[RESOLVED] Apache installation question.

Stinger51

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I am trying to upgrade from PHP 4.4 to 5.2 by following the instructions provided here. So, I decided to start at the beginning and upgrade my old Apache 1.1 to the latest 2.2.8. (The author of the article is using 2.2.4.)

I got the download and I unzipped the files in a new folder I named Apache2_2_8. Whoa, things look a bit different here! :eek: No httpd.conf file exists. In fact, no conf folder even exists!

Next step says to run the Apache Install program. Ok, where is it? All I see is a file called INSTALL in the top level folder (httpd-2.2.). No executable exists.

And why do I need an installer? When I originally installed Apache 1.1 (via the help of the book PHP Fast & Easy Web Development I simply had to go in and tweak the .conf file, e.g. setting ServerName to 127.0.0.1.

So, how do I REALLY install the my new Apache Server? :queasy:

laserlight

What exactly did you download?

Stinger51

I downloaded Apache 2.2.8. (?)

laserlight

I downloaded Apache 2.2.8.

sigh

Just download the installer and install it. If you have no clue about the difference between a source package and a binary package, you are better off not doing things by hand.

Stinger51

I've been hand rolling stuff for decades. And I have PHP 4.4 and Apache Server 1.1 working perfectly, along with MySQL. I don't trust a lot of canned installation kits.

Just download the installer and install it.

HELLO! This is for Windows. And Windows needs an .exe file to run. And you don't get one with the download. :mad:

Anyway, I was hoping to find some information here about finding more information about what was written here to upgrade to PHP5. Sorry I asked. I should know better because programmers do not f***ing know how to convey information. They should never be allowed anywhere near tech manuals. Nor if they cannot convey an answer in a clear and consise (and non-smart ass) way, they should not be dispensing any advice here.

I go Googling for what I need instead of wasting my time here. This forum is screwed up anyway, keeps redirecting me in a loop when I try read here. And the layout is bizzare. But if you dig long enough and hard enough, you can usually find that one diamond in the ruff. Unfortunately yours turned out to be just a lump of coal. :queasy:

laserlight

I've been hand rolling stuff for decades. And I have PHP 4.4 and Apache Server 1.1 working perfectly, along with MySQL. I don't trust a lot of canned installation kits.

I understand that, no problem. In fact, the installer for PHP is not to be trusted.

HELLO! This is for Windows. And Windows needs an .exe file to run. And you don't get one with the download.

So, which package exactly did you download? As far as I can tell the official packages give you a choice of either downloading source, or binaries in the form of installers. If you have the source, obviously you will not have binaries.

I should know better because programmers do not f***ing know how to convey information.

My question was simple: "What exactly did you download?"

You did not convey the information requested, so I assumed that you were clueless.

Stinger51

My question was simple: "What exactly did you download?"

You did not convey the information requested, so I assumed that you were clueless.[/QUOTE]

http://www.reverse.net/pub/apache/httpd/httpd-2.2.8-win32-src.zip

Like I said, you unzip the files and the directory tree it gives you has nothing in common with what you get with Apache 1.1. So, you tell me. :queasy:

From their "install" file :

" If you have unpacked this binary distribution from the .zip package, you
must edit the conf/httpd.conf file (with notepad or another text editor)
to reflect the correct ServerName, Domain, and directory paths. Search for
the text "@@" to discover what you must edit. "

Which was exactly what I was prepared to do. Just one small fly in the ointment here. No such conf directory exists when you unzip their package. :rolleyes:

I guess the knuckle heads forgot to include it in their distribution. :glare:

NogDog

Moved to Install forum, as I suspect the thread will more likely get attention from the installation gurus here. (I'm not one of those, I just use WAMP and go my merry way. 🙂 )

laserlight

Like I said, you unzip the files and the directory tree it gives you has nothing in common with what you get with Apache 1.1.

From what I understand, your copy of Apache 1.1 is a binary package in a zip archive.

But this is where the plot thickens...

From their "install" file :

" If you have unpacked this binary distribution from the .zip package, you
must edit the conf/httpd.conf file (with notepad or another text editor)
to reflect the correct ServerName, Domain, and directory paths. Search for
the text "@@" to discover what you must edit. "

According to the INSTALL file, the binary distribution zip archive should be named "apache-2.2.xx-win32-x86.zip", i.e., "apache-2.2.8-win32-x86.zip". A source distribution would be named "httpd-2.2-xx.zip", i.e., "httpd-2.2.8.zip", without any -win32-x86 notation.

What you downloaded, however, fits into neither of these categories since it is named "httpd-2.2.8-win32-src".

I guess the knuckle heads forgot to include it in their distribution.

I think you have discovered a mismatch between documentation and actual distribution.

Still, observe the "src" (source) suffix, and that the official Apache download page lists "httpd-2.2.8-win32-src.zip" as "Win32 Source". Checking the "Other files" link reveals no binary distribution zip archives named as mentioned in INSTALL. My conclusion is that the only official Apache binaries offered are those from the .msi installer. The binary distribution zip archives are no longer offered.

Effectively, they decided to change "Please choose the .msi package if at all possible." to "Choose the .msi package if you want pre-compiled binaries."

Stinger51

NogDog wrote:
Moved to Install forum, as I suspect the thread will more likely get attention from the installation gurus here. (I'm not one of those, I just use WAMP and go my merry way. 🙂 )

Yep, that's what I ended up doing. I also first tried XAMP, but couldn't get it to work, even after the endless tweaks. :rolleyes:

But WAMP worked perfectly "right out of the box." The only thing I don't like about it is it won't let you use the HTDOCS folder as your root directory. But that's no big deal for local testing.

Please mark this thread as "Revolved."

NogDog

Stinger51 wrote:
Yep, that's what I ended up doing. I also first tried XAMP, but couldn't get it to work, even after the endless tweaks. :rolleyes:

But WAMP worked perfectly "right out of the box." The only thing I don't like about it is it won't let you use the HTDOCS folder as your root directory. But that's no big deal for local testing.

Please mark this thread as "Revolved."

You should be able to change the web root directory via the "DocumentRoot" setting in the httpd.conf file. (Left-click the WAMP system tray icon and select "Config Files -> httpd.conf", then search for "DocumentRoot" in that file. Then restart Apache and it should be good to go using that directory.)

laserlight

Yep, that's what I ended up doing. I also first tried XAMP, but couldn't get it to work, even after the endless tweaks.

But WAMP worked perfectly "right out of the box."

hmm... you do not trust the official Apache installer, but you tried XAMPP and you are for WAMP, which is basically one big (third party) installer and component manager? That's strange and inconsistent with your claim that you "don't trust a lot of canned installation kits."

The only thing I don't like about it is it won't let you use the HTDOCS folder as your root directory. But that's no big deal for local testing.

I do not know about WAMP, but if you use the official Apache installer you can easily change the DocumentRoot setting in the httpd.conf configuration file. It is found in the conf directory, just as you have described earlier for Apache 1.1, though you can also access httpd.conf from the application program listing from "Start -> All Programs". I have D:\projects\web as my web root directory on my local computer.

Please mark this thread as "Revolved."

As the user who started the thread, you can do that by using the thread tools.

EDIT:
Ah, NogDog has given the instructions for editing httpd.conf for WAMP. If you want to continue with WAMP, it is probably okay. If you want to continue "hand rolling stuff for decades", I suggest that you use the official Apache installer, the official MySQL installer, and then install PHP by hand by uncompressing the zip archive and making the necessary configuration as described by the online PHP manual.

NogDog

laserlight wrote:
hmm... you do not trust the official Apache installer, but you tried XAMPP and you are for WAMP, which is basically one big (third party) installer and component manager? That's strange.
...

I can't speak for the OP, but in my case it's not a case of "trust", just a case of convenience. I'm not personally interested in being a web host system administrator, and am just interested in getting a localhost configuration on my PC I can use for PHP script development. Therefore I've tried both XAMPP and WAMP, found WAMP to be easier to install and to have a handier user interface once it is installed. Then I can tweak the php.ini file to my heart's content to get the desired PHP environment. All this without having to wade through the dense, jargon-filled Apache documentation to try and get it up and running in conjunction with PHP and MySQL. I'm then up and running in literally a matter of minutes instead of the hours (days?) it would take me to locate, download, install, and configure all the separate pieces.

laserlight

I'm not personally interested in being a web host system administrator, and am just interested in getting a localhost configuration on my PC I can use for PHP script development. Therefore I've tried both XAMPP and WAMP, found WAMP to be easier to install and to have a handier user interface once it is installed.

I think that is fine. For Stinger51's case I find it strange because of the vehemence displayed against "canned installation kits". Going for a mega version of such a kit seems completely out of character 🙂

All this without having to wade through the dense, jargon-filled Apache documentation to try and get it up and running in conjunction with PHP and MySQL. I'm then up and running in literally a matter of minutes instead of the hours (days?) it would take me to locate, download, install, and configure all the separate pieces.

Personally, using the Apache and MySQL installers with the PHP zip archive I setup my local testing system in a matter of minutes too. Sure, it took me a little longer than that the first (and maybe second) time many years ago (to figure out the basic tweaks I wanted to do for customise my Apache installation, then to get MySQL to play nice and finally to figure out how to get PHP extensions to work), but that was a one (or two) time cost.

NogDog

To be honest, I've not messed with the separate, original installs in at least a couple years (if not more), so they may well be easier/faster to implement now. I guess it's just like Windows versus Linux: I use the one I use now because it works fine for me and I'm too old and lazy to learn something else if I don't need to. 😉