Here is how you fix it, should it happen to you:

Telnet into your server.

Virtual FreeBSD (yourserver.com) (ttyp2)
login:
login: yourserver
Password:

Last login: Fri Feb 9 15:59:59 from 4.3.125.245
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FreeBSD 4.2-RELEASE (VKERN) #2: Thu Jan 18 14:56:39 MST 2001

"I had to hit him -- he was starting to make sense."

yourserver%

yourserver% ps -aux

Run the ps -aux command. If all you see is something like this:

USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TT STAT STARTED TIME COMMAND
youserver 48524 0.0 0.5 4408 2740 ?? S 2:34PM 0:13.52 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
youserver 65229 0.0 0.2 1316 808 p1 Is+ 3:59PM 0:00.08 -tcsh (tcsh)
youserver 13140 0.0 0.2 1356 824 p2 Ss 8:04PM 0:00.06 -tcsh (tcsh)
youserver 14481 0.0 0.0 388 216 p2 R+ 8:11PM 0:00.00 ps -aux

If you do not see this in the COMMAND column:
httpd: Master:wait (httpd)

All you see is a "lingering" Child:ready process.. you will need to force kill that
process in order to restart the apache httpd processes.

Type this:
yourserver% kill -9 48524

The kill -9 and the (PID number=48524) of the process.
Once you do this: restart_apache

At this point, the server will see no apache processes running, and will force a the server
to execute the Master:ready process and bring your http:// back on line again.

You will then see a "healthy" ps -aux display:

yourserver% ps -aux

USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TT STAT STARTED TIME COMMAND
yourserver 14728 2.4 0.6 4396 3096 ?? S 8:12PM 0:00.19 httpd: Master:wait (httpd)
yourserver 65229 0.0 0.2 1316 808 p1 Is+ 3:59PM 0:00.08 -tcsh (tcsh)
yourserver 14748 0.0 0.6 4420 3116 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:keepalive (httpd)
yourserver 14749 0.0 0.6 4420 3116 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
yourserver 14750 0.0 0.6 4420 3116 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
yourserver 14751 0.0 0.6 4420 3116 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:write (httpd)
yourserver 14752 0.0 0.6 4420 3116 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
yourserver 14753 0.0 0.6 4408 3100 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
yourserver 14754 0.0 0.6 4420 3116 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.01 httpd: Child:keepalive (httpd)
yourserver 14759 0.0 0.6 4408 3100 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
yourserver 14760 0.0 0.6 4408 3100 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
yourserver 14761 0.0 0.6 4408 3100 ?? S 8:13PM 0:00.00 httpd: Child:ready (httpd)
yourserver 14763 0.0 0.0 400 216 p2 R+ 8:13PM 0:00.00 ps -aux

Remember, I have found this can "happen" after you restart_apache for a simple httpd.conf
entry. ( you should always check your url via a browser after you restart_apache )