Apache Status (whm-server-status) in cPanel WebHost Manager Returns Blank Page

When webmaster uses WebHost Manager (WHM) to manage a cPanel-based web hosting package, he or she may encounters the problem that the Apache Status under the section of Server Status returns black page or blank screen with just the default cPanel WHM control center header. In Apache error log (error_log file normally located in /etc/httpd/logs or /usr/local/apache/logs directory), the “[error] [client 127.0.0.1] File does not exist: /usr/local/apache/htdocs/whm-server-status” error message will be found. The reason and cause of this error is due to misconfiguration of Apache HTTPD web server configuration file.

On a new cPanel web host, the Apache configuration file (httpd.conf) will be configured to set location of /whm-server-status to be handled by server-status feature of Apache. If this few lines of code is removed, Apache no longer know what to do when WHM trying to access /whm-server-status, just like when you remove or delete an alias or virtual host configuration, the alias or vhost no longer be accessible.

To solve the error, simply add the following lines to httpd.conf file, normally located in /etc/httpd/conf or /usr/local/apache/logs. These lines are by default added before the virtual hosts declaration.

<Location /whm-server-status>
SetHandler server-status
Order deny,allow
Deny from all
Allow from 127.0.0.1
</Location>
ExtendedStatus On

The last line, ExtendedStatus On tells Apache tol generate “full” status information instead of just basic information when the “server-status” handler is called.