Apache on SLES only starts https with -D SSL arguments

Question

I've been hacking up this server for a few days trying to convert a new installation of apache to HTTPS with the plan to convert it to NSS once I have SSL running properly. This server is not internet facing and strictly for use within our internal network, so a self-signed certificate was used. I am sure this is something simple that someone more experienced would quickly spot.

its:/etc/apache2 # httpd -v
Server version: Apache/2.4.23 (Linux/SUSE)
Server built:   2018-04-04 10:24:21.000000000 +0000

This is the command that starts the server with SSL enabled:

its:~ # apache2ctl -D SSL -k start

You can see from the command below that httpd is listening on 80 and 443:

its:~ # netstat -anp | grep -i listen |head -10
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:5432          0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      12704/postgres
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:25            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      1587/master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:22              0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      1461/sshd
tcp        0      0 ::1:5432                :::*                    LISTEN      12704/postgres
tcp        0      0 ::1:25                  :::*                    LISTEN      1587/master
tcp        0      0 :::443                  :::*                    LISTEN      17086/httpd-prefork
tcp        0      0 :::80                   :::*                    LISTEN      17086/httpd-prefork
tcp        0      0 :::22                   :::*                    LISTEN      1461/sshd
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     20198  3246/gnome-session- @/tmp/.ICE-unix/3246
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     26729  10664/2             /tmp/ssh-QVZiT6g6BZ/agent.10664

This is what is shown in the apache error log when the above command is run:

[Tue Jun 19 18:09:06.548624 2018] [mpm_prefork:notice] [pid 17086] AH00163: Apache/2.4.23 (Linux/SUSE) OpenSSL/1.0.2j-fips PHP/7.0.7 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Tue Jun 19 18:09:06.548653 2018] [core:notice] [pid 17086] AH00094: Command line: '/usr/sbin/httpd-prefork -D SYSCONFIG -C PidFile /var/run/httpd.pid -C Include /etc/apache2/sysconfig.d//loadmodule.conf -C Include /etc/apache2/sysconfig.d//global.conf -f /etc/apache2/httpd.conf -c Include /etc/apache2/sysconfig.d//include.conf -D SSL'

Now when trying to start the server normally (without the -D SSL option):

its:~ # apache2ctl start
its:/etc/apache2 # netstat -anp | grep -i listen |head -10
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:5432          0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      12704/postgres
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:25            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      1587/master
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:22              0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      1461/sshd
tcp        0      0 ::1:5432                :::*                    LISTEN      12704/postgres
tcp        0      0 ::1:25                  :::*                    LISTEN      1587/master
tcp        0      0 :::80                   :::*                    LISTEN      22448/httpd-prefork
tcp        0      0 :::22                   :::*                    LISTEN      1461/sshd
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     20198  3246/gnome-session- @/tmp/.ICE-unix/3246
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     26729  10664/2             /tmp/ssh-QVZiT6g6BZ/agent.10664
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     20051  1911/gdm-simple-sla @/tmp/dbus-UIT8sEpY

And in the apache error log:

[Wed Jun 20 09:00:59.337270 2018] [ssl:warn] [pid 22448] AH01873: Init: Session Cache is not configured [hint: SSLSessionCache]
[Wed Jun 20 09:00:59.342902 2018] [mpm_prefork:notice] [pid 22448] AH00163: Apache/2.4.23 (Linux/SUSE) OpenSSL/1.0.2j-fips PHP/7.0.7 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Wed Jun 20 09:00:59.342982 2018] [core:notice] [pid 22448] AH00094: Command line: '/usr/sbin/httpd-prefork -D SYSCONFIG -C PidFile /var/run/httpd.pid -C Include /etc/apache2/sysconfig.d//loadmodule.conf -C Include /etc/apache2/sysconfig.d//global.conf -f /etc/apache2/httpd.conf -c Include /etc/apache2/sysconfig.d//include.conf'

I did notice the ssl:warn in the second demonstration above, so here is that research:

its:/etc/apache2 # cat httpd.conf |grep ssl-global.conf |grep -v \#
Include /etc/apache2/ssl-global.conf
its:/etc/apache2 # cat ssl-global.conf|grep SSLSessionCache |grep -v \#
        SSLSessionCache         shmcb:/var/lib/apache2/ssl_scache(512000)
        SSLSessionCacheTimeout  300

httpd.conf:

its:/etc/apache2 # cat httpd.conf |grep -v ^\# |grep -v ^$
Include /etc/apache2/uid.conf
Include /etc/apache2/server-tuning.conf
ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/error_log
<IfDefine !SYSCONFIG>
  Include /etc/apache2/loadmodule.conf
</IfDefine>
Include /etc/apache2/listen.conf
Include /etc/apache2/mod_log_config.conf
<IfDefine !SYSCONFIG>
  Include /etc/apache2/global.conf
</IfDefine>
Include /etc/apache2/mod_status.conf
Include /etc/apache2/mod_info.conf
Include /etc/apache2/mod_reqtimeout.conf
Include /etc/apache2/mod_cgid-timeout.conf
Include /etc/apache2/mod_usertrack.conf
Include /etc/apache2/mod_autoindex-defaults.conf
TypesConfig /etc/apache2/mime.types
Include /etc/apache2/mod_mime-defaults.conf
Include /etc/apache2/errors.conf
Include /etc/apache2/ssl-global.conf
<Directory />
    Options None
    AllowOverride None
    <IfModule !mod_access_compat.c>
        Require all denied
    </IfModule>
    <IfModule mod_access_compat.c>
        Order deny,allow
        Deny from all
    </IfModule>
</Directory>
AccessFileName .htaccess
<Files ~ "^\.ht">
    <IfModule !mod_access_compat.c>
        Require all denied
    </IfModule>
    <IfModule mod_access_compat.c>
        Order allow,deny
        Deny from all
    </IfModule>
</Files>
DirectoryIndex index.html index.html.var
Include /etc/apache2/default-server.conf
IncludeOptional /etc/apache2/vhosts.d/*.conf
ServerName 192.168.25.53
AddType  application/x-httpd-php         .php
AddType  application/x-httpd-php-source  .phps

And finally my vhost file:

its:/etc/apache2 # cat vhosts.d/*conf |grep -v \# |grep -v ^$
ServerTokens Prod
TraceEnable off
LogLevel notice
<IfDefine SSL>
<IfDefine !NOSSL>
<VirtualHost _default_:443>
DocumentRoot /srv/www/htdocs/mantis
ServerName 192.168.25.53
ServerAlias 192.168.25.53
ServerAdmin webadmin@sample.com
ErrorLog "|| /usr/sbin/rotatelogs2 /var/log/apache2/error_log_ssl.%Y%m%d 100M"
TransferLog "|| /usr/sbin/rotatelogs2 /var/log/apache2/access_log_ssl.%Y%m%d 100M"
CustomLog "|| /usr/sbin/rotatelogs2 /var/log/apache2/ssl_request_log.%Y%m%d 100M" "%t %h %{SSL_PROTOCOL}x %{SSL_CIPHER}x \"%r\" %b"
CustomLog "|| /usr/sbin/rotatelogs2 /var/log/apache2/ssl_referer_log.%Y%m%d 100M" "%t %h %{Referer}i -> %U"
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
   RewriteEngine on
   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} ^(TRACE|TRACK)
   RewriteRule .* - [F]
</IfModule>
SSLEngine on
SSLCertificateFile /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.crt
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.key
SSLCertificateChainFile /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.crt
SSLCACertificatePath /etc/apache2/ssl
<Files ~ "\.(cgi|shtml|phtml|php3?)$">
    SSLOptions +StdEnvVars
</Files>
SetEnvIf User-Agent ".*MSIE.*" \
         nokeepalive ssl-unclean-shutdown \
         downgrade-1.0 force-response-1.0

<Directory "/srv/www/htdocs/mantis">
    Require all granted
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>
</IfDefine>
</IfDefine>

If there are any other conf or log files I should include to better address this question, please write in the comments below. I am open to any suggestions or best practice methods that might be outside the scope of this question, but please limit those to comments.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 20 '18 at 15:36

1

Apparently in SuSE you need to place this line in /etc/sysconfig/apache2 file:

APACHE_SERVER_FLAGS="-D SSL"

You can see that your configuration file contains a IfDefine, so it's intentionally done this way.

answered Jun 20 '18 at 15:36

kubanczyk

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1

I knew it was something simple. I checked with another server I had running, you are 100% correct. However, I found that I do not need the -D in the sysconfig file. All I needed was `APACHE_SERVER_FLAGS="SSL"` to make it come up with SSL. Now on to installing NSS and undoing everything I just did. So much fun! – Bill Jun 20 '18 at 15:51

Apache on SLES only starts https with -D SSL arguments

1 Answers1