Choose Items to Install

synae

Hello, I'd first like to point out that I'm a complete newb, I don't know anything about PHP, Apache, or MySQL really, so bare with me.

I'm currently reading "Learning PHP & MySQL" from Michele E. Davis and Jon A, Philips. In their book it takes you through some basic "this is what this means, this is how this works" then tell you to install Apache, the PHP, then MySQL (haven't gotten to MySQL yet though). I follow their exact directions, I even got the "It works!" from installing Apache, but when I go to install PHP under the "Choose Items to Install" section I don't have "Web Server Setup", I simply have "PHP, Program, Extensions, Extras".

I assumed that it was simply since it was a bit newer of a version so I tried installing it anyways, but once I went to test it out on my localhost page it's not working.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

bradgrafelman

I would recommend installing PHP manually using the .zip package available from www.php.net . There are instructions both in this forum and in the PHP manual: [man]install.windows.apache2[/man] and [man]install.windows.manual[/man] (don't forget to follow the instructions on both manual pages!).

synae

Not to sound rude but as I stated already I'm following a book and I'd prefer just to stay with it instead of skipping around and doing things completely differently.

If anyone has any ideas on why "Web Server Setup" isn't on the "Choose Items to Install" listen I would greatly appreciate it.

bradgrafelman

shrug I have no clue what program you're using, so 'good luck' is all I can offer.

laserlight

Not to sound rude but as I stated already I'm following a book and I'd prefer just to stay with it instead of skipping around and doing things completely differently.

The general end result of a manual installation would be the same (PHP works!), so you can continue using the book after that point.

synae

Hm, that is a good point but sadly I don't think I'd be able to get it working, I barely know anything about that type of stuff, and just by looking at the manuals I don't think I'd be able to get that installed successfully 🙁

I might try in a bit, but thanks though 🙂

zabmilenko

I have an older book that lists that menu option. The current PHP installer should detect Apache and ask if you want to install the php handlers into your httpd.conf, but nowadays not everybody uses Apache or IIS (me for instance). There is no way PHP can stay up to date on all the server configurations out there, but they do try.

Even if you don't follow his advice, bradgrafelman posted awesome links full of knowledge. They are worth reading anyway. If you do become a PHP developer, you will have the content of those links memorized in a few years anyway, so start now!

And if you end up having to manually do the "Web Server Setup" step, it's actually kind of trivial on Windows boxes, and should take you less than a minute or two.

benracer

Are you going to use a hosting company to "put" your site on the internet?