"Why can't I ...? Why won't ... work?" What to do in case of problems

If you are having trouble with your Apache server software, you should take the following steps:

Check the ErrorLog!

Apache tries to be helpful when it encounters a problem. In many cases, it will provide some details by writing one or more messages to the server error log. Sometimes this is enough for you to diagnose and fix the problem yourself (such as file permissions or the like). The default location of the error log is /usr/local/apache2/logs/error_log, but see the ErrorLog directive in your config files for the location on your server.

If you end up in any of the support forums this is quite likely to be the first place they will ask you retrieve information from. Please ensure you know where to find your errorlog. If you are unsure, the wiki page here can give you some ideas where to look.

Consult the wiki

The Apache HTTP Server Wiki contains guides to solving many common problems.

Check the Apache bug database

Most problems that get reported to The Apache Group are recorded in the bug database. Do not submit a new bug report until you have checked existing reports (open and closed) and asked about your problem in a user-support forum (see below). If you find that your issue has already been reported, please don't add a "me, too" report.

Ask in a user support forum

Apache has an active community of users who are willing to share their knowledge. Participating in this community is usually the best and fastest way to get answers to your questions and problems.

Users mailing list

#httpd on Freenode IRC is also available for user support issues.

Please use the bug database for bugs!

If you've gone through those steps above that are appropriate and have obtained no relief, then please do let the httpd developers know about the problem by logging a bug report.

If your problem involves the server crashing and generating a core dump, please include a backtrace (if possible).

Whom do I contact for support?

With millions of users and fewer than sixty volunteer developers, we cannot provide personal support for Apache. For free support, we suggest participating in a user forum (see above).

Professional, commercial support for Apache is available from a number of companies.