Apache hangs

jcampbell · n00b Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 40

This is strange... I start apache and it works. I restart it and get this:

jcampbell · n00b Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 40

okay... more info... viewing apache's error_log:

gbpack · n00b Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 8

I'm still having this exact problem. I tried the workaround but that didn't work either. I posted this in IRC a little while ago but no one replied. If anyone has any ideas .... it would be greatly appreciated.

Janne Pikkarainen · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:19 am Post subject:

I had the same problem with Apache 1.3.x some years back, but I can't remember if I ever fixed it (in any other way than not using the mod_auth_digest).

Anyway, maybe this problem could be a classic "kernel runs out of entropy" problem? If your server runs mostly idle and mod_auth_digest gets its digest data from /dev/random, it could be that kernel is unable to generate random data fast enough. Check that with command cat /proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail -- if it's 0, then your server has temporarily run out of entropy.

In that case you may emerge rng-tools and run rngd, which generates some less perfect entropy.
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gbpack · n00b Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 8

cat /proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail says 4096.

gbpack · n00b Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 8

installed rng-tools and started it up. Tried starting apache2 again and it still doesn't put a pid file in /var/run. Apache says it started ok, but my home page won't load. Error log says:

[Sun Sep 25 11:31:05 2005] [notice] suEXEC mechanism enabled (wrapper: /usr/sbin/suexec2)
[Sun Sep 25 11:31:07 2005] [notice] Digest: generating secret for digest authentication ...
[Sun Sep 25 11:31:07 2005] [notice] Digest: done

I have no idea what to do?

Troy · n00b Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 23 Location: Oklahoma

It's not just you. Since the update, I can't restart apache

I have no entropy and no physical access to the system to create entropy. I'd used MY_BUILTINS="--with-devrandom=/dev/urandom" emerge apache in the past to fix this. It's not fixing it this time. I added urandom to my USE flags as suggested by the apr-0.9.6 ebuild, rebuilt APR and apache2 with no success. Not good...
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taiger · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 112

I have the same problem

I have temporaly cammented:

modules/mod_auth_digest.so

:?:

chrismear · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:17 am Post subject:

This might be some help. On one of my servers, it generates the secret instantly, so I never noticed this problem. But on another server, it takes about two minutes to generate the secret. Once it's done that, though, apache runs perfectly:

[Sat Oct 01 10:00:36 2005] [notice] suEXEC mechanism enabled (wrapper: /usr/sbin/suexec2)
[Sat Oct 01 10:00:36 2005] [notice] Digest: generating secret for digest authentication ...
[Sat Oct 01 10:02:33 2005] [notice] Digest: done
[Sat Oct 01 10:02:34 2005] [notice] Apache configured -- resuming normal operations

I don't know how to make it work faster, but in the meantime I'm happy just to wait for a couple of minutes while it sorts itself out.

Taily · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 115

Well for me the apache server would just "hang" at

j-m · Retired Dev Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 975

bytelab · n00b Joined: 29 Sep 2003 Posts: 14 Location: Sweden

I have the same problem but after a little testing I found it to be an entropy issue.
Thanks guys for a very informative thread

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TJNII · l33t Joined: 09 Nov 2003 Posts: 648 Location: for(;;);

Wow. I never knew a computer could run out of entropy.

ohcnetwork · n00b Joined: 27 Dec 2005 Posts: 2

Hi, I know that this is not RHE or Apache forum, but after I spent many hours searching for a solution to my problem, I only found a few places that discuss the problem, and this seems to be one place that I can ask about the problem and its possible solution, so I'm posting here. Hope it's ok ...

I am having a similar problem, and Apache2 installed on my server hangs. Apache2 is installed on RHE and it happens periodically. I tried to find causes, but the reason why I'm posting here is that I see the following error message in my error log file (and this is mentioned in this thread):

ocbMaurice · Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 3:19 pm Post subject:

Your Problem is not likely related to the entropy pool. The problem with the entropy pool is the automatic generation of the secret for mod_auth_digest. To create a new secret (cypher key) it needs some (real) random data which is taken from the entropy pool. If the entropy pool is empty, the generation will take a long time. But in your case the generation was done in a very short time.

ohcnetwork · n00b Joined: 27 Dec 2005 Posts: 2

mizery de aria · Guru Joined: 07 Dec 2003 Posts: 309

*bump*
having this problem too...
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pirus3210 · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Posts: 19

i had the same problem.. Apache2 wouldnt start.

Try
#ps aux

if you can see apache there do this
#pkill -KILL apache

then try restarting

LL0rd · l33t Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 652 Location: Schlundcity

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem.

Bash[DevNull] · Guru Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 333

I've removed "LoadModule auth_digest_module modules/mod_auth_digest.so" line from config,
BUT it's not HELP me because on restart/start apache2 freezes (50-200sec) on reading from /dev/random!!!
Why? I have no other digest modules....
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LL0rd · l33t Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 652 Location: Schlundcity

okay, I don't realy know, what the error realy is, but I had restarted my apache webserver. After the restart I had just one apache process. Then me and my girlfriend hat a little bit fun

After about half an hour I was back and apache was running
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maverick6664 · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject:

Thanks all. Having the same problem I found this thread today, and finally found tapping the keyboard (not on a remote console, but on the "real" console w/o X Window) seemed to help.

Maybe moving the mouse or other factors will also help.

The value of /proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail on my http server is often low (around or below 100) and this value actually affects the freezing time period. My kernel is generic 2.6.16.

EDIT: Running X Server doesn't seem to matter at all. Keyboard and mouse always affect much. Moving mouse is the most efficient in my case.
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eltech · Guru Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 582 Location: New York

okuhl · n00b Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 22

Hi,

this worked for me, too:

soth · Apprentice Joined: 12 Sep 2003 Posts: 207

yay! No more problems for me!
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