httpd could not be started

[Greg Barniskis]

Steven Narmontas wrote:
> I'm entirely new to FreeBSD, but have a fair amount of Linux 
> experience.
> 
> I installed FreeBSD 6.0 (Production Release) on an oldish i386 
> system.  During the install, I asked to install "ALL".  The 
> install went flawlessly.
> 
> I need Apache on this system for some software development, so I 
> followed these instructions I found at:  
> http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/ports-using.html 
> :
> 
> # pkg_add -r cvsup-without-gui
> # cvsup -L 2 -h cvsup.FreeBSD.org 
> /usr/share/examples/cvsup/ports-supfile
> # cd /usr/ports/www/apache13
> # make
> # make install
> 
> Everything to this point went smoothly!  

As well it should have, since you followed correct procedure. =)

 > I edited
> /usr/local/etc/apache/httpd.conf ONLY to set the ServerName to the 
> IP address of the machine. However, when I try to start apache I 
> get:
> 
> #/usr/local/sbin/apachectl start
> /usr/local/sbin/apachectl start: httpd could not be started

[snip]

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get ANY version of 
> Apache running on a new install of FreeBSD 6?

Apache and most other add-on daemons on FreeBSD require that you 
explicitly enable them to run in /etc/rc.conf. Have you got a line

apache2_enable="YES"

in your rc.conf?

The need for this as well as the proper syntax should be noted in 
the file /usr/ports/www/apache2/pkg-msg. For any other port you 
install there's probably gold nuggets of info in its pkg-msg file. 
This stuff displays during the make install, but then so does 
several K of other info so it's not hard to miss these things.

-- 
Greg Barniskis, Computer Systems Integrator
South Central Library System (SCLS)
Library Interchange Network (LINK)
<gregb at scls.lib.wi.us>, (608) 266-6348