!!

The error.log file lists about 9 messages:
The first one says '[time] [error] (22)Invalid argument: shmctl() could not set segment #2048'; several say '[time] [alert] (22)Invalid argument: setgid: unable to set group id to Group 4294967295'; The last one says '[time] [alert] Child 336 returned a Fatal error.... Apache is exiting!'

I am running Redhat Linux 7. I first uninstalled the Apache RPM (that gets installed with the o/s) to reinstall the newest version of Apache (which happens to be a .tar.gz). I am new to Linux/Apache, so it is likely I have done something stupid.

Thanks for any help,

Jon

 

[RhythmAce]

Did you have apache running before the reinstallation? If so you should still have an apache user and an apache group on your system. Check your httpd.conf and see if this is set correctly. You could also type httpd -t to check for syntax of httpd.conf or httpd -h to see the other options for checking the version, what modules are compiled in etc. If you don't get a better answer here in the near future, you can download an RPM distribution and type rpm -ivh *.rpm to install it, -Uvh to upgrade or -Fvh to freshen. Some people have better luck with RPMs.

 

[jonathonoss]

Thanks for the tip. I should have thought from the errors to check the httpd.conf regarding groups, since there were so many 'group'-related errors. In the httpd.conf file, there was a configuration for "User nobody" and then "Group "#-1"". After reading the comments about groups, I changed "Group "#-1"" to "Group nobody", and violá, it worked! It is obvious I need to learn more about httpd.conf, and then some...

Thanks again,

Jon