This
tutorial shows you howto install Apache,
PHP and MySQL on a Windows 98, 2000 or XP
system.
Few words...
It is known that PHP and MySQL are until
now the best combination of programming
languages for the Web. The strong point
is given by the fact that both of PHP and
MySQL are Open Source, anybody could use
it for free. And Apache is most powerfull,
secure and of course most used Web Server.
PHP and MySQL run on Windows and Unix/Linux
platforms. For that reason design and implementation
of a dynamic website could be done on both
platforms.
PHP and MySQL run on boths but
which is recommended?
Well, shortly: Windows for development,
Unix/Linux for production. Every computer
professional recomend that for two reasons:
Windows is easyer to use, even by a newbie,
but is not so stable and secure, and Unix/Linux
is secure and of course stable. Also, on
Windows you will find more development tools.
But please keep in mind, nobody encourage
the usage of Apache, PHP and MySQL on Windows
Servers. Also before installing Apache Web
Server on some windows systems please read
the following documentation from Apache:
http://www.apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/README.html
Installation instructions step
by step
Step
1. Download Apache Web Server from the Internet
Go to:
http://archive.apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/
and download Apache Web Server. You must
choose the version you want. The last version
is 2.2.2, so we recommend you to choose
that version. If you have external modules
for Apache, if those modules are not compiled
for that version of Apache then you must
use the exact version. Some of this modules
may be required if you want to install a
complex PHP script, like a CMS (Content
Management System) a buletin board (forum)
or other complex PHP application.
Pay attention to that: before installing
Apache if you are a ASP developer and use
other web sever like Personal Web Server
or IIS then you must close that websever,
because usualy it runs on the 80 port, that
will be used by Apache, otherwise it won't
work.
After you've downloaded Apache, double click
to install it. You will be asked to fill
in the address of your webserver, at this
point fill in "localhost".
Step 2. On Windows click on Start
button, choose Run, and type "cmd".
After that a terminal window will appear.
There type the following commands:
cd c:\program files\apache group\apache\bin
apache.exe -k install
apache.exe -k start
If
first command is not working see where apache
is installed and type:
cd apache_installed_path/bin
Step
3. Testing the Installation of Apache
Ok,
We have installed Apache, now is time to
test the proper working of it. Open your
Web Browser and type at address: http://localhost
and press enter.
After that a page shoud load into your browser
with a message: "The Apache server
is now installed on this web site!".
If you see this message then you've succesfuly
installed Apache Web Server.
Installing Apache Web Server is an important
step in getting to work your Apache/PHP/MySQL
system. If your Apache installation failed,
verify to not have other web server running.
Also check httpd.conf file located in the
directory where you installed Apache.
You still cannot make Apache to work, visit
Apache Website (http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/faq/support.html).
More information about similar problems
you yours coud be found on Apache Mailing
Lists (http://httpd.apache.org/userslist.html).
Step 4. Download PHP from the Internet
and configure it
Go to download page of PHP: http://www.php.net/downloads.php
and download the Windows Binaries version.
The file you've downloaded is a zip archive.
You must unzip it and copy in a directory
for example in c:\php4win.
Create another directory where all your
work file (php sourcecode) will be holded.
This directory coud be for example c:\phpwebsite.
Copy the file c:\php4win\php-dist.ini from
c:\php4win directory (where you extracted
the zip archive) to c:\php4win\php.ini file.
Edit c:\php4win\php.ini file with an text
editor (notepad for example) and modify
the values doc_root, and
extension_dir like in the
following example:
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
; paths and directories
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
doc_root = "c:\phpwebsite"
extension_dir = "c:\php4win"
Copy php.ini and php4ts.dll
in c:\windows (or c:\winnt, if you've installed
windows in winnt directory).
Delete php.ini file from c:\php4win directory.
After this PHP is installed into your system.
Step 5. Configuring Apache to work
with PHP
Even if Apache Web Server is installed it
is not configured to work with PHP files
(apache knows only to respond to requests
from static html files). In order for Apache
to work with PHP we must edit the httpd.conf
file which is the Apache configuration file.
To do that find and edit httpd.conf file,
located in C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\conf\httpd.conf:
Find lines that contain DocumentRoot
and Directory and change
those lines like in the following example:
DocumentRoot
"C:/phpwebsite"
and:
<Directory
"C:/phpwebsite">
After that, find line that contains:
application/x-tar .tgz
and after that add the following lines:
ScriptAlias
/php4/ "c:/php4win/"
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php3
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php4
Action application/x-httpd-php "/php4/php.exe"
Carefuly make all modifications. Save the
file and restart Apache.
Atention! Apache
uses unix style slashes, so you must use
"/", instead of "\".
This is true only for Apache httpd.conf
file, not for php.ini file. So please be
carefuly with that.
Step 6. Verify working of Apache with PHP
Create a test.php file with the following
content and save it in c:\phpwebsite:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>
Open your browser and type: http://localhost/test.php.
You shoud see a webpage with all informations
about PHP functions and options available.
Step 7. Download MySQL from the Internet
Go to http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html
and download Windows version. Depending
on the version you've downloaded you must
unzip into C: drive then double click on
setup.exe.
After you have installed MySQL, start MySQL
service (server). When developing PHP application
that uses MySQL, this service must be always
started.
To start mysql service go to C:\mysql\bin
and launch mysqld.exe (you could create
a shortcut on the desktop for that).
If you want to be sure that the MySQL service
is starting properly, first time, for debuging
purposes is good to launch mysqld.exe from
command line:
Press Start / Run, type cmd, in cmd prompt
type:
cd
c:\mysql\bin
mysqld.exe
Step 8. Testing working of PHP with MySQL
Well, this is the last step in configuring
your system to work with Apache, PHP and
MySQL. For that we we'll write a php code
that connect to our MySQL database server,
create a database and insert into that database
a record. After that our program will display
the records from MySQL database.
Here is the program (copy-it into c:\phpwebsite):
<?php
mysql_connect("localhost");
mysql_query("create
database testing_database");
mysql_query("use testing_database");
mysql_query("create table my_record(name
varchar(60))");
mysql_query("insert into my_record(name)
values ('John Doe')");
$sql_query
= mysql_query("select * from my_record");
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($sql_query))
{
print ("Added record: ".$row[name]."<br>");
}
mysql_close();
?>
Run
this script. Press refress button from your
browser. At every refresh a record containing
John Doe name must be inserted into the
database. If it does then your configuration
is succesfuly.
Of course this is the basic instalation.
But is a complete one. In time maybe you
will need other things. For example when
installing complex script warnings might
appear on the screen. Or when trying to
upload files from your scripts uploading
is not working for files larger than 2mb.
In those situations you must modify php.ini
from c:\windows or httpd.conf file acordingly,
depending of the error. You must find what
variable shoud modify and from where (php.ini
or httpd.conf).
If you do all steps exactly as in this Tutorial
you must have no problems installing Apache,
PHP and MySQL.
I wish you good luck with your Instalation!
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