The Apache configuration file is a text file that contains all of the settings for the Apache web server. This includes things like the document root, the port that Apache listens on, and the modules that are loaded.

The location of the Apache configuration file can vary depending on the operating system and the way that Apache was installed. However, there are a few general methods that you can use to find the Apache configuration file.

In Linux, there are several ways to find the Apache configuration file, and these include the following:

Directory path browsing

You can use the Linux terminal to find the Apache configuration file with its default name apache2.conf. In most Debian-based Linux distributions like Ubuntu, the following is the default directory path for the Apache configuration file:

/etc/apache2/apache2.conf

In some cases, the Apache configuration file can be located at:

/etc/httpd/httpd.conf

Using the apachectl command

To use the apachectl command to find the location of the Apache configuration file, you can use the -V option, which displays the Apache version and the configured settings, including the location of the main configuration file. Here’s the command:

apachectl -V | grep SERVER_CONFIG_FILE

This command will output a line that indicates the location of the main Apache configuration file. The output may look something like this:

-D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf"

In this example, the main Apache configuration file is located at “conf/httpd.conf” relative to the Apache installation directory. Adjust the path based on your system and Apache installation.

If you’re simply interested in finding the exact location of the Apache configuration file, then you can just use the apachectl command with the -v parameter as seen below;

apachectl -V

This will print a list of Apache configuration variables, including the SERVER_CONFIG_FILE variable, which specifies the location of the Apache configuration file as seen below;

Server version: Apache/2.4.52 (Debian)
Server built: 2023-11-03T12:27:14+00:00
Server's MPM: prefork
Server's PID: 12345
Build Date: 2023-11-03T12:27:14+00:00
Server's Home: /usr/local/apache2
Server's Configuration: /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf

• Server's Configuration: The path to the Apache configuration file.

Once you have found the location of the Apache configuration file, you can edit it using a text editor such as nano or vim. Be sure to back up the file before making any changes.

Using the grep command

To find the location of the Apache configuration file using the grep command, you can use a command like this:

grep -r -i "ServerRoot\|Include" /etc/apache2

This command searches recursively (-r) in the “/etc/apache2” directory and its subdirectories for lines containing “ServerRoot” or “Include” (case-insensitive). These lines often provide information about the location of the Apache configuration file.

The output may look something like this:

/etc/apache2/apache2.conf:ServerRoot "/etc/apache2"
/etc/apache2/apache2.conf:IncludeOptional sites-enabled/*.conf

In this example, the Apache configuration file is “/etc/apache2/apache2.conf,” and the “ServerRoot” directive specifies the root directory of the Apache installation. The “IncludeOptional” line indicates the inclusion of additional configuration files from the “sites-enabled” directory.

Using the find command

The find command is a command-line utility for searching for files and directories in a Unix-like operating system. It can be used to find files based on a variety of criteria, such as file name, file type, file size, file permissions, and file modification date. The find command can also be used to execute other commands on the files that it finds.

To search for the Apache configuration file in the /etc directory, which is the standard location for system-wide configuration files on Linux and Unix systems. The -name option tells find to search for files with the specified name, and the -o option tells find to include files that match either of the specified names. So, the entire command with the necessary parameters will be as follows:

find /etc -name "apache2.conf" -o -name "httpd.conf"

The output you this above command will print out as follows;

/etc/apache2/apache2.conf
/etc/httpd/httpd.conf

This indicates that the Apache configuration file is located at /etc/apache2/apache2.conf.

If you are using a different distribution of Linux or Unix, or if you have customized the Apache configuration, the output may be different. For example, the Apache configuration file may be located at /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf or /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf.

Apache Configuration file on macOS

On macOS, the Apache configuration file is located at the following path

/private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf

Alternatively, you can also use the find command to locate the Apache configuration file on macOS by running the following;

sudo find / -name "httpd.conf"

The output of the command sudo find / -name "httpd.conf" on macOS would be:

/private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf

This is because the Apache configuration file httpd.conf is located at /private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf on macOS.

Apache Configuration file on Windows

On Windows, the Apache configuration file is most likely to be located at the following path;

C:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.4\conf

If you’re seeking the actual path where the Apache configuration file is located, then you can also run the following command on the Windows CMD terminal

httpd.exe -v

So, you will have to navigate to the ServerRoot directory and find the httpd.conf file path as indicated in the output below:

C:\> httpd.exe -V
Server version: Apache/2.4.52 (Win64)
Server built:   2023-11-03 12:50:56
Server's Module Magic Number: 20120211:41

Dynamic Shared Object (DSO) Support: yes
ExtendedStatus:    enabled
Server MPM:        Win32-4.0
threaded:           yes
forked:            yes
prefork:            yes
worker:             yes
event:              yes

Server compiled with following features:
  - ASIS
  - AUTH_BASIC
  - AUTH_DIGEST
  - ...
  - XSLT_ENGINE_LIBXML

Server loaded with following modules:
  - mod_access_compat.so
  - mod_alias.so
  - ...
  - mod_vhost_alias.so

ServerRoot: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.4"

If you are using a managed hosting provider, the location of the Apache configuration file may be different. You may need to contact your hosting provider for more information.