# apachectl(8) - man - phpman

> **TLDR:** Control an Apache HTTP server.
>
- Start the server:
  `sudo apachectl start`
- Restart the server:
  `sudo apachectl restart`
- Stop the server:
  `sudo apachectl stop`
- Test configuration file validity:
  `apachectl configtest`
- Check server status (requires the lynx browser):
  `apachectl status`
- Reload configuration without dropping connections:
  `sudo apachectl graceful`
- Print full Apache configuration (not always supported):
  `apachectl -S`
- Display help:
  `apachectl -h`

*Source: tldr-pages*

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[apache2ctl(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/apache2ctl/8/markdown)                          System Manager's Manual                         [apache2ctl(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/apache2ctl/8/markdown)



## NAME
       apache2ctl - Apache HTTP server control interface

## SYNOPSIS
       When acting in SysV init mode, apache2ctl takes simple, one-word commands, defined below.

       **apachectl** _command_

       **apache2ctl** _command_

       When  acting  in  pass-through  mode, apache2ctl can take all the arguments available for the
       httpd binary.

       **apachectl** [_httpd-argument_]

       **apache2ctl** [_httpd-argument_]

## DESCRIPTION
       **apache2ctl** is a front end to the Apache HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server.  It is de‐
       signed to help the administrator control the functioning of the Apache **apache2** daemon.

       **NOTE:**  The  default  Debian configuration requires the environment variables **APACHE**___**RUN**___**USER**,
       **APACHE**___**RUN**___**GROUP**, and **APACHE**___**PID**___**FILE** to be set in **/etc/apache2/envvars**.

       The **apache2ctl** script returns a 0 exit value on success, and >0 if an error occurs.  For more
       details, view the comments in the script.

## OPTIONS
       The _command_ can be any one or more of the following options:

       **start**         Start the Apache daemon.  Gives an error if it is already running.

       **stop**          Stops the Apache daemon.

       **restart**       Restarts  the  Apache daemon by sending it a SIGHUP.  If the daemon is not run‐
                     ning, it is started.  This command automatically checks the configuration files
                     via  **configtest**  before  initiating  the restart to to catch  the  most obvious
                     errors.  However, it is still possible for the daemon to die because  of  prob‐
                     lems with the configuration.

       **fullstatus**    Displays  a  full status report from **mod**___**status.**  For this to work, you need to
                     have mod_status enabled on your server and a text-based browser  such  as  _lynx_
                     available  on your system.  The URL used to access the status report can be set
                     by setting the **APACHE**___**STATUSURL** variable in **/etc/apache2/envvars**.

       **status**        Displays a brief status report. Similar to the fullstatus option,  except  that
                     the list of requests currently being served is omitted.

       **graceful**      Gracefully  restarts  the Apache daemon by sending it a SIGUSR1.  If the daemon
                     is not running, it is started.  This differs from a normal restart in that cur‐
                     rently  open  connections are not aborted.  A side effect is that old log files
                     will not be closed immediately.  This means that if  used  in  a  log  rotation
                     script,  a  substantial delay may be necessary to ensure that the old log files
                     are closed before processing them.  This command automatically checks the  con‐
                     figuration  files via apache2ctl configtest before initiating the restart to to
                     catch the most obvious errors.  However, it is still possible for the daemon to
                     die because of problems with the configuration.

       **graceful-stop** Gracefully  stops  the Apache httpd daemon.  This differs from a normal stop in
                     that currently open connections are not aborted.  A side effect is that old log
                     files will not be closed immediately.

       **configtest**    Run a configuration file syntax test. It parses the configuration files and ei‐
                     ther reports **Syntax** **Ok** or information about the particular syntax  error.  This
                     test does not catch all errors.

       **help**          Displays a short help message.

       The following option was available in earlier versions but has been removed.

       **startssl**      To start httpd with SSL support, you should edit your configuration file to in‐
                     clude the relevant directives and then use the normal apache2ctl start.

## ENVIRONMENT
       The behaviour of **apache2ctl** can be influenced with these environment variables: **APACHE**___**HTTPD**,
       **APACHE**___**LYNX**,   **APACHE**___**STATUSURL**,  **APACHE**___**ULIMIT**___**MAX**___**FILES**,  **APACHE**___**RUN**___**DIR**,  **APACHE**___**LOCK**___**DIR**,
       **APACHE**___**RUN**___**USER**, **APACHE**___**ARGUMENTS**, **APACHE**___**ENVVARS**.  See the comments in the  script  for  de‐
       tails.  These variables (except **APACHE**___**ENVVARS**) can be set in **/etc/apache2/envvars**.

## SEE ALSO
       [**apache2(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/apache2/8/markdown)**, **/usr/share/doc/apache2/README.Debian.gz**




                                             April 2008                                [apache2ctl(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/apache2ctl/8/markdown)