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PHP_FPM fails to start with "ERROR: [pool domain_tld] the chdir path '/home/username' does not exist or is not a directory"

Steven Sublett
  • Updated

Symptoms

The apache_php_fpm service fails to start, with an error similar to:

CONFIG_TEXT: [12-Aug-2022 09:47:51] ERROR: FPM initialization failed
[12-Aug-2022 09:49:59] ERROR: [pool domain_tld] the chdir path '/home/username' does not exist or is not a directory

 

Cause

The apache_php_fpm service will fail to start if an account was removed from the server, but its PHP-FPM configuration file(s) was left behind, or if an existing cPanel user's configured home directory is missing.

 

Resolution

  1. Log in to the server via SSH or WHM's Terminal as the root user

  2. Try to start the Apache PHP-FPM service to see what errors are experienced:

    # /scripts/restartsrv_apache-php_fpm --start

    Note: You will want to note the missing home directory, PHP version(s) that PHP-FPM is unable to start for, and the domain(s) in the errors.

  3. See if the cPanel user that's missing its home directory exists on the server:

    # /scripts/whoowns username

    Note: You need to replace username with the cPanel username.

    For example, in the error:

    [12-Aug-2022 09:49:59] ERROR: [pool domain_tld] the chdir path '/home/cptest' does not exist or is not a directory

    The cPanel username is cptest.

  4. Follow the instructions in one of the provided tabs, depending on whether the cPanel user exists on the server or not.
cPanel user does NOT exist

Move aside the problematic PHP-FPM cruft:

# mv -v /opt/cpanel/ea-php##/root/etc/php-fpm.d/domain.tld.conf{,.backup.$(date +%F_%R)}

Note: You need to replace ea-php## with the ea-php or alt-php version that is failing to start and domain.tld.conf with the domain. This may need to be done for multiple domains.

cPanel user exists

Create the missing home directory:

# mkdir -v /home/username; chown username.username /home/username; chmod 0711 /home/username

Note: You need to replace all instances of username in the above-provided command with the cPanel username.

  1. Start the Apache PHP-FPM service:

# /scripts/restartsrv_apache_php_fpm --start

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