After every software update on my Mac Studio server, my webpages won’t come up (HTTPD or “localhost not found” errors), and my cloud monitoring provider sends a DOWN status alert.
NOTE: This post is for Apple ARM-based (the “M” series) Mac users who use their units to host websites, have installed Apache, MySQL, and PHP via Homebrew, and use Let’s Encrypt for SSL (https).
It also assumes that your Let’s Encrypt SSLCertificateFile and SSLCertificateKeyFile are correctly configured in httpd-ssl.conf (opt/homebrew/etc/httpd/extra/httpd-ssl.conf).
You should also reference those two SSL certificate files inside httpd-vhosts.conf (opt/homebrew/etc/httpd/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf), where you have to add <VirtualHost *:80> and <VirtualHost *:443>.
So, let’s move on.
When purchased new at an Apple Store near Stanford University in Palo Alto, both my ARM-based (Apple Silicon) Mac Studios came bundled with macOS Sequoia (15.x), and both had since been updated to macOS Tahoe 26.1, 26.2, 26.3, 26.4, 26.4.1, 26.5, 26.5.2, 26.6.2, 26.7 and the latest, 26.7.1 (this could be my last version update for macOS Tahoe).
But I expect more to come when I upgrade to macOS Golden Gate (27.0.1)
As I had mentioned, it’s always frustrating to see the web server go down after every update. Documenting how I brought the system back up was inconsistent, given the numerous apps you had to manage under Homebrew.
And on one occasion, I had to redo the entire process of reinstalling everything (Apache, MySQL, PHP (AMP), and WordPress) after transitioning from macOS Sequoia to Tahoe.
But since each update from macOS Tahoe 26.1 to 26.7.1, the “webserver recovery” procedure has remained consistent.
All commands are done via Terminal, and here they are:
After the update and your Apple Silicon-based Mac has restarted, type the following commands (the commands are in bold letters, while my comments after each command are in normal letters):
sudo apachectl graceful (This restarts the httpd process and checks for any httpd issues. If there are any, it will say, “httpd not running”). When you type localhost in your web browser, your website’s main page won’t load.
But don’t worry, and continue with the next command below.
brew services stop httpd (Since we’re using Homebrew, this command stops the web server. If successful, it will print: Successfully stopped ‘httpd’ (label: homebrew.mxcl.httpd).
brew services start httpd (Since we’re using Homebrew, this command starts the web server. If successful, it will print: Successfully started ‘httpd’ (label: homebrew.mxcl.httpd).
For the critical part, this is what essentially brings back up your secure (SSL) web server after every update:
sudo certbot certificates (This command checks whether your Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate is still valid. You can reinstall the existing certificate or renew and replace it). And finally….
sudo certbot –apache (NOTE: That’s two (2) dashes before apache. All domains hosted on your web server that you want to reinstall or renew and replace the SSL certificates for should show up).
If the following messages show up: “An expected error occurred” or “No such authorization“, restart your Mac and type this additional command:
apachectl configtest (this validates the integrity of your Apache HTTP server configuration files without stopping or restarting the server. If everything is working, it should spit out: “Syntax OK”). Then, redo the first five (5) commands mentioned above.
If you did everything correctly, the secure website(s) running inside your Apple Silicon-based Mac should be back in action!
ADDENDUM: This procedure is not a “100% guaranteed fix” for all Apple Silicon-based Mac users with similar issues. Sometimes you will also need to reinstall or update Homebrew and related files after configuring it to run AMP.
It’s always a good idea to check your Homebrew version (brew — version) –note: There’s a space after brew and two (2) dashes before version- to see if you’re missing anything, and run brew doctor to see if “Your system is ready to brew.”
You can also revert your web server setup to its state before the macOS update using Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner.
But eventually, you’ll want the latest version of macOS.
NOTES: This post was updated on 10/22/2026.
The “upgrade” to macOS Golden Gate (27.0.1) from macOS Tahoe (26.7.1) was not a significant one and did not wreak havoc on third-party apps including Homebrew.
Essentially, I did the same steps to bring back the website after the upgrade.