Just did a migration for ispconfig apache to apache and can't load ispconfig control panel

Discussion in 'Installation/Configuration' started by vestport, Nov 16, 2025.

  1. vestport

    vestport Member

    I can ping out to say "www.yahoo.com" etc. and login with ssh but cant get to the control panel with "https://my.domain.com:8080". Not sure what to do or check.

    I had setup on LAN but adjusted my files below for the real IP, nameservers and such.
    /etc/hosts
    /etc/hostname
    /etc/resolv.conf
    /etc/network/interfaces

    Am I missing something?


    apache2 is running and I can see the host site (via IP or FQDNS) but not control panel (https://my.domainname.com:8080).
    my.domainname.com/webmail is also not working

    I tried forcing an update (ispconfig_update.sh --force) and no luck. I think this is an issue with SSL that somehow did not get configured during migration

    RAN THE TEST SCRIPT AND GO THIS:

    root@ns1:~# wget -q -O htf-common-issues.php "http://gitplace.net/pixcept/ispcon fig-tools/raw/stable/htf-common-issues.php" && php -q htf-common-issues.php

    ##### SCRIPT FINISHED #####
    Results can be found in htf_report.txt
    To view results use your favourite text editor or type 'cat htf_report.txt | mor e' on the server console.

    If you want to see the non-anonymized output start the script with --debug as pa rameter (php -q htf-common-issues.php --debug).

    root@ns1:~# ls
    apps.vhost ORIG-etc-netowork-interfaces
    htf-common-issues.php Orig-etc.ngnix.sites-available.ispconfig.host
    htf_report.txt ORIG-etc-resolv.conf
    ispconfig-install-log README-Art
    mbox resolv.conf
    ORIG-etc-hostname resolv.conf.LAN
    ORIG-etc-hosts
    root@ns1:~# less htf_report.txt

    ##### SERVER #####
    IP-address (as per hostname): ***.***.***.***
    [WARN] could not determine server's ip address by ifconfig
    [INFO] OS version is Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)

    [INFO] uptime: 22:02:14 up 15 min, 1 user, load average: 0.00, 0.01, 0.00

    [INFO] memory:
    total used free shared buff/cache available
    Mem: 7.3Gi 2.5Gi 4.2Gi 71Mi 1.2Gi 4.8Gi
    Swap: 975Mi 0B 975Mi

    [INFO] systemd failed services status:
    UNIT LOAD ACTIVE SUB DESCRIPTION
    ● nginx.service loaded failed failed A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server

    LOAD = Reflects whether the unit definition was properly loaded.
    ACTIVE = The high-level unit activation state, i.e. generalization of SUB.
    SUB = The low-level unit activation state, values depend on unit type.
    1 loaded units listed.

    [INFO] ISPConfig is installed.

    ##### ISPCONFIG #####
    ISPConfig version is 3.3.0p3


    ##### VERSION CHECK #####

    [INFO] php (cli) version is 8.2.29
    [INFO] php-cgi (used for cgi php in default vhost!) is version 8.2.29

    ##### PORT CHECK #####

    [WARN] Port 8080 (ISPConfig) seems NOT to be listening
    [WARN] Port 8081 (ISPConfig Apps) seems NOT to be listening
    [WARN] Port 80 (Webserver) seems NOT to be listening
    [WARN] Port 443 (Webserver SSL) seems NOT to be listening

    ##### MAIL SERVER CHECK #####

    [WARN] I found no "smtps" entry in your postfix master.cf
    [INFO] this is not critical, but if you want to offer SSL for smtp (not TLS) connections you have t
    o enable this.

    :




    Any help appreciated.

    Thanks


    Art
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2025
    vestport, Nov 16, 2025
    #1
  2. remkoh

    remkoh Active Member HowtoForge Supporter

    Your webserver won't start. That's why the panel can't be reached.

    Run this from the command line to see if there is something wrong in your webserver's config and preventing it to start:
    Code:
    nginx -t
    Fix the errors if any are found and the webserver will probably start again.
    If not, check the webserver logs to see what is going wrong.
     
    remkoh, Nov 16, 2025
    #2
  3. till

    till Super Moderator Staff Member ISPConfig Developer

    And if there are no errors from what @remkoh suggested, then you likely have an issue with an SSL certificate, as Apache tends not to reveal that in the log. But start with the steps @remkoh posted, they will likely reveal to you already what the issue is.

    Did you use the same Let's Encrypt client on the old and new servers? It's a prerequisite for a migration as described in the migration guide. If your old system uses certbot, then the new one must use certbot as well, which means you must install the new one with the --use-certbot option of the auto installer.
     
    till, Nov 16, 2025
    #3
  4. vestport

    vestport Member

    ANSWER

    2025/11/16 05:19:36 [emerg] 30098#30098: invalid parameter "R,L" in /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/100-vestport.com.vhost:155
    nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test failed


    Wow, I did the migrate from an apache system. Why did it install NGINX"?
     
    vestport, Nov 16, 2025
    #4
  5. vestport

    vestport Member


    Not sure if I did lets encrypt. Sorry I didn't doc that. Anyways, looks like I just migrated from apache to nginx again. Oh man, another 2 or 3 days lost!
     
    vestport, Nov 16, 2025
    #5
  6. vestport

    vestport Member

    When I setup the new server I did the auto install for apache before migrate. The old server was also apache. Does the migrate program isntall nginx by default or something? If not then maybe I goofed and did the auto install for nginx again. Man!
     
    vestport, Nov 16, 2025
    #6
  7. till

    till Super Moderator Staff Member ISPConfig Developer

    The Migration Tool does not install anything. You installed the server before starting the migration. So the question is, why did you install Nginx instead of Apache in this server when you wanted Apache?

    Apparently not. If your system runs Nginx, then you installed Nginx.

    The Migration Tool is not installing anything. It uses your new server as it is, connects to ISPConfig remote API and imports the old websites, mailboxes etc.

    That's the only way this can happen. or you installed another server while still having the bginx one in place and still connect to the nginx server.

    This installs an Apache server:

    Code:
    wget -O - https://get.ispconfig.org | sh -s -- --use-ftp-ports=40110-40210 --unattended-upgrades
    and this installs an Nginx server:

    Code:
    wget -O - https://get.ispconfig.org | sh -s -- --use-nginx --use-ftp-ports=40110-40210 --unattended-upgrades
    As you can see, by adding the command-line flag --use-nginx, you install a system with Nginx. See Installation tutorial:

    https://www.howtoforge.com/ispconfig-autoinstall-debian-ubuntu/

    If your old system uses Certbot for Let's Encrypt Certificates, which is quite likely as it seems to be very old, then you want the new system to use certbot as well. Which means to add --use-certbot switch too during installation.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2025
    till, Nov 16, 2025
    #7
    remkoh likes this.
  8. till

    till Super Moderator Staff Member ISPConfig Developer

    Btw. You might still find the install command you used in your bash history on the new system.
     
    till, Nov 16, 2025
    #8
  9. remkoh

    remkoh Active Member HowtoForge Supporter

    I just lookup at the logs you posted.
    In there your system clearly thinks your main webserver is Nginx and not Apache.
    Why is for you to clearify ;) For sure the migration tool didn't do it (as @till already stated too).
    His suggestion to look in your history may give you the awnser.
     
    remkoh, Nov 16, 2025
    #9
  10. vestport

    vestport Member

     
    vestport, Nov 16, 2025
    #10
  11. till

    till Super Moderator Staff Member ISPConfig Developer

    I recommend that you format the server, install a clean and empty Debian 12, redo the installation using Apache web server this time, then run the migration again.

    The steps are:

    1) Install the server properly with the right web server and the right Let's Encrypt client
    2) Then migrate the system.

    If you have not done step 1 properly, do not even start with step 2.

    And yes, it's possible to exchange Apache and Nginx on an already installed system, but this requires a lot of knowledge, you must be a seasoned sysadmin for that as it means knowing and editing, and adjusting lots of config files manually, etc. It's probably by a factor of 2x more complicated than the migration from Apache to Nginx on a working Nginx system you started with and failed, so I don't think you should attempt to do that yourself. Therefore my recommendation to start with a properly installed base system.

    Also, installing a proper base system and rerunning the migration tool, which does everything automatically so you don't have to supervise it, is way less work and faster.
     
    till, Nov 16, 2025
    #11
    remkoh likes this.
  12. vestport

    vestport Member

    If I just install a new system without migration and setup a newer nginx with the ispconfig auto installer can I create each email account with the new ispconfig and then import each mail box from the server I upgraded from? I think I would rather do this if that's possible at this point as I really don't need to save websites. It' s all about the mail. If I can do that please tell me how I can then just import or merge all the mail from the working server I upgraded from (dovecot & postfix).
     
    vestport, Nov 17, 2025
    #12

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