Software Sucks

 Sorry, I had to say it. Software really does suck.

We just installed a new CentOS, and I wanted to do some apache work. I don't do that kind of thing very often, so I don't just remember how to do it. Thank goodness for search engines!

Do a quick google for "apache shutdown" which led me to https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/stopping.html which tells me to do a "apachectl -k graceful-stop". Cool. Enter that command.

Passing arguments to httpd using apachectl is no longer supported.
You can only start/stop/restart httpd using this script.
If you want to pass extra arguments to httpd, edit the
/etc/sysconfig/httpd config file.

Um ... stopping httpd is exactly what I was trying to do. So I guessed that 2.4 must be old doc. Rather than trying to find new doc, I just entered

apachectl -h

It responded with:

Usage: /usr/sbin/httpd [-D name] [-d directory] [-f file]
                       [-C "directive"] [-c "directive"]
                       [-k start|restart|graceful|graceful-stop|stop]
                       [-v] [-V] [-h] [-l] [-L] [-t] [-T] [-S] [-X]
Options:
...

There's the "-k graceful-stop" all right. What's the problem? Well, except of course, for the stupid fact that the Usage line claims the command is "httpd", not "apachectl". Some newbie must have written the help screen for apachectl.

Another search for "Passing arguments to httpd using apachectl is no longer supported" wasn't very helpful either, but did suggest "man apachectl". Which says:

When  acting in pass-through mode, apachectl can take all the arguments available for the httpd binary.
...
When acting in SysV init mode, apachectl takes simple, one-word commands, defined below.
...

How might I know which mode it's working in? Dunno. But a RedHat site gave an example of:

apachectl graceful

which matches the SysV mode. So apparently the right command is "apachectl graceful-stop" without the "-k". Which worked.

So why did "apachectl -h" give bad help? I think it just passed the "-h" to httpd (passthrough), so the help screen was printed by httpd. But shouldn't apachectl have complained about "-h"? GAH!

Software sucks.