ServBay Configuration File Locations and Management

ServBay is a powerful local web development platform built on flexible management of various software packages such as web servers, databases, and language runtimes. To streamline management and maintain stability, ServBay centralizes all configuration files under a clear directory structure. This article details where ServBay stores its config files, and guides developers on how to locate and view these important files.

Important Notice: Do Not Manually Edit Configuration Files

ServBay's configuration files are automatically generated by the application based on your settings (configured via the UI). Do not manually edit configuration files directly within the ServBay config directories.

• macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc
• Windows: C:\ServBay\etc

Manual edits may be lost or cause unexpected errors when ServBay updates, restarts, or you make changes via the UI.

All configuration changes should be performed with the ServBay graphical user interface (UI) or official command-line tools to ensure your changes are persistent and safe. This document provides path information for reference or troubleshooting.

Directory Structure Overview

ServBay's configuration files are mainly stored under the following core directories, organized by package name and version:

Main Configuration Directory:

• macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc
• Windows: C:\ServBay\etc

This is the primary config directory, containing the majority of web server configs (Nginx, Caddy, Apache), language runtimes (PHP php.ini), databases (MySQL, MariaDB config fragments), and other services (Redis, Memcached).

Database Directory:

• macOS: /Applications/ServBay/db
• Windows: C:\ServBay\db

This directory primarily stores database data files, but may also contain database-specific config files, such as PostgreSQL's access control files.

Common Package Directory:

• macOS: /Applications/ServBay/package/common
• Windows: C:\ServBay\package\common

This directory stores common packages such as OpenSSL, with their configs found here.

Detailed Configuration File Locations by Package

Below are examples of where ServBay stores config files for popular packages:

Web Servers

Web server config files are typically stored in subdirectories under ServBay's main config directory by package name and version.

• Nginx: Main config directory:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/nginx
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\nginx

  For Nginx version 1.25, config files may be found at:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/nginx/1.25/nginx.conf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\nginx\1.25\nginx.conf

  Other related configs (such as site and SSL configs) are organized here or in subdirectories.

• Caddy: Main config directory:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/caddy
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\caddy

  Caddy's main config file:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/caddy/Caddyfile
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\caddy\Caddyfile

• Apache: Main config directory:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/apache
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\apache

  For Apache 2.4:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/apache/2.4/httpd.conf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\apache\2.4\httpd.conf

  Virtual host configs are typically in the extra subdirectory.

Language Runtimes

Language runtime configs (PHP, Python, Node.js, Go, Java, etc.) are also organized under the main config directory by language and version.

• PHP: Main config directory:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/php
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\php

  For PHP 8.2, the php.ini path:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/php/8.2/php.ini
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\php\8.2\php.ini

  PHP-FPM configs are stored in the same versioned directory.

• Python: Python configuration is typically managed via environment variables or within project files. ServBay's bundled Python executables are found at:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/package/python/{version}/bin
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\package\python\{version}\bin

  There is no centralized Python config in ServBay's main config directory.

• Node.js, Go, Java, Ruby, Rust, .NET: Similar to Python, these runtimes rely on project-level configs, environment variables, or toolchain norms. ServBay provides runtime environments/SDKs, but global config files are not stored in the main directory.

Databases

Database configs are distributed between ServBay's main config and data directories.

• MySQL / MariaDB: Main config directory:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/mysql (or /Applications/ServBay/etc/mariadb)
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\mysql (or C:\ServBay\etc\mariadb)

  For MySQL 8.0:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/mysql/8.0/my.cnf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\mysql\8.0\my.cnf

  This file contains main database configuration parameters.

• PostgreSQL: Main config directory by version:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/postgresql
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\postgresql

  For PostgreSQL 16:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/postgresql/16/postgresql.conf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\postgresql\16\postgresql.conf

  Authentication config files (pg_hba.conf, pg_ident.conf) are stored in the database directory, also organized by version:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/db/postgresql/16/pg_hba.conf
  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/db/postgresql/16/pg_ident.conf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\db\postgresql\16\pg_hba.conf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\db\postgresql\16\pg_ident.conf

• MongoDB, Redis: Configs for these are usually in the main config directory by name and version:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc

  For Redis:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/redis/redis.conf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\redis\redis.conf

Other Services and Common Packages

• OpenSSL: OpenSSL configs are found in the common package directory by version:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/package/common/openssl
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\package\common\openssl

  For OpenSSL 3.2:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/package/common/openssl/3.2/openssl.cnf
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\package\common\openssl\3.2\openssl.cnf

• ACME (for automatic SSL certificate issuance): ACME configs and certificates are found in:

  • macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc/acme or /Applications/ServBay/db/acme
  • Windows: C:\ServBay\etc\acme or C:\ServBay\db\acme

Viewing and Locating Configuration Files

Although manual editing is discouraged, developers may want to view config files for troubleshooting. Here’s how to locate and view them:

1. Navigate to the config file directory: Use a command-line tool to move to the desired config directory.

   macOS (using Terminal, iTerm2, etc.):

   # View the Nginx config directory
   cd /Applications/ServBay/etc/nginx/
   
   # View the PostgreSQL 16 pg_hba.conf directory
   cd /Applications/ServBay/db/postgresql/16

   Windows (using PowerShell or Command Prompt):

   # View the Nginx config directory
   cd C:\ServBay\etc\nginx\
   
   # View the PostgreSQL 16 pg_hba.conf directory
   cd C:\ServBay\db\postgresql\16

2. List files in the directory:

   macOS:

   ls

   Windows:

   # PowerShell
   Get-ChildItem
   # Or shortcut
   ls
   
   # Command Prompt
   dir

3. View file contents: Use text viewers or editors (for viewing only; do not save changes) to inspect configuration files.

   macOS:

   # View Nginx's nginx.conf
   cat nginx.conf
   # Or use less for paging
   less nginx.conf
   
   # View PHP 8.2's php.ini
   less /Applications/ServBay/etc/php/8.2/php.ini

   Windows:

   # PowerShell - View Nginx's nginx.conf
   Get-Content nginx.conf
   # Or use more for paging
   more nginx.conf
   
   # View PHP 8.2 php.ini
   Get-Content C:\ServBay\etc\php\8.2\php.ini | more
   
   # Command Prompt
   type nginx.conf
   more nginx.conf

4. Restart services (if you've made changes via ServBay UI): If you modified configuration using the ServBay UI, restart the relevant services for changes to take effect. Use the ServBay management console or servbayctl command-line tool.

   macOS:

   # Restart Nginx service
   servbayctl restart nginx -all
   
   # Restart PHP 8.2 service
   servbayctl restart php 8.2
   
   # Restart all services
   servbayctl restart all

   Windows:

   # Restart Nginx service
   servbayctl.exe restart nginx -all
   
   # Restart PHP 8.2 service
   servbayctl.exe restart php 8.2
   
   # Restart all services
   servbayctl.exe restart all

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Q: Can I manually edit configuration files to test advanced settings?

  A: Strongly discouraged. The ServBay UI covers most essential configuration options. For customizations beyond what the UI offers, consult ServBay's advanced documentation or the community for support. Manual changes are likely to be overwritten.

• Q: How does ServBay manage config files for multiple package versions?

  A: As described, ServBay creates separate subdirectories for each package version under the config (macOS: /Applications/ServBay/etc or /Applications/ServBay/db; Windows: C:\ServBay\etc or C:\ServBay\db), keeping versions isolated from each other.

• Q: What if I accidentally delete or corrupt a config file?

  A: ServBay automatically regenerates config files from built-in templates and your saved UI settings. Usually, just make a configuration change in the UI (even a minor one) to trigger regeneration. In rare cases, you may need to reset package configs or contact ServBay support.

Summary

ServBay uses a centralized, organized directory structure for configuration files on both supported platforms:

• macOS: Mainly in /Applications/ServBay/etc, with additional files in /Applications/ServBay/db and /Applications/ServBay/package/common
• Windows: Mainly in C:\ServBay\etc, with additional files in C:\ServBay\db and C:\ServBay\package\common

This consistent design allows ServBay to manage configs seamlessly across platforms, facilitating troubleshooting and file discovery for developers.

Understanding these file locations will help you grasp how ServBay works and simplify troubleshooting. Remember: Always use the ServBay UI or official tools for configuration changes—never edit files directly—to keep your environment stable and reliable.