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> Project 4 • Introduction • Narrative
• Instructions • Functionality
• Extras •
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Introduction
For this project I installed PHP 4 on my previously installed Apache
server. I wanted to do this so that I can possibly play around with
some PHP this semester.
I
originally wanted to install PHP last week, but installed lynx instead
because I was tired of not being able to surf the Web through the
Linux box. I wanted to do at least one more Apache related installation
and PHP seemed the logical choice since I want to try some PHP this
semester. |
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Narrative
I started this project by going to php.org to read up on PHP and what
an install would likely entail. Php.org was some commercial site but
it did have a nice link to php.net, the homepage of PHP.
Once I made it to the correct site, I read up on PHP and its history,
and a little bit about what I can do with PHP. I also read up on what
I would need to install depending on what I wanted to do with PHP
(link).
I decided that I wanted to primarily use PHP for server-side includes
and maybe client side GUI applications.
After reading up, I found some pages with installation directions
and advice from other people who had installed PHP in a variety of
ways and on a number of operating systems (link).
I read over some of the posts before going to the download page on
the PHP website. I found a mirror site and downloaded the tar ball.
After downloading, I moved the tar ball into a new directory and unzipped
it. I read the install files for any steps I needed to take to install
the necessary files. I checked to make sure that the required files
were also present on the Linux box.
After finding all the required files I went ahead and tried to configure
PHP using the command './configure -- mysql --apxs'. At this point
I got an error saying that apxs could not be found. I used 'locate
apxs' to find some files and determine one that I could use as an
absolute path. I found several, but in the general /usr/bin directory
and in group members' directories, and decided to choose the default
for the box.
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APXS
Problem message - no absolute path
checking for Apache 1.x module support via DSO through APXS...
Sorry, I was not able to successfully run APXS. Possible reasons:
1. Perl is not installed;
2. Apache was not compiled with DSO support (--enable-module=so);
3. 'apxs' is not in your path. Try to use --with-apxs=/path/to/apxs
The output of apxs follows
./configure: apxs: command not found
configure: error: Aborting
APXS Problem message - Incorrect apsx
version
problem message - checking for AOLserver support... no
checking for Apache 1.x module support via DSO through APXS...
configure: error: Use --with-apxs2 with Apache 2.x! |
After using an absolute path I thought everything would work, but
I got another error, this time saying that I needed to use 'apxs2'
with Apache 2.x versions. I found no 'apxs2' files on the Linux box
nor in any help sections on the PHP website. After searching the Web
with Google, I finally found a random article and discovered that
Ineeded to reword my command, which was just like the error message
said! Stare at something long enough...
Now with the correct syntax in my configure command and the absolute
path, PHP finally configured correctly on the computer. Next I typed
'make' and 'sudo make install' with no problems, I then edited the
settings for 'php.ini-dist' but decided not to change anything, and
moved a copy of it to '/usr/local/lib/php.ini'.
I then edited my 'httpd.conf' file in my Apache folders to accept
the new MIME types for PHP. Then I made a test page with a simple
PHP echo command and went to restart my server. At this point, I got
the same message I had seen two weeks previous, where for some reason
I could not stop or start my server. Since other people in my group
were working on the group box I could not simply reboot the whole
system. |
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Instructions
for use
PHP works automatically in the background from the server. I set the
MIME to recognize pages with .php and .phtml extensions as php, so
any page with such an extension should display PHP fine.
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Functionality
I think my PHP installation works, but I need to do some fine tuning.
When browsing in Mozilla to a test page with a '.php' or a '.phtml'
extension, Mozilla only wanted to download the file. Maybe I need
to look at my conf file again, as I got the same issue with OmniWeb
and Internet Explorer as well... I haven't figured this out yet however.
I am still trying to set my httpd.conf file correctly so that php
pages load correctly. I have followed all the directions and the faq
but php pages that I put up are served as downloads when I try to
view them.
I would have restarted the computer to force my server to restart
but Joel was doing a late night project on our box and was afraid
that if I rebooted the computer it may not start back up for some
reason. So I am waiting to restart the box.
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Files
and Baubles
• Installation Script
• Could not generate any screen shots at this time |
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