# Certbot --apache not working : /

**URL:** <https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [June 24, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751 "2017-06-24T15:50:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![corke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@corke](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/corke)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/1 "2017-06-24T15:50:15Z")

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Hello the community !

I got actually problems when I run the command certbot --apache  
The console say me this :

The apache plugin is not working; there may be problems with your existing configuration.  
The error was: PluginError(‘There has been an error in parsing the file /etc/apache2/sites-available/jarl-le-ssl.conf.save on line 1: Syntax error’,)

I m a big noob in linux if anyone can suggest me some solutions thank you !

And where can I found a tutorial for unsinstall completly and properly certbot and let’s encrypt ?

Thanks !

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**Author:** ![schoen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/schoen/32/79_2.png) [@schoen](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/schoen)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/2 "2017-06-24T18:31:24Z")

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Hi @corke,

> [@corke](#):
>
> /etc/apache2/sites-available/jarl-le-ssl.conf.save

Can you post the contents of that file here?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![corke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@corke](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/corke)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/3 "2017-06-24T20:57:57Z")

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Hi Schoen,

Thank for reply, there is the code :

```
<IfModule mod_ssl.c>

```

\<VirtualHost \*:443\>  
ServerAdmin [contact.jarl.fr@gmail.com](mailto:contact.jarl.fr@gmail.com)  
ServerName [www.jarl.fr](http://www.jarl.fr)  
ServerAlias [jarl.fr](http://jarl.fr)

```
DocumentRoot /var/www/jarl-home
<Directory />
	Options FollowSymLinks
	AllowOverride All
</Directory>
<Directory /var/www/jarl-home>
	Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
	AllowOverride All
	Order allow,deny
	allow from all
</Directory>

ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /usr/lib/cgi-bin/
<Directory "/usr/lib/cgi-bin">
	AllowOverride None
	Options +ExecCGI -MultiViews +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
	Order allow,deny
	Allow from all
</Directory>

ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/error.log

# Possible values include: debug, info, notice, warn, error, crit,
# alert, emerg.
LogLevel warn

CustomLog /var/log/apache2/access.log combined

Alias /doc/ "/usr/share/doc/"
<Directory "/usr/share/doc/">
    Options Indexes MultiViews FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride None
    Order deny,allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 127.0.0.0/255.0.0.0 ::1/128
</Directory>

```

SSLCertificateFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/www.jarl.fr-0002/fullchain.pem  
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/www.jarl.fr-0002/privkey.pem  
Include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-apache.conf

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![schoen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/schoen/32/79_2.png) [@schoen](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/schoen)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/4 "2017-06-24T21:05:36Z")

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I guess the `.save` is a backup that came from some other program editing this file… do you remember having edited it for any reason?

There’s no `</IfModule>` at the end?

Could you move it out of `sites-available` temporarily, maybe into your home directory?

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**Author:** ![corke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@corke](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/corke)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/5 "2017-06-24T21:56:15Z")

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All have started when I would like change the directory of one my site. so yes I have doing editit on it, I remember I have try delete them but after the apache2 would not restart, so I have recreate an empty file and it’s rework for apache

I think the best solution should be : unsintall let’s encrypt / certbot completly then do a proper install. but If we can solve it it’s good too ^^

Sorry I have copy wrong (Have problem for copy) : I have upload here : [https://jarl.fr/certbothelp.txt](https://jarl.fr/certbothelp.txt)

really thanks for your help

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![schoen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/schoen/32/79_2.png) [@schoen](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/schoen)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/6 "2017-06-24T22:47:38Z")

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I don’t think that uninstalling and reinstalling Certbot will help. If you uninstall a Certbot package, that does not any Apache configuration files that Certbot has created (or that were created for any other reason).

So, when you reinstall Certbot, this particular file will still exist and will probably still generate the same error.

Could you try moving that file into your home directory?

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**Author:** ![corke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@corke](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/corke)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 10:51pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/7 "2017-06-24T22:51:38Z")

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Hi, I m so sorry I have copy the wrong file ! I show you jarl-le-ssl.conf and not jarl-le-ssl.conf.save

I have uptaded you should see the good one now sorry ^^

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![corke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@corke](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/corke)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/8 "2017-06-24T22:54:00Z")

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After delete the file it’s work did it’s good ? or should I keep it ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![schoen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/schoen/32/79_2.png) [@schoen](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/schoen)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 1:18am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/9 "2017-06-25T01:18:40Z")

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Hi @corke,

I looked at the corrected file that you uploaded. The reason for the problem is the very first line of that file

> `<Ihttps://jarl.fr/fModule mod_ssl.c>`

where you've pasted the URL of your site into what should say

> `<IfModule mod_ssl.c>`

This probably happened while you were editing the file in a text editor.

I think you can delete the `.save` file, because it's simply meant to be a backup copy of another file that you already have and are using. But as long as it's not inside of `sites-available`, it shouldn't be able to harm anything!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![corke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@corke](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/corke)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/10 "2017-06-25T02:29:29Z")

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Ok nice that work 🙂  
thank you !

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/c/a/ca6c06ea1ea201324bba7048c6841ce60236468d.png) [@system](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/certbot-apache-not-working/36751/11 "2017-07-25T02:29:48Z")

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Closed on July 25, 2017, 2:29am UTC

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