Apache status remains in "starting" (nextcloud aio interface)

[GUNT0815]

• nextcloud-aio runs on latest version of unraid with own docker-compose file
• Installation uses caddy as reverse proxy in front of apache
• Update to 11.3.0 via stable channel (no change on the functioning docker-compose file etc.)
• apache stays in status "Starting"
• nextcloud up and running - no issues detected
• apache log status shows "Waiting for nextcloud to start" as last line

Expection is that apache status is "Running"

[jancwe]

Same here, it seems to function just fine otherwise than that this state of course blocks me from stopping containers for backups or future updates.

I just use the default nextcloud-aio setup and I updated once to get into this state.

Apache container logs, just seem to indicate something about failed attempts to increase "receive buffer size", I don't feel that this could be related. Not sure how aio determines the container/service states since according to docker its up and running.

[jancwe]

I found a solution here:
https://help.nextcloud.com/t/nextcloud-aio-apache-zeigt-starting-lauft-aber/228179/2

Trying to find out how to gracefully shut down the containers the "aio way", I found that nc -z nextcloud-aio-apache 443 doesnt succeed from the mastercontainer but it does succeed running from the apache or the nextcloud container. 443 ist my $APACHE_PORT. In fact the mastercontainer wasn't able to ping the apache container at all.

I commented out following lines from the daily-backup.sh script in the mastercontainer so I was able to "gracefully" stop the containers the aio way:

    # Wait for apache to start
    while docker ps --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -q "^nextcloud-aio-apache$" && ! nc -z nextcloud-aio-apache "$APACHE_PORT"; do
        echo "Waiting for apache to become available"
        sleep 30
    done

then ran

docker exec -it -e STOP_CONTAINERS=1 nextcloud-aio-mastercontainer /daily-backup.sh

After that I switched to beta channel, which resolved the issue. I'm now on v11.4.0

[JoseRamirezMoreno]

I had this issue since the update to AIO v11.3.0. Apache container remained yellow in the AIO interface (without any negative impact on functionality or anything) but this had me a bit worried for days. Today I updated SO as usual and I said to myself "Whatever today is sunday" so I send reboot to the OS, went on checking the containers and all of them are green now. Nice. Weird but now is Ok I guess. (I underline that no impact whatsoever on users, v11.3.0 has worked very good so far)

[JoseRamirezMoreno]

@jancwe about the error in the logs in the "receive buffer size", you are correct (probably not related) but, however, you may solve it. If you are running AIO, since Apache is running in a container it doesn't have permissions to change the input and output buffers "net.core.wmem_max" and "net.core.rmem_max" (Write and read buffers). The following is what I did for Ubuntu (you may change it accordingly to your OS)

1. Create a new configuration file in /etc/sysctl.d/ (e.g., 60-net-tuning.conf)
2. Add the following as contents of such file:
   net.core.wmem_max = 7500000
   net.core.rmem_max = 7500000
3. There is a sysctl command to apply this but I don't remember, just reboot
4. Verify with:
   sysctl net.core.wmem_max
   sysctl net.core.rmem_max

Both should give you a beautiful 7500000

[GUNT0815]

To apply the changes (see above #3) use: sudo sysctl -p

[szaimen]

Hi, I just released AIO v11.4.0 stable. Can you please check if the problem still happens with that one?

[GUNT0815]

@szaimen Thanks!

Did the update, status unchanged.

Apache Container still remains in "Starting".

These are the latest log lines:

2025-07-17T11:44:28.185134492Z Waiting for Nextcloud to start...
2025-07-17T11:44:33.188706394Z Waiting for Nextcloud to start...
2025-07-17T11:44:38.198317212Z Connection to nextcloud-aio-nextcloud (172.25.0.9) 9000 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
2025-07-17T11:44:39.758046513Z [Thu Jul 17 13:44:39.757581 2025] [mpm_event:notice] [pid 254:tid 254] AH00489: Apache/2.4.63 (Unix) configured -- resuming normal operations
2025-07-17T11:44:39.758178957Z [Thu Jul 17 13:44:39.757659 2025] [core:notice] [pid 254:tid 254] AH00094: Command line: '/usr/local/apache2/bin/httpd -D FOREGROUND'
2025-07-17T11:44:39.785065198Z {"level":"info","ts":1752752679.78432,"msg":"maxprocs: Leaving GOMAXPROCS=20: CPU quota undefined"}
2025-07-17T11:44:39.785212294Z {"level":"info","ts":1752752679.7847073,"msg":"GOMEMLIMIT is updated","package":"github.com/KimMachineGun/automemlimit/memlimit","GOMEMLIMIT":60498870681,"previous":9223372036854775807}
2025-07-17T11:44:39.785250632Z {"level":"info","ts":1752752679.7847474,"msg":"using config from file","file":"/tmp/Caddyfile"}
2025-07-17T11:44:39.788854543Z {"level":"info","ts":1752752679.7882056,"msg":"adapted config to JSON","adapter":"caddyfile"}
2025-07-17T11:44:39.800551811Z {"level":"info","ts":1752752679.8000736,"msg":"serving initial configuration"}

[szaimen]

Hm... can you please post the output of sudo docker exec -it nextcloud-aio-mastercontainer bash -c "timeout 1 nc -z nextcloud-aio-apache $(sudo docker inspect nextcloud-aio-apache | grep -oP 'APACHE_PORT=[0-9]+' | sed 's/APACHE_PORT=//'); echo $?" here?

Also, is your server currently under heavy load? Also do you have fail2ban running?

[GUNT0815]

1. nextcloud-aio runs on unraid with a full stack docker-compose.yml config.
2. no fail2ban
3. there is some load on the server
4. Output is 2 lines:
   "Terminated"
   "0"

Just for the others with the same issue: I could make a master-container update via the nextcloud-aio interface after stopping the nextcloud-aio-apache container.

[szaimen]

Thanks for the answers. Can you try to follow #4989 and check if that helps?

[GUNT0815]

Done according to #4989. Solved the problem on my end. Apache is now in the status "Running" on the Nextcloud-aio configuration page!

Thank you @szaimen !

It is worth to mention that the containers could not be stopped via the mastercontainer. I had to stop some manually.

[szaimen]

Ok great!

For anyone else running into this, please follow #4989