ubuntu server start/stop/restart apache2 web server

How do I start, restart, or stop Apache 2.x web server on Ubuntu Linux operating systems using command line options?

You can use any one of the following method to restart / start / stop your Apache (httpd) sever on Ubuntu:

Tutorial details

1. /etc/init.d/apache2 - A sys v init style script to start / stop / restart the Apache2 service under Debian or Ubuntu Linux.
2. service command - This command work in most Linux distributions including Debian and Ubuntu.
3. upstart command - Only works on latest version of Ubuntu.
4. apache2ctl command - This method should work on all Linux and Unix like operating systems.

Method #1: /etc/init.d/apache2 command examples

You need to login as root user or use the sudo command to control Apache web-server.

Task: Start Apache 2 Server

# /etc/init.d/apache2 start
or
$ sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 start

Task: Restart Apache 2 Server

# /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
or
$ sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Task: Stop Apache 2 Server

# /etc/init.d/apache2 stop
or
$ sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 stop

Method #2: service command examples

To restart Apache 2, enter:
$ sudo service apache2 restart
To stop Apache 2, enter:
$ sudo service apache2 stop
To start Apache 2, enter:
$ sudo service apache2 start
To gracefully reload Apache 2, enter:
$ sudo service apache2 reload

Method #3: upstart command examples

To start Apache 2 on Ubuntu, run:
$ sudo start apache2
To stop Apache 2 on Ubuntu, run:
$ sudo stop apache2
To restart Apache 2 on Ubuntu, run:
$ sudo restart apache2
To gracefully reload Apache 2 on Ubuntu, run:
$ sudo restart apache2

Method #4: apache2ctl command examples

apache2ctl is Apache HTTP server control interface command, which can be used to stop or start web server under any Linux distribution or UNIX.
To start Apache 2 on Ubuntu, type:
$ sudo apache2ctl start
To stop Apache 2 on Ubuntu, type:
$ sudo apache2ctl stop
To restart Apache 2 on Ubuntu, type:
$ sudo apache2ctl restart
To gracefully reload Apache 2 on Ubuntu, type:
$ sudo apache2ctl graceful