---
name: "apache2"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "apache2-bin"
version: "2.4.68-1~deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/apache2"
---

# apache2(8)

Apache Hypertext Transfer Protocol Server

## NAME

apache2 - Apache Hypertext Transfer Protocol Server

## SYNOPSIS

**apache2** \[ -**d** *serverroot* \] \[ -**f** *config* \] \[ -**C** *directive* \] \[ -**c** *directive* \] \[ -**D** *parameter* \] \[ -**e** *level* \] \[ -**E** *file* \] \[ **-k** start\|restart\|graceful\|stop\|graceful-stop \] \[ -**R** *directory* \] \[ -**h** \] \[ -**l** \] \[ -**L** \] \[ -**S** \] \[ -**t** \] \[ -**v** \] \[ -**V** \] \[ -**X** \] \[ -**M** \]

## SUMMARY

apache2 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.

In general, apache2 should not be invoked directly, but rather should be invoked via /etc/init.d/apache2 or apache2ctl. The default Debian configuration requires environment variables that are defined in /etc/apache2/envvars and are not available if apache2 is started directly. However, apache2ctl can be used to pass arbitrary arguments to apache2.

## DOCUMENTATION

The full documentation is available in the apache2-doc package or at http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/ . Information about Debian specific changes and configuration can be found in /usr/share/doc/apache2/README.Debian.gz .

## OPTIONS

- \-d *serverroot*

  Set the initial value for the ServerRoot directive to *serverroot*. This can be overridden by the ServerRoot directive in the configuration file.

- \-f *config*

  Uses the directives in the file *config* on startup. If *config* does not begin with a /, then it is taken to be a path relative to the ServerRoot. The default is /etc/apache2/apache2.conf.

- \-k start\|restart\|graceful\|stop\|graceful-stop

  Signals apache2 to start, restart, or stop. See Stopping Apache for more information.

- \-C *directive*

  Process the configuration *directive* before reading config files.

- \-c *directive*

  Process the configuration *directive* after reading config files.

- \-D *parameter*

  Sets a configuration *parameter* which can be used with \<IfDefine\> sections in the configuration files to conditionally skip or process commands at server startup and restart.

- \-e *level*

  Sets the LogLevel to *level* during server startup. This is useful for temporarily increasing the verbosity of the error messages to find problems during startup.

- \-E *file*

  Send error messages during server startup to *file*.

- \-R *directory*

  When the server is compiled using the SHARED\_CORE rule, this specifies the *directory* for the shared object files.

- \-h

  Output a short summary of available command line options.

- \-l

  Output a list of modules compiled into the server. This will **not** list dynamically loaded modules included using the LoadModule directive.

- \-L

  Output a list of directives together with expected arguments and places where the directive is valid.

- \-M

  Dump a list of loaded Static and Shared Modules.

- \-S

  Show the settings as parsed from the config file (currently only shows the virtualhost settings).

- \-t

  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). If -D *DUMP*\_*VHOSTS* is also set, details of the virtual host configuration will be printed. If -D *DUMP*\_*MODULES*  is set, all loaded modules will be printed.

- \-v

  Print the version of apache2, and then exit.

- \-V

  Print the version and build parameters of apache2, and then exit.

- \-X

  Run apache2 in debug mode. Only one worker will be started and the server will not detach from the console.

## SEE ALSO

[**apache2ctl**(8)](/apache2ctl/8.md), **/usr/share/doc/apache2/README.Debian.gz**