Apache, PHP & MySQL - Newbie

[skdavey]

First ever posting in these forums and complete beginner at web-building with PHP and MySQL... but wanting to learn. Started building with FrontPage2000 but have taught myself HTML and CSS - and the nearest I got to programming was a bit of Fortran at University... hmm, don't ask - but let's just say that I dropped everything computer and maths-wise by my final year and did straight Sociology instead! Now a full-time mum at the moment... so I have time to learn again.

I have downloaded the PDF file of Kevin Yanks PHP and MySQL book and got hold of PHP 4.3.3 and MySQL 4.0.13 but rather lost as to which Apache I should be downloading from http://httpd.apache.org/

Read in Kevin's book that Apache 1.3 is the one that I want...? But then on the Apache site it says that Apache 2.0.47 is the best available version... so not sure which to download - I can't see that he mentions whether I should be downloading the Win32 Source or Win32 Binary version - but assume for Windows XP that I would need one of these?

Also noticed that you can get a combined versions of these three programs from: http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Softwa...allation_Kits/
... but they don't all appear to work with Windows XP.

So I would be very grateful for some enlightenment to at least get me downloading the right software! Hopefully there is hope for me yet... ?

I live in hope...
Sue

[The New Guy]

Welcome aboard, I hope we (the members) can help you during this learning period.

The reason kevin wants you to use 1.3 is he thinks it compliments php better then apache2. However for testing purposes either one will do.

I would recommend apache 2 simply because it is more user friendly then 1.3. As to which package you download you want the binaries.

http://apache.mirrored.ca/httpd/bina...x86-no_ssl.msi

Once that is install (as well as the mysql and php) you need to setup up your httpd.conf for php.

Go to the directory:
C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf

and open the file called httpd.conf, with your favourite texteditor (notepade will do). Search for where it says:

ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/cgi-bin/"

Right under that put:

ScriptAlias /php/ "C:/php/"

C:/php/ is the default path php uses when it installs, you may need to change this depending on where yo installed php.

Next.

Find:

#
# AddType allows you to add to or override the MIME configuration
# file mime.types for specific file types.
#

Under that put:

AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .php3 .phtml .php4

Finally find:

#
# Action lets you define media types that will execute a script whenever
# a matching file is called. This eliminates the need for repeated URL
# pathnames for oft-used CGI file processors.
# Format: Action media/type /cgi-script/location
# Format: Action handler-name /cgi-script/location
#

Under that put:

Action application/x-httpd-php /php/php.exe

After that you should be good to go. Restart apache. You can does this by going to start>programs>apache>control apache server>restart

If you need anything else just ask.

[Cam]

Thos instructions will set up PHP as the CGI version but I'd strongly recommend using the Apache module, but hey, it's up to you.

If you are still having trouble getting it all installed and working, go download phpdev. It is a single installer which will install Apache, PHP and MySQL and do all the configuring for you

[skdavey]

Thanking you both for your replies. I have just had a quick look at the phpdev, because thought that might be easier for me where it is pre-configured - but alas can't download until the beginning of next month because all the bandwidth has been used for the downloads on the site. Instead I have just downloaded Apache 2 and will now see if I can install, along with PHP and MySQL... could be interesting, but keep your fingers crossed for me!

Many thanks again for your help. Will let you know how it goes.

Sue.