Total Newbie Database Question

[simontheak]

Ok, so I'm fairly confident using CGI Perl and PHP statements and I can write scripts that store and read from a standard text file. So now I'm looking to go on to the next stage ... and use databases.

I've downloaded Apache (which is running smoothly), configured it to run Perl scripts and found a tutorial to tell me how to get it to run PHP scripts as well. So far everything is looking rosy.

The question I've got though is "do I need to install anything else before I can start trying out MySQL statements?" Is it enough to just stick an Access database in my htdocs folder and try to access it with some nifty queries or do I need to download other stuff so that Apache can understand what I'm doing?

[sylow]

www.mysql.com and download installation file(s) for your OS
I would recommend mysql to MsAccess because as you will see there are more people that can help you about it around here+faster db+linux hosts supports it....

[simontheak]

I would recommend mysql to MsAccess

Do you mean that this is a specific download that I should look for, or do you just mean that I should download MySQL for my O/S and then just use it with an Access database?