apache2 will not restart

[jasimon9]

I have had a MacPorts install of apache2 for many years. To restart apache, I would use the sequence "sudo port unload apache2" and then "sudo port load apache2". It no longer works, and I have to reboot my Mac to get apache running again.

When the load command is executed, the normal message is displayed.

iMac3:php81 jas$ sudo vi php.ini
iMac3:php81 jas$ sudo port unload apache2
Password:
--->  Unloading startupitem 'apache2' for apache2
iMac3:php81 jas$ sudo port load apache2
--->  Loading startupitem 'apache2' for apache2
iMac3:php81 jas$ 

However, the browser at this point gives the following error for every website:

Safari cannot open the page ... because it cannot connect to the server

This never used to occur.

Checking the process list shows only the following:

iMac3:~ jas$ ps aux|grep httpd
jas              80804   0.0  0.0 34133068    908 s001  S+    4:24PM   0:00.00 grep httpd
_www             80728   0.0  0.0 34153188    944   ??  S     4:21PM   0:00.00 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
root             80724   0.0  0.0 34153328   3368   ??  Ss    4:21PM   0:00.20 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND
iMac3:~ jas$ 

However, when apache is running normally, in addition to those two httpd processes, the are about six more processes waiting on input.

So I believe something has happened with the Macports instal that prevents the normal apache restart procedure.

In addition, checking error_log shows that the attempt to restart apache using the "load" sub-command does not cause any entry in that log. So it seems that apache is not getting the message to restart.