[users@httpd] What caused configuration change of loading http.config?

[John Hudak <jo...@comcast.net>]

Hello:
Perhaps someone can shed some light on what this problem is, or at least 
a 'correct' way to get around it.
System configuration: Clean install of RH9, with ALL the options, Apache 
2.0.53. Pretty much running system 'as installed'.  Modified the
/usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf to reflect server root 
("/usr/local/apache2"), listen on my ip.address:80, and document root 
(<Directory
"/usr/local/apache2/htdocs">).  Placed my web files in htdocs, and it 
was working fine for a couple of months.

Shut system down (complete power down), rebooted, restarted httpd...now, 
it starts displaying the Apache "Test Page"...which tells
me: 'If you have upgraded from Red Hat Linux 6.2 and earlier, then you 
are seeing this page because the default DocumentRoot  set in
/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf has changed.'   Well, I didn't upgrade from 
RH 6.2...it was a clean install of RH9.  So, I go to /etc/httpd/conf/
and look at httpd.conf and sure enough, it has a different path for 
htdocs (/etc/httpd/htdocs), and I verify that it is loading the index
"test page" from this directory. It was not before the power down, so 
what happened?  how to fix?  Also, why the two different locations? 
(e.g. /etc/...and /usr/local...)
The /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf file is read only, but it could be 
changed to point to the intended htdocs (/usr/local/apache2/htdocs)
where I have my webpages...but, it seems that I should not have to.  It 
also seems that this is  NOT the right place to change the
pointer...None of the Apache 2.0 docs that I have read say anything 
about this.

I tried to start the server with: apachectl -f  
/usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf, but it responds with an error
saying "line 350, word is mis-typed or used out of order"...( I haven't 
changed this file from the first time I used it.  Also, I dont know if
this file is accessed if I just typed in: apachectl start.  I thought 
about replacing my current http.config file with the one from
/etc/httpd/conf, and modifying that (as I did the original) and see what 
happens.  I did a visual comparison of the two and except for the
changes, are seemingly identicle.  So, I thought I'd post the question 
here since I am an Apache newbi.
Any suggestions as to what might have changed, or, a way to get around 
this problem would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance...
John