Comprehensive Solutions and Troubleshooting for PHP Service Failing to Start on Ubuntu

Reasons and Troubleshooting for PHP Service Failing to Start on Ubuntu

When deploying websites or web applications on Ubuntu, developers may encounter issues where the PHP service fails to start. This often leads to pages not being parsed or server errors. This article covers solutions from configuration checks, service restarts, and log analysis, providing practical command examples to help you quickly restore PHP service functionality.

Check PHP Configuration Files

First, ensure that PHP configuration files are set correctly. On Ubuntu, the configuration file is typically located at:

sudo vim /etc/php/7.x/apache2/php.ini

(where 7.x is the PHP version number)

Key points to check in the configuration file include:

• Verify the PHP error log path is correct, for example: error_log=/var/log/php_errors.log
• Ensure the extension directory points to the correct path, for example: extension_dir="/usr/lib/php/20170718"
• Adjust memory limits according to needs, for example: memory_limit = 128M

Check Apache Configuration Files

PHP is usually executed through the Apache server, so correct Apache configuration is crucial. Common configuration files include:

sudo vim /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

Important aspects to check include:

• Confirm the PHP module is loaded correctly, e.g.: LoadModule php7_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp7.so
• Ensure Apache is configured to parse PHP files: AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
• Verify virtual host settings (like DocumentRoot and Directory) to ensure PHP files can be properly executed in the website root directory

Restart Apache and Check Error Logs

After configuration changes, restart Apache to apply them:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Then, check Apache error logs to get detailed error messages:

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

Use the log messages to identify issues such as module load failures, permission problems, or missing PHP extensions, and address them accordingly.

Reinstall PHP and Related Extensions

If the problem persists, the PHP installation or its dependencies may be corrupted. You can try reinstalling PHP:

sudo apt-get purge php*
sudo apt-get install php

After reinstalling, check if Apache automatically loads the PHP module; if not, enable it manually.

Test PHP Service

To verify that PHP is running correctly, create a test file named info.php in your website root directory (e.g., /var/www/html):

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Access http://your-server-ip/info.php in a browser. If the PHP info page is displayed correctly, the PHP service is functioning normally.

Conclusion

By checking PHP and Apache configuration files, restarting services, reviewing logs, and reinstalling PHP extensions, you can effectively resolve PHP service startup issues on Ubuntu. Pay attention to version compatibility and permissions to ensure all components work together smoothly. These steps should help you quickly diagnose and fix related problems.