[Resolved] Starting from scratch - Apache2, mySQl & PHP

[cafeenman]

OK, I have uninstalled Apache, mySQL and PHP. I've also removed all traces of them from my hard drive and my registry. I still have all the downloads (about 2 dozen) so I can do whatever needs to be done.

I do not care about any of these things in and of themselves. My GOAL is to be able to create my web pages on MY machine prior to uploading them to the server.

So starting with step 1, what do I do. Please answer only if you know what you're doing. I'm really aggravated with this and if you're just guessing, then it probably won't help.

I am using Win XP Pro.

[The Hobo]

Apache2 is really easy to install. I could tell you how to do that much. But I'm stuck on getting PHP 4.2.1 to work with Apache2.

[cafeenman]

Originally posted by The Hobo
Apache2 is really easy to install. I could tell you how to do that much. But I'm stuck on getting PHP 4.2.1 to work with Apache2.

Apache is the only thing I managed to get working as well. I guess you get what you pay for, huh?

[cafeenman]

Did you try that php triad software suggested by that one guy? I downloaded it, but the developer says that it's alphaware and that it's broken. All the php and mysql release software is broken as well. I can only imagine how bad alpha software from a 3rd party must be.

[The Hobo]

I just got it working, so I'll try to tell you everything I did.

First make sure you have Apache2 running and setup. Then in the httpd.conf file, add these lines to the end of the file:

ScriptAlias /php/ "C:/php/" 
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php 
Action application/x-httpd-php "/php/php.exe"

Make sure "C:/php/" is correct. Save it, then put your php.ini file in your C:\winnt folder, and find and modify the following line:

doc_root = C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs\

Make sure that path is correct. Then make sure you copied php4ts.dll into your C:\winnt folder.

That's all I did.

[cafeenman]

what am I putting in the php folder? I have a dozen different php setups and zips.

[The Hobo]

Did you download the third link on this page?: http://www.php.net/downloads.php

If so, extract them to C:\php. If the create a one long folder C:\php\php-blahblahblah, copy the files and directories in that folder into C:\php and delete the (now should be) empty C:\php\php-blahblahblah folder.

[The Hobo]

Follow these steps (not written by me):

1) Find php.ini-dist file at "C:\php" and rename it to "php.ini".

2) Open php.ini with notepad or your favorite editor.

3) Find a line "extension_dir = ./" then change it to "extension_dir = "c:\php"".

4) Copy the php.ini and paste it at "C:\windows" or "C:\winnt", or wherever you usually put your *.ini files, but the best idea to put it at either "C:\windows" or "C:\winnt".

5) Copy the msvcrt.dll and php4ts.dll from PHP directory to "C:\windows\system" or "C:\winnt\system", or wherever you usually put your *.dll files, but the best idea to put it at either "C:\windows" or "C:\winnt".

You're also going to want to find doc_root in the php.ini and set it to the correct path. If it has spaces, make sure you put " " 's around it.

[cafeenman]

Are you using mySQL? Have you gotten it to work?

[The Hobo]

I'm going to do MySQL next, probably tomorrow after work.

[cafeenman]

Originally posted by The Hobo
I'm going to do MySQL next, probably tomorrow after work.

No, I'm sorry. That's not good enough. You have to do it now. You can call in sick or something.

By the way, PHP is working for me now as well. Thanks Hobo. You are now in the realm of gods. Two months getting this crap to work. Now instead of saying "Sorry, this page doesn't work and I don't give a damn!" it says "Couldn't connect to mySQL database." That means php is working.

Thanks again.

[The Hobo]

I just downloaded MySQL and installed it and now everything's working fine, Apache2, PHP, and MySQL. MySQL was easier than Apache, I think

Do you still need help with any of them?

[cafeenman]

Nope. I have it all working now. Thanks. I'm still trying to figure things out. I just added myself as a user using my actual domain log-on information so I don't have to have two versions of my web pages.

I figured out how to dump data from mySQL and load it into another mySQL database. It's actually really easy. You just save it and then create a blank table and then import the .sql file. It creates the tables and fields, so you don't have to do any of that.

I'm trying to figure out how to link tables and I still don't have a clue about PHP, but I've got the PHP Bible which isn't all that great but it's tons better than the "PHP Manual" which is lacking in a lot of ways. But I downloaded the manual so I can look things up if they're not covered in the bible.

Now I just need to think of something to do with all this so I can learn something. I'm thinking about putting my photography online and putting links to the images in a mySQL database with thumbnails in a frame on the left. It would be easier to just have the thumbnails linked, but if I use a database, I can put the right year in the copyright since these photos span a 10 year time-frame.

I don't plan to do anything like a forum, but once I get started using this stuff, I'll probably come up with all kinds of ideas. I exported this data from an Access database. It seems to work fine online, but on my computer, it refreshes the page with every addition making it really slow and ugly. Online it just appears, so it's ok... just kind of long.

http://www.paulkjohnson.com/software.../revisions.php