Bad httpd conf
From DreamHost
Contents |
The Error
Your site mysteriously shows:
Site Temporarily Unavailable
We apologize for the inconvenience. Please contact the webmaster/ tech support immediately to have them rectify this.
error id: "bad_httpd_conf"
What the heck?
The Root Cause of the Error
This error means that the IP your domain is resolving to on our system points to an Apache web server not configured for your domain.
When this happens, the Apache web server just shows the first domain listed in its config file. So, to make sure nobody's site ever shows some other random site we host, we made the first domain in all our config files just show that page. In fact, DreamHost made up the error id: "bad_httpd_conf" stuff ourselves just so we'd know what the problem was when reported to us!
Of course, if everything is working right in our system, this should never happen. If it is happening, don't feel bad about contacting us to fix it!
However, there are some ways you can possibly fix it yourself immediately...
DNS changes
Frequently this error appears due to a change in your ip address. While changes to the Dreamhost name servers (aka dns servers) are nearly instantaneous, the new information doesn't reach other servers until the other servers drop the old data that they are holding on to. This is referred to as DNS propagation. The reason why you get this error during that period of time is the DNS information that you are receiving is outdated, and the Apache instance that you are being incorrectly sent to no longer has any record of your site. Depending on your location, it can take up to several hours for DNS changes to propagate, so the best thing to do is leave your domain alone for a few hours before attempting any sort of fix.
In addition, if you go to Manage Domains on the web panel and click the small DNS link under a domain, then you will be presented with a DNS page. If you click the blue "Go!" button at the top, the DNS information for that zone will be updated.
Resolving the issue
There are several ways to solve this problem.
IMPORTANT: If this problem appears shortly after making a configuration change for that domain in the control panel this could be caused by the IP address for that domain changing. If that's the case this error should go away within about 2 hours - once the DNS change propagates throughout the Internet. This is normal. If it doesn't go away after 2 hours then try these troubleshooting techniques.
Rebuilding httpd conf via Dreamhost's control panel
As already said before, the first try is quite simple. Go to https://panel.dreamhost.com. Under Domains -> Manage Domains, click on edit for domain that has "bad httpd conf" error. There's no need to change anything on it, you can simple save pressing "Change fully hosted settings now". Then wait up to 10 minutes to see if the problem is solved. With this solution you've simply rebuilt the httpd configuration file.
If you're not using DreamHost's DNS
If you aren't using DreamHost to manage your domain's DNS, most likely the IP they are serving your domain from changed.
It's up to you to notice this and fix it! You can figure out the correct IP by querying their nameserver with:
host domain.com ns1.dreamhost.com
Then, update your A record to point to the new ip.. once DNS propagates the bad_httpd_conf error should go away!
Contact support
If you cannot solve this problem using these hints please contact support.
