[NBLUG/talk] New subscriber to the list!

[Todd Cary]

ME wrote:

>Todd Cary said:
>  
>
>>On the sugestion of Mike, I have joined this list in hopes of having
>>some Linux beginner's questions answered and in time, be able to help
>>other beginners.
>>    
>>
>
>I (and others) often welcome new users to the list when we notice and can
>remember. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of who is new, but in this
>case, I know...
>
>Welcome to NBLUG! :-)
>
>  
>
>>Briefly, I have been involved with computers since the 70's and in 1993
>>decided to stop having two careers (dentisry and software developer) and
>>do just consulting.  I am not a "systems guru"; just writer of DB
>>oriented applications - mainly in the arena of class action lawsuit
>>administration.  About three years ago, I installed Red Hat Linux on an
>>old 90 MHz box just for fun.  It has been sitting in the corner of my
>>office humming along *BUT* it has become VERY important for me.  My
>>clients use it to FTP their apps and I use it for creating PHP apps.
>>
>>Now I have a newer computer with RH 9 but I need to re-compile Apache
>>with PHP that has the Interbase extensions (my client uses Interbase).
>>Though I understand the concepts, I am lost when it comes to the syntax
>>to do this.  Any references to literature would be greatly appreciated.
>>    
>>
>
>One pre-notice to you on the content of this message:
>Sometimes I tend to offer details to the answers of questions that the
>person who asked to question presently know. This can sometimes sound like
>I am treating them too much like a beginner. This is not the intention.
>Here are some reasons for this approach:
>
>1) Often, I do not know the skill level of the person who asked the
>question, and it is better to be thorough.
>2) There are others on this list who might want to know more about the
>answer, but may know less that the person who asked the question.
>3) These answers are archived, and can help not just our Linux users but
>other users who use google to help them solve problems.
>
>OK! Here we go!
>
>First, you must decide if if you wish to go with apache 2.0.x or 1.3.x.
>
>(My experience is with Apache 1.3.x but I have little or no experience
>with 2.0.x. Others on this list have experience with both.)
>
>I'm assuming 1.3.x as I know more about.
>
>Second you must decide if you want to go with a pre-packaged apache (from
>RPM, or DEB package) or build your own. With ssl support in 1.3.x, you
>either need a package that has ssl support built-in, or you must build it
>yourself. With most other modules (mod_php, mod_dav, etc.) if the apache
>server was built with DSO support, it should have an application called
>"apxs" which can be used by other module source to tell it how your
>present server was configured and how modules should be built to use your
>current server.
>
>(It is entirely possible that you won't need to rebuild apache, but
>instead, just build your own php.)
>
>Here is a web based "How-To" for Apache with PHP and SSL:
>http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/mini/other-formats/html_single/Apache-mods.html
>(It is a bit old. It covers install of php 3.x, but the information is
>still pretty good and can mostly be applied to php 4.x  too.
>
>If I were to use a pre-packaged apache, here is what I might try first:
>
>Make sure the apache package is installed.
>
>download the latest php-4.x into /usr/local/src/
>
>cd to /usr/local/src
>
>unpack
># tar -zxvf php-4.3.2.tar.gz
>(some people like to build from source as a non-root user and then just
>install as root. If you choose this route, you'll want to alter ownership
>of file with chown, such that all the php files are owned by that user.
>I'm assuming a root build and install.)
>
># cd php-4.3.2
>Now, you can configure php to use the extensions you desire.
>Find out what extensions and options you might want in your custom php
>from the list of available:
>
># ./configure --help |less -i
>
>look through the list. When you are done press "q".
>You'll notice that you can enable interbase support with php with this:
>--with-interbase[=DIR]
>
>Often you can just include options like "--with-interbase" and configure
>will "find" your interbase files for php to reference, but if you have
>more than one copy of interbase *or* configure cannot find the interbase
>files, you may need to include the path to them  by adding
>"=/path/to/interbase/files" to "--with-interbase".
>
>Here is a sample list of php options I often include when building php 4.x:
>(This is one long line that is wrapped)
># ./configure --with-apxs=/usr/local/apache/bin/apxs --enable-mbstring
>--enable-mbregex --enable-track-vars --with-gettext --with-ldap
>--with-config-file-path=/usr/local/etc --enable-bcmath --with-bz2
>--with-pear --enable-calendar --enable-ftp --with-gmp --with-mcrypt
>--with-mhash --with-ncurses --with-mysql
>
>You will almost certainly NOT need most of these.
>
>The most important line is the one that offers the path to "apxs" as this
>will tell php how to "work" with my apache web server. In this case, I
>offer it an explicit path to the ppxs, because I have different apache
>installs on this machine even though I only use one of them, and I want to
>be sure that php is configured to use the same apache server that I built.
>The path to a prepackaged apache install might be in /usr/bin/apxs or
>/usr/local/sbin/apxs.
>
>To find your "apxs" you can try several things like:
># locate apxs |less
># which apxs
>
>Your list of options to enable for php will likely look different. You
>will probably not need all of those options.
>
>Again, look through the options available to php's ./configure and choose
>what you want.
>
>--
>After you choose your options, you will then press enter to submit to
>./configure the options you want it to use.
>
>It will look for the files it needs throughout your system and if it
>cannot find something it needs in order to enable an option, it will
>complain.
>
>Sometimes you may need to help configure find the files it needs, and
>other times, you may need to install more packages, and other times you
>may just decide you did not need the option after all, and then remove it
>from the list of options you want php's ./configure to enable/disable in
>your php.
>
>--
>After php's ./configure completes its job without error, you can then:
># make
>
>and if that works without error:
># make install
>
>There are several docs and file in the php folder that will tell you about
>steps for install. I may be missing some. It is good to read them as this
>is  just a walk-through of common steps.
>
>These docs should offer you direction on how to edit your apache's config
>file (often /etc/apache/httpd.conf or /etc/httpd/httpd.conf or some other
>path to a file called "httpd.conf".)
>
>You can then tell apache where it should be possible for php to "run" (by
>directory of virtual path from a server) and what should be considered
>"php code to be run by the server."
>
>This is also where you would enable the modules for php (this may be done
>for you-- I can't remember if the php install does this or if it must be
>done by hand.)
>
>--
>If you decide to not go with an apache package and instead build apache by
>hand, then that is a whole separate procedure and is a little more
>complicated. (if you find the above does not work or you want to build
>apache too, then say so.)
>
>Anyway, the above is enough to get you started. If you get stuck or find
>problems, or can offer suggestions to others on what things you did that
>you found were helpful, or you find that it works, a response is often
>good. People who find you question, any answers and the discussion can use
>such feedback when they try to solve the same problem.
>
>Again, welcome to NBLUG!
>-ME
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>talk mailing list
>talk at nblug.org
>http://nblug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>
>.
>
>  
>
Mike -

Many, many thanks!  Exactly what I need.  I hope you will archive this 
answer since I am sure other beginners can use it.

<<<
This can sometimes sound like I am treating them too much like a 
beginner. This is not the intention. Here are some reasons for this 
approach:
 >>>

Never worry about that!  But I do appreciate your concerns.

With gratitude.....

Todd


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