docs/manual/programs/httpd.xml

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<manualpage metafile="httpd.xml.meta">
<parentdocument href="./">Programs</parentdocument>

  <title>httpd - Apache Hypertext Transfer Protocol Server</title>

<summary>
     <p><program>httpd</program> is the Apache HyperText Transfer Protocol
     (HTTP) server program.  It is designed to be run as a standalone
     daemon process. When used like this it will create a pool of
     child processes or threads to handle requests.</p>

     <p>In general, <program>httpd</program> should not be invoked directly,
     but rather should be invoked via <program>
     apachectl</program> on Unix-based systems or <a
     href="../platform/windows.html#winsvc">as a service on Windows NT,
     2000 and XP</a> and <a href="../platform/windows.html#wincons">as
     a console application on Windows 9x and ME</a>.</p>
</summary>

<seealso><a href="../invoking.html">Starting Apache httpd</a></seealso>
<seealso><a href="../stopping.html">Stopping Apache httpd</a></seealso>
<seealso><a href="../configuring.html">Configuration Files</a></seealso>
<seealso><a href="../platform/">Platform-specific Documentation</a></seealso>
<seealso><program>apachectl</program></seealso>

<section id="synopsis"><title>Synopsis</title>
     <p><code><strong>httpd</strong> [ -<strong>d</strong>
     <var>serverroot</var> ] [ -<strong>f</strong> <var>config</var> ]
     [ -<strong>C</strong> <var>directive</var> ] [ -<strong>c</strong>
     <var>directive</var> ] [ -<strong>D</strong> <var>parameter</var> ]
     [ -<strong>e</strong> <var>level</var> ] [ -<strong>E</strong>
     <var>file</var> ]
     [ <strong>-k</strong> start|restart|graceful|stop|graceful-stop ]
     [ -<strong>h</strong> ]
     [ -<strong>l</strong> ] [ -<strong>L</strong> ] [ -<strong>S</strong> ]
     [ -<strong>t</strong> ] [ -<strong>v</strong> ] [ -<strong>V</strong> ]
     [ -<strong>X</strong> ] [ -<strong>M</strong> ] [ -<strong>T</strong> ]
     </code></p>

     <p>On <a href="../platform/windows.html">Windows systems</a>, the
     following additional arguments are available:</p>

     <p><code><strong>httpd</strong> [ -<strong>k</strong>
     install|config|uninstall ] [ -<strong>n</strong> <var>name</var> ]
     [ -<strong>w</strong> ]</code></p>
</section>

<section id="options"><title>Options</title>

<dl>
<dt><code>-d <var>serverroot</var></code></dt>

<dd>Set the initial value for the <directive
module="core">ServerRoot</directive> directive to
<var>serverroot</var>.  This can be overridden by the ServerRoot
directive in the configuration file. The default is
<code>/usr/local/apache2</code>.</dd>

<dt><code>-f <var>config</var></code></dt>

<dd>Uses the directives in the file <var>config</var> on startup. If
<var>config</var> does not begin with a /, then it is taken to be a
path relative to the <directive
module="core">ServerRoot</directive>. The default is
<code>conf/httpd.conf</code>.</dd>

<dt><code>-k <code>start|restart|graceful|stop|graceful-stop</code></code></dt>

<dd>Signals <program>httpd</program> to start, restart, or stop.  See <a
href="../stopping.html">Stopping Apache httpd</a> for more information.</dd>

<dt><code>-C <var>directive</var></code></dt>

<dd>Process the configuration <var>directive</var> before reading
config files.</dd>

<dt><code>-c <var>directive</var></code></dt>

<dd>Process the configuration <var>directive</var> after reading config
files.</dd>

<dt><code>-D <var>parameter</var></code></dt>

<dd>Sets a configuration <var>parameter </var>which can be used with
<directive type="section" module="core">IfDefine</directive> sections
in the configuration files to conditionally skip or process commands
at server startup and restart. Also can be used to set certain
less-common startup parameters including <code>-DNO_DETACH</code>
(prevent the parent from forking) and <code>-DFOREGROUND</code>
(prevent the parent from calling <code>setsid()</code> et al).</dd>

<dt><code>-e <var>level</var></code></dt>

<dd>Sets the <directive module="core">LogLevel</directive> to
<var>level</var> during server startup.  This is useful for
temporarily increasing the verbosity of the error messages to find
problems during startup.</dd>

<dt><code>-E <var>file</var></code></dt>

<dd>Send error messages during server startup to <var>file</var>.</dd>

<dt><code>-h</code></dt>

<dd>Output a short summary of available command line options.</dd>

<dt><code>-l</code></dt>

<dd>Output a list of modules compiled into the server.  This will
<strong>not</strong> list dynamically loaded modules included using
the <directive module="mod_so">LoadModule</directive> directive.</dd>

<dt><code>-L</code></dt>

<dd>Output a list of directives provided by static modules, together with expected arguments and
places where the directive is valid. Directives provided by shared modules are not listed.</dd>

<dt><code>-M</code></dt>

<dd>Dump a list of loaded Static and Shared Modules.</dd>

<dt><code>-S</code></dt>

<dd>Show the settings as parsed from the config file (currently only
shows the virtualhost settings).</dd>

<dt><code>-T</code> (Available in 2.3.8 and later)</dt>

<dd>Skip document root check at startup/restart.</dd>

<dt><code>-t</code></dt>

<dd>Run syntax tests for configuration files only.  The program
immediately exits after these syntax parsing tests with either a
return code of 0 (Syntax OK) or return code not equal to 0 (Syntax
Error). This option can be combined with various <var>-D
DUMP_...</var> arguments to print information about the configuration,
<a href="#dumpconf">as listed below</a>.</dd>

<dt><code>-v</code></dt>

<dd>Print the version of <program>httpd</program>, and then exit.</dd>

<dt><code>-V</code></dt>

<dd>Print the version and build parameters of <program>httpd</program>, and
then exit.</dd>

<dt><code>-X</code></dt>

<dd>Run httpd in debug mode.  Only one worker will be started and the
server will not detach from the console.</dd>

</dl>

<p>The following arguments are available only on the <a
href="../platform/windows.html">Windows platform</a>:</p>

<dl>

<dt><code>-k install|config|uninstall</code></dt>

<dd>Install Apache httpd as a Windows NT service; change startup options for
the Apache httpd service; and uninstall the Apache httpd service.</dd>

<dt><code>-n <var>name</var></code></dt>

<dd>The <var>name</var> of the Apache httpd service to signal.</dd>

<dt><code>-w</code></dt>

<dd>Keep the console window open on error so that the error message can
be read.</dd>

</dl>

</section>

<section id="dumpconf"><title>Dumping configuration data</title>

<p>The following options can be combined with <var>-t</var> to show
information about the configuration:</p>

<dl>
  <dt><var>-D DUMP_VHOSTS</var></dt> <dd>print details of the virtual
  host configuration.</dd>

  <dt><var>-D DUMP_MODULES</var></dt> <dd>print (human-readable)
  details of all loaded modules.</dd>

  <dt><var>-D DUMP_MODULES</var> <var>-D DUMP_MODULE_DATA</var></dt>
  <dd>print details of all loaded modules in a structured (TOML) format.</dd>

  <dt><var>-D DUMP_CERTS</var></dt>
  <dd>If <module>mod_ssl</module> is loaded, print details of
  configured SSL/TLS certificates.</dd>
</dl>
</section>

<section id="files"><title>Files</title>

<p>The default paths listed below may be changed at compile time or with
various command-line and configuration directives. Consult your local
installation for the actual locations.</p>

<dl>
<dt><code>/usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf</code></dt>
<dd>Main server configuration file.</dd>

<dt><code>/usr/local/apache2/conf/mime.types</code></dt>
<dd>Default MIME type mappings.</dd>

<dt><code>/usr/local/apache2/logs/error_log</code></dt>
<dd>Error log file.</dd>

<dt><code>/usr/local/apache2/logs/access_log</code></dt>
<dd>Access log file.</dd>

<dt><code>/usr/local/apache2/logs/httpd.pid</code></dt>
<dd>File containing the process ID of the running daemon.</dd>
</dl>

</section>

</manualpage>