How to modify the listen port for Apache

The Apache HTTP Server typically listens on port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS. Some environments or existing services might necessitate adjusting these ports to avoid conflicts.

In Linux, macOS, and Windows environments, changing the listen port for Apache requires root or administrative privileges to edit the relevant configuration files. A mismatch between service and firewall rules can disrupt connectivity, so thorough configuration is crucial.

The Listen directive determines which port Apache uses, and updates to firewall settings or SELinux policies may also be required to ensure the service is accessible. Careful planning and validation can help maintain uninterrupted operations when altering default ports.

1. Open the terminal on your server.
2. Locate the Apache configuration file containing the Listen directive.

   $ sudo grep -nr "^Listen" /etc/{httpd,apache2}/
   [sudo] password for user: 
   grep: /etc/httpd/: No such file or directory
   /etc/apache2/ports.conf:5:Listen 80

   Related: Location for Apache configuration

3. Edit the configuration file using your preferred text editor.

   $ sudo vi /etc/apache2/ports.conf

4. Find the line with the Listen directive, followed by the current port number.

   Listen 80

5. Replace the current port number with the desired new port number.

   Listen 8080

   Make sure no other services are using the port you have chosen. You can use the netstat command to check for conflicts.

6. Save and close the configuration file.
7. Edit related VirtualHost configurations to utilize the new port.

   <VirtualHost *:8080>
     ##### snipped
   </VirtualHost>

8. Allow the new port through your firewall.

   $ sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -j ACCEPT
   $ sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp

9. Add the new port to the list of allowed ports for HTTP traffic for SELinux.

   $ sudo semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 8080

10. Restart the Apache service to apply the changes.

    $ sudo systemctl restart apache2 # Ubuntu, Debian, openSUSE and SLES
    $ sudo systemctl restart httpd # CentOS and Red Hat

    Related: How to manage the Apache web server service

11. Confirm that Apache is now listening on the new port by accessing the server with the updated port number in the URL.

    $ curl -I 127.0.0.1:8080
    HTTP/1.1 200 OK
    Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 11:58:10 GMT
    Server: Apache/2.4.55 (Ubuntu)
    Last-Modified: Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:37:27 GMT
    ETag: "29af-60434cacb2109"
    Accept-Ranges: bytes
    Content-Length: 10671
    Vary: Accept-Encoding
    Content-Type: text/html