/usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp7.0.so: undefined symbol: ap_map_http_request_error

Question

I have PHP7 installed on my Ubuntu 14.04 laptop. It was working perfectly all this while. Now, for some reason my apache2 isn't starting.

anjanesh@anjanesh-Latitude-3560:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 start
 * Starting web server apache2                                                                                                                  * 
 * The apache2 configtest failed.
Output of config test was:
apache2: Syntax error on line 140 of /etc/apache2/apache2.conf: Syntax error on line 3 of /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/php7.0.load: Cannot load /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp7.0.so into server: /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp7.0.so: undefined symbol: ap_map_http_request_error
Action 'configtest' failed.
The Apache error log may have more information.

All the files are in place. There is libphp7.0.so in /usr/lib/apache2/modules.

Answer 1

Reinstalled PHP on 16.04 LTS to fix this. Note: after running apt update Apache2 would not install until a sudo apt autoremove had been run.

Install Apache

sudo aptitude install apache2

Install MySQL

sudo aptitude install mysql-server

Install PHP

sudo aptitude install php7.0 libapache2-mod-php7.0 php7.0 php7.0-common php7.0-gd php7.0-mysql php7.0-mcrypt php7.0-curl php7.0-intl php7.0-xsl php7.0-mbstring php7.0-zip php7.0-bcmath php7.0-iconv php-mcrypt

Start Apache

apachectl start

Answer 2

Not enough reputation to comment ...

Doing sudo apt-get update wasn't enough for me (OP's Comment under the question).

But then also doing sudo apt-get upgrade fixed it.

Answer 3

If you are upgrading your php version using ondrej ppa (sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php). You need to upgrade the apache2 version too.

Please add the below ppa too and upgrade the apache2 package.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/apache2
sudo apt update 
sudo apt install -y apache2

Then enable the libapache2-mod-php7.0 or libapache2-mod-php.

$ sudo a2enmod php 

or

$ sudo a2enmod php7.0

or

$ sudo a2enmod php7.1

Restart the apache.

$ sudo service apache2 restart

Your problem is solved.