Apache server not accessible on local ntwk, Ubuntu 14.04

[stehelene]

Hi all,

I modestly develop a small PHP / MySQL application called Music_Portal for home usage ie only accessible from the machines of my local home network.

To do so, I'm using XAMPP for Linux version 1.8.3-1 on my server, the name of the machine hosting this server is Desktop-Ubuntu (not very original, I know ).
So up to now, my client machines accessed the server and the application with the following path / URL in the address bar of my browser :
desktop-ubuntu/Music_Portal/
Important to note that all my (home) clients work either under Linux / Ubuntu or Windows using several browsers such as Firefox, IE or Chrome.
Well, in short, up to a very recent time, all that perfectly worked.

These last days, I made several modifications in my application. I tested them locally on my server / host machine (Desktop-Ubuntu). I access the application in the address bar of my browser using : http://localhost/Music_Portal ==> so far so good. Then I wanted to perform a real life test on one of my clients under Windows + Firefox : KO, the server is not accessible anymore, Firefox displays (sorry in french) "Le delai d'attente est depasse" meaning "timeout expired". Same result from another client running Ubuntu (14.04 too). Whereas my local network seems to work properly since I succeed to ping the server machine from any client machine.

Then, what changed since my last "real life" tests ? Of course, I made some evolutions in my application but at first glance, nothing to do with my issue. Nothing changed either in my XAMPP configuration. But on the other hand, last week (April 25th to be precise), I upgraded from Ubuntu 13.10 to Ubuntu 14.04. and last week end, I installed the last updates available. So I'm thinking this is where I have to investigate, compatibility issue between XAMPP 1.8.3-1 and Ubuntu 14.04.

Could anyone more advised and competent than I am help to sort this out and fix this issue ?

Note : I posted also the same topic on the french Ubuntu forum but unsuccessfuly up to now.

Thanks for your support

[Nobbie]

Ubuntu 14.04 comes with new rules (iptables etc.) for the firewall, maybe it is activated for port 80 etc.

P.S.: You also should try to access the Server via its LAN IP instead of Desktop-Ubuntu, maybe there is an issue with the Servername. Last not least the name have been changed slightly?!

[stehelene]

Hi Nobbie and all,

Issue fixed !

I just read your post but in between I fixed the issue this morning.
You're right, I tested wit the IP address in the address bar and it worked. In fact, the name of my machine, desktop-ubuntu disappeared from my DNS table, I don't really know why, related to 14.04 upgrade or not ? ... ? I then updated the DNS table and everything is OK now.

Thanks a lot !