Apache (httpd)

Apache HTTP Server (httpd) is one of the most widely used web servers. This article covers installation, configuration structure, virtual hosts, module management, SSL certificates, and SELinux-related settings.

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Install httpd

Install Apache and common utilities using DNF:

Install Apache

sudo dnf install httpd httpd-tools -y

After installation, start the service and enable it at boot:

Start and enable httpd

sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

Verify the service is running:

Check httpd status

sudo systemctl status httpd

Open the HTTP and HTTPS firewall ports:

Configure firewall

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Open a browser and navigate to the server’s IP address. If you see the default test page, the installation was successful.

Configuration File Structure

Apache configuration files are distributed across multiple directories. Understanding their structure helps with future maintenance:

Path	Description
/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf	Main configuration file
/etc/httpd/conf.d/	Additional configuration fragment directory (.conf files auto-loaded)
/etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/	Module loading configuration directory
/var/www/html/	Default website root directory
/var/log/httpd/	Log directory (access_log, error_log)

View the key parameters in the main configuration file:

View main config (filtering comments and blank lines)

grep -v '^\s*#' /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf | grep -v '^$'

Common global configuration directives include:

httpd.conf key directives

ServerRoot "/etc/httpd"
Listen 80
ServerAdmin root@localhost
ServerName your-domain.com:80
DocumentRoot "/var/www/html"

After modifying the configuration, always check the syntax before reloading:

Check syntax and reload

sudo apachectl configtest
sudo systemctl reload httpd

Virtual Host Configuration

Virtual hosts allow hosting multiple websites on a single server. It is recommended to create a separate configuration file for each site in /etc/httpd/conf.d/.

Create Site Directory and Page

Create website directory structure

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/html
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/log
echo '<h1>Welcome to example.com</h1>' | sudo tee /var/www/example.com/html/index.html

Set directory ownership:

Set directory permissions

sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/example.com

Write Virtual Host Configuration

Create virtual host configuration file

sudo tee /etc/httpd/conf.d/example.com.conf << 'EOF'
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/html

    ErrorLog /var/www/example.com/log/error.log
    CustomLog /var/www/example.com/log/access.log combined

    <Directory /var/www/example.com/html>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>
EOF

Verify and Apply

Test configuration and reload

sudo apachectl configtest
sudo systemctl reload httpd

To add more sites, repeat the steps above and create the corresponding .conf files.

Enable and Manage Modules

Apache extends functionality through modules. On EL systems, module configuration is located in the /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/ directory.

View Loaded Modules

List all loaded modules

httpd -M

Install Additional Modules

Using mod_ssl and mod_rewrite as examples:

Install mod_ssl

sudo dnf install mod_ssl -y

mod_rewrite is included in the default httpd installation. Just confirm it is loaded:

Confirm mod_rewrite is loaded

httpd -M | grep rewrite

Enable .htaccess Rewrites

Set AllowOverride All in the virtual host or directory configuration to enable rewrite rules in .htaccess files. Create an example .htaccess:

Create .htaccess rewrite example

sudo tee /var/www/example.com/html/.htaccess << 'EOF'
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
EOF

SSL/TLS Configuration

Using a Self-Signed Certificate (Test Environment)

After installing mod_ssl, a self-signed certificate is automatically generated, allowing immediate HTTPS access. The certificate is located at:

• Certificate: /etc/pki/tls/certs/localhost.crt
• Private key: /etc/pki/tls/private/localhost.key

Using Let’s Encrypt Free Certificates (Production)

Install Certbot:

Install Certbot

sudo dnf install epel-release -y
sudo dnf install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Request a certificate:

Request a certificate with Certbot

sudo certbot --apache -d example.com -d www.example.com

Certbot will automatically modify the Apache configuration and set up the HTTPS virtual host.

Set Up Automatic Renewal

Test automatic renewal

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Certbot automatically creates a systemd timer for certificate renewal. Confirm the timer is enabled:

Check renewal timer status

sudo systemctl status certbot-renew.timer

Manual SSL Virtual Host Configuration

If you need to configure SSL manually, use the following template:

SSL virtual host configuration example

sudo tee /etc/httpd/conf.d/example.com-ssl.conf << 'EOF'
<VirtualHost *:443>
    ServerName example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/html

    SSLEngine on
    SSLCertificateFile /etc/pki/tls/certs/example.com.crt
    SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/pki/tls/private/example.com.key
    SSLCertificateChainFile /etc/pki/tls/certs/chain.crt

    <Directory /var/www/example.com/html>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>
EOF

SELinux and httpd

On SELinux-enabled systems, Apache is subject to additional security policy restrictions. Here are common scenarios and how to handle them.

Check Current SELinux Status

Check SELinux status

getenforce
sestatus

Modify SELinux Context for Website Directories

If website files are placed in a non-default directory (not under /var/www/), the correct SELinux context must be set:

Set SELinux context for a custom directory

sudo semanage fcontext -a -t httpd_sys_content_t "/data/www(/.*)?"
sudo restorecon -Rv /data/www

Allow httpd to Make Network Connections

When Apache needs to act as a reverse proxy or connect to a backend database:

Allow httpd to make network connections

sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect on

Allow httpd to Connect to Databases

Allow httpd to connect to databases

sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect_db on

Allow httpd to Send Email

Allow httpd to send email

sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail on

Allow httpd to Read User Home Directories

If the UserDir module is enabled:

Allow httpd to access user home directories

sudo setsebool -P httpd_enable_homedirs on

Use Non-Standard Ports

If Apache listens on a non-standard port (e.g., 8080), add it to the SELinux policy:

Add custom port to SELinux

sudo semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 8080

Troubleshoot SELinux Denials

If you encounter issues caused by SELinux, check the audit log:

Troubleshoot SELinux denial records

sudo ausearch -m avc -ts recent
sudo sealert -a /var/log/audit/audit.log

Install the setroubleshoot tool for more detailed recommendations:

Install SELinux troubleshooting tools

sudo dnf install setroubleshoot-server -y

Common Operations Quick Reference

httpd daily operations commands

# Start / Stop / Restart / Reload
sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl stop httpd
sudo systemctl restart httpd
sudo systemctl reload httpd

# View real-time access log
sudo tail -f /var/log/httpd/access_log

# View real-time error log
sudo tail -f /var/log/httpd/error_log

# View httpd version and compile parameters
httpd -V

# List all virtual host configurations
httpd -S

Further Reading

• Nginx Reverse Proxy — Alternative web server
• Getting Started with SELinux — Understanding SELinux’s impact on web services