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Solution – Apache – SoftException in Application.cpp:388: GID of script “index.php” is smaller than min_gid error

Written in 2017 and kept as it was. Commands and console layouts may have changed since.

500 apache error
500 apache error

If you are getting the errors in apache logs like below in cPanel/WHM web hosting

Error: Apache – SoftException in Application.cpp:388: GID of script “index.php”

[Mon Oct 02 08:29:33.684683 2017] [core:error] [pid 24787:tid 140323590199040] [client 91.73.173.118:50064] End of script output before headers: index.php
[Mon Oct 02 08:29:34.812915 2017] [:error] [pid 9068:tid 140323474810624] [client 91.73.173.118:50065] SoftException in Application.cpp:388: GID of script "/index.php" is smaller than min_gid
[Mon Oct 02 08:29:34.812981 2017] [core:error] [pid 9068:tid 140323474810624] [client 91.73.173.118:50065] End of script output before headers: index.php
[Mon Oct 02 08:29:34.817808 2017] [:error] [pid 9068:tid 140323474810624] [client 91.73.173.118:50065] SoftException in Application.cpp:388: GID of script "index.php" is smaller than min_gid

most probably the file user or group ownership has been changed of that file to root.

root@x.com [directory]# ls -lrt | grep "index.php"
total 48000

-rw-r--r-- 1 abc_user root         1782 Oct  2 07:10 index.php

Now change the ownership  back to current user is the fix

Solution: Change the Ownership of file to the  ‘username’ where public_html folder is present.

Like in /home/abc_user/public_html/ the user will be ‘abc_user‘

root@x.com [directory]# sudo chown abc_user:abc_user index.php

This is how you can fix above mentioned problem.

The above fix will also work for below mentioned error

Error: Apache Mismatch between target GID (501) and GID (99) of file “index.php”

[Mon Oct 02 08:30:52.056769 2017] [core:error] [pid 24787:tid 140323474810624] [client 91.73.173.118:51627] End of script output before headers: index.php
[Mon Oct 02 08:30:52.062511 2017] [:error] [pid 24787:tid 140323474810624] [client 91.73.173.118:51627] SoftException in Application.cpp:456: Mismatch between target GID (501) and GID (99) of file "index.php"
[Mon Oct 02 08:30:52.062577 2017] [core:error] [pid 24787:tid 140323474810624] [client 91.73.173.118:51627] End of script output before headers: index.php
[Mon Oct 02 08:30:54.060966 2017] [:error] [pid 24729:tid 140323464320768] [client 154.122.107.180:33276] SoftException in Application.cpp:456: Mismatch between target GID (501) and GID (99) of file "index.php", referer: http://m.facebook.com/