Apache HTTP_Server - Failed to start a managed process after the maximum retry limit Log (HTTP_Server~1)

Oracle HTTP Server, residing on a Unix platform, fails to start using OPMN. For example, OPMN reports the generic error

opmnctl startall
opmnctl: starting opmn and all managed processes...
================================================================================
opmn id=oradb:6200
0 of 1 processes started.

ias-instance id=infra.oracle.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ias-component/process-type/process-set:
HTTP_Server/HTTP_Server/HTTP_Server

Error
--> Process (pid=24042)
Failed to start a managed process after the maximum retry limit Log::
/opt/oracle/infra/opmn/logs/HTTP_Server~1

The HTTP_Server~1 OPMN log file just reports that the HTTP Server has been started, but there are actually no httpd processes present on the system.

There is also nothing written to the $ORACLE_HOME/apache/apache/logs directory even when HTTP Server logLevel is set to debug.

Furthermore there are no core / segmentation fault files created.

In order for the HTTP Server to listen on ports < 1024 e.g 80 and 443 the ownership and permissions of the Oracle HTTP Server binary - '.apachectl' - have been changed as follows:

One possible work-around is to change .apachectl to belong to another group - such as the generic one users (rather than have the file belong to the oracle group - typically called 'oinstall') e.g

Solution:

chown root:users .apachectl
chmod 6750 .apachectl

MOS Reference: OPMN Fails to Start Oracle HTTP Server 10g After Changing 'apachectl' to Root Ownership and 6750 Permissions (Doc ID 735023.1)