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    Apache startup fails: "Permission denied: httpd: could not open error log file"

    • Article Type: General
    • Product: Aleph
    • Product Version: 20

    Problem Symptoms:
    After rebooting the server, attempt to start apache on port 8991 with util w/3/6 fails with "Permission denied: httpd: could not open error log file". (See Additional Information below for complete error message in the log.)

    Cause:
    Incorrect permissions on /exlibris/aleph/u20_1/alephe/apache/logs/error_log and access_log files:

    [root@xxxxxxx logs]$ ls -lrt
    -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12870329 Apr 3 12:05 access_log
    -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 119632 Apr 3 12:05 error_log

    Resolution:
    1. su or sudo to root.
    2. Change the permissions:
    [root@xxxxxxx logs]# chmod 666 error_log
    [root@xxxxxxx logs]# chmod 666 access_log

    3. ls -lrt should then show:
    [root@xxxxxxx logs]# ls -lrt
    -rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 12870329 Apr 3 12:05 access_log
    -rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 119632 Apr 3 12:05 error_log

    4. Exit root and start apache as "aleph" with util w/3/6:
    /exlibris/aleph/u20_1/alephe/apache/bin/apachectl restart: httpd not running, trying to start
    /exlibris/aleph/u20_1/alephe/apache/bin/apachectl restart: httpd started

    Additional Information

    Complete startup error message:

    /exlibris/aleph/u20_1/alephe/apache/bin/apachectl restart: httpd not running, trying to start
    (13)Permission denied: httpd: could not open error log file /exlibris/aleph/u20_1/alephe/apache/logs/error_log.
    Unable to open logs
    /exlibris/aleph/u20_1/alephe/apache/bin/apachectl restart: httpd could not be started

    Note: The above was with Apache on port 8991. If starting on port < 1024, util w/3/6 can not be used. One needs to log on to lib-web1 as root -- or su - root -- and then do apachectl.


    • Article last edited: 4/16/2014