Bug 757571

Summary: httpd -w listed in man page, but not know by the executable
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Reporter: Christian Unger <chakkerz>
Component: httpdAssignee: Joe Orton <jorton>
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX QA Contact: BaseOS QE Security Team <qe-baseos-security>
Severity: low Docs Contact:
Priority: unspecified    
Version: 6.1CC: prc
Target Milestone: rc   
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: x86_64   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2011-12-01 13:32:30 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:

Description Christian Unger 2011-11-27 21:14:35 UTC
Description of problem:
man lists that httpd can be started with -w to:
-w     Keep the console window open on error so that the error message can be read.
but executing it gives an error that it isn't known:
[root@minneola ~]# httpd -w
httpd: illegal option -- w

Also, no directly equivalent option is apparent, but that's a different issue.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
At least in:
[root@minneola ~]# rpm -q httpd
httpd-2.2.15-9.el6_1.2.x86_64
[root@minneola ~]# rpm -q httpd
httpd-2.2.15-9.el6_1.3.x86_64

How reproducible:
very, check man and run `httpd -w`

Steps to Reproduce:
1. man httpd - see last option or search for -w
2. run httpd -w

  
Actual results:
[root@minneola ~]# man httpd | grep -- "-w" ; httpd -w
       httpd [ -k install|config|uninstall ] [ -n name ] [ -w ]
       -w     Keep the console window open on error so that the error  message
httpd: illegal option -- w
Usage: httpd [-D name] [-d directory] [-f file]
             [-C "directive"] [-c "directive"]
             [-k start|restart|graceful|graceful-stop|stop]
             [-v] [-V] [-h] [-l] [-L] [-t] [-S]
Options:
  -D name            : define a name for use in <IfDefine name> directives
  -d directory       : specify an alternate initial ServerRoot
  -f file            : specify an alternate ServerConfigFile
  -C "directive"     : process directive before reading config files
  -c "directive"     : process directive after reading config files
  -e level           : show startup errors of level (see LogLevel)
  -E file            : log startup errors to file
  -v                 : show version number
  -V                 : show compile settings
  -h                 : list available command line options (this page)
  -l                 : list compiled in modules
  -L                 : list available configuration directives
  -t -D DUMP_VHOSTS  : show parsed settings (currently only vhost settings)
  -S                 : a synonym for -t -D DUMP_VHOSTS
  -t -D DUMP_MODULES : show all loaded modules 
  -M                 : a synonym for -t -D DUMP_MODULES
  -t                 : run syntax check for config files
[root@minneola ~]# 


Expected results:
To start the daemon in the foreground, or not to list the option that doesn't exist.

Additional info:
Might just be a difference between the man page and the binary, or might be an actual bug in the binary. I haven't checked.

Comment 2 Joe Orton 2011-11-28 16:45:35 UTC
Thanks for contacting us.  If you check the SYNOPSIS section of the man page, it does say:

       On Windows systems, the following additional arguments are available:

which includes the "-w" argument.

Comment 3 Christian Unger 2011-11-29 02:31:56 UTC
Fair enough.

Comment 4 Joe Orton 2011-12-01 13:32:30 UTC
It is somewhat awkward to patch this out; I don't think its worth it for the minor confusion - I'm going to close this as WONTFIX.