OSX Server: apache2 running but “Problem loading page”

Question

I have setup OSX Server 10.6, all updates installed, started apache2, which is running:

sudo apachectl graceful

I see in /var/log/apache2/errorlog

[Fri Dec 17 10:11:49 2010] [notice] Apache/2.2.15 (Unix) configured -- resuming normal operations

Also

ps -ef | grep httpd

shows several processes:

    0 49388     1   0   0:00.05 ??         0:00.07 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
   70 49389 49388   0   0:00.00 ??         0:00.00 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
   70 49390 49388   0   0:00.00 ??         0:00.00 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
   70 49391 49388   0   0:00.00 ??         0:00.00 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
   70 49392 49388   0   0:00.00 ??         0:00.00 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
...

In httpd.conf I edited DocumentRoot:

ServerName bioinfo.mni.fh-giessen.de:80 
DocumentRoot "/Volumes/ServerHD2/Web_Documents"   
ErrorLog "/var/log/apache2/error_log" 
<Directory "/Volumes/ServerHD2/Web_Documents">     
   Order Allow,Deny  
   Allow from All 
</Directory>

Syntax is OK:

apachectl configtest
Syntax OK

Yet, I get timeouts at http://bioinfo.mni.fh-giessen.de :

Problem loading page

Any clue ?

Answer 1

Are you sure you edited the right file? OS X Server has a way of not keeping to standards. The actual configuration entries are not in /etc/httpd/httpd.conf, but in subdirectories of /etc/apache2/sites. Check out this FAQ .

I would recommend using the Server Admin utility to set up the server. It will be a lot easier and quicker than trying to get the configuration right manually. You can always add or change rules later, once the site is up and running.

Answer 2

No direct local GUI access possible for a few days, no access via Remote Desktop either. My only way is ssh right now, but I will be happy to try Server Admin utility in a few days. For now I am restricted to the command line. Yes, I edited both /etc/apache2/httpd.conf and /etc/apache2/sites/0000_any_80_.conf, without avail. Is

sudo serveradmin fullstatus web

anyhow instructive :

web:readWriteSettingsVersion = 1
web:totalKBytes = 0
web:emailRulesRunning = no
web:boundToKerberos = yes
web:teamsRunning = yes
web:postfixRunning = no
web:servicePortsRestrictionInfo = _empty_array
web:health = _empty_dictionary
web:currentThroughput = 0
web:passwordResetRunning = no
web:ApacheMode = 2
web:statusMessage = ""
web:apacheVersion = "Unknown"
web:state = "RUNNING"
web:setStateVersion = 1
web:apacheState = "RUNNING"
web:proxyState = "STOPPED"
web:htCacheCleanRunning = no
web:calendarRunning = yes
web:servicePortsAreRestricted = "YES"
web:currentRequestsBy10 = 0
web:logPaths:logPathsArray = _empty_array
web:totalRequests = 0
web:startedTime = ""

?