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Learn how to fix Apache server startup issues after mistakenly deleting an SSL certificate using Certbot on Ubuntu 18.04. Get your website back online easily!
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/65560450/ asked by the user 'Priyesh' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6911488/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/66546835/ provided by the user 'Piers' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1124230/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Resolving Apache Server Issues After Deleting SSL Certificate with Certbot

When managing a server, it’s not uncommon to encounter issues, especially when dealing with SSL certificates. Recently, a common problem surfaced for users running Apache on Ubuntu 18.04: Apache not starting after deleting an SSL certificate obtained through Certbot. In this guide, we’ll explore the issue in detail and guide you through the steps needed to resolve it.

The Problem: Apache Fails to Start

Imagine you’re running an Ubuntu 18.04 server, and you find out that your SSL certificate has expired. You try to renew it using the certbot renew command, but face DNS errors. In a moment of frustration, you decide to delete the existing certificate with the command sudo certbot delete, hoping to replace it with a new one. However, after doing this, you restart your Apache server only to find that it won’t start at all.

When you execute apache2ctl configtest, you are met with the following error message:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This indicates that the Apache configuration is referencing a file that no longer exists or is empty, which is causing the server to fail to start.

The Solution: Fixing the Apache Configuration

To get your Apache server back online, you’ll need to take a few steps to either edit the Apache configuration file or reissue the SSL certificate. Here’s how to go about it:

Step 1: Access the Configuration File

Open an SSH connection to your Ubuntu server if you haven’t already.

Navigate to the Apache configuration directory where the problematic file is located by running:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Edit the SSL Configuration File

Next, you’ll need to edit the 000-default-le-ssl.conf file that is causing the issue:

Open the file using a text editor with root privileges:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Modify the lines referencing the SSL certificate:

If you plan to obtain a new SSL certificate, you can leave them as they are for now.

If you don’t intend to use SSL anymore, you can remove those lines.

Save your changes and exit the editor by pressing CTRL + X, then confirming with Y to save and hit Enter.

Step 3: Restart Apache

After making the necessary changes, it’s crucial to restart the Apache server to apply them:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Optional: Reissue the SSL Certificate

If you've decided that you still need an SSL certificate, you can issue a new one using Certbot:

Run the following command:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

(Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain.)

Follow the prompts to complete the SSL generation process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, encountering issues with Apache after deleting an SSL certificate is a common problem, but it can be easily resolved by editing the configuration files or reissuing the certificates. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can get your Apache server back up and running smoothly in no time!

If you have any questions or run into further issues, feel free to reach out in the comments below!