setting up Apache from the Get-Go

Hello all...

I would like to venture into the world of personal web hosting on my mac.

I am running OSX 10.1.5 and I have the basic apache web server setup and running. I can see my web pages, and I can FTP to the machine from my PC.

This is as far as I can get....

My goal is to be able to run ASP pages.

This is where I need all the help...

Where and how do I start.

I know that I am gonna want some sort of mod_perl and mySQL modules installed, but I am not real familiar with the terminal program and all the linux commands.

Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. I am a total linux beginner.

Thanks

~L

I'm not sure you can run ASP pages on anything but a windows machine. You might be able to, but it is going to cost you.

I have read that you can using mod_perl.

But just saying that is WAY over my head... I will settle for working with PHP and mySQL!

Anyone???

~L

Do you have PHP & MySQL downloaded?

I have everything except PHP.

Where is a good place to get a version that is for my version of OSX. I keep finding it for Jaguar....

~L

Just download the source code and compile it.

See here for documentation on how to do this.

You can't really use ASP pages with mod_perl anyway- from the docs:



So of what utility it is I don't know.

mod_perl is an EXCELLENT system to learn, you can do a whole lot more with it than you can with PHP, including reprogramming every phase of an apache request and creating "handlers" that allow you to do nearly anything you want.

For instance, if you wanted to create a custom access handler for a directory of files, you can have requests get authorized against a MySQL database and approved/disapproved according to your session tracking, with everything in-process to the apache child. Once a request is approved, you then pass off the document to apache, to let it do what it does best- serve files. Very efficient and extremely fast, depending on implementation.

With mod_perl you literally reprogram the Apache API to your will, making it your own custom application server. This is different than PHP, because PHP doesn't have low-level access to the apache API like mod_perl does.

Whew. That said, PHP is an excellent choice for web scripting, and will suit most needs perfectly. Have fun! Just make sure to figure out templatting your HTML with smarty or HTML::Template for PHP, mixing code and HTML makes for unmaintainable messes. . .

THANKS!!!

That is the kind of info that I am looking for.

I have this G4 with Dual 533Mhz Processors and OSX just waiting to do something GREAT!

Now I just need some sort of list of things to set up and how to do it....

Also, Since I have the latest version of OSX BEFORE Jaguar... I believe that it's 10.1.5...
I am to understand that there are certain versions of PERL and PHP on the machine already...

How do I check versions of what I have, IF I even have them at all???


!!! DEV SHED ROCKS !!!!

~L

With perl, you can go to a terminal and type "perl -v" and it will tell you what build and version you have.

Search the PHP forum for ways to figure out your PHP version and/or compile it for OS X. I don't use macs, so I can't help you there.

Cool...

I have Perl Version 5.6.0... I think there is only 1 version higher than that... 5.6.1.

Do I need that? And will it work on my version of OSX?

I am looking onto the PHP part now...

Thanks

~L

Well, I found and installed 5.8.0 and It still says that I have 5.6.0... I will read into the documentation on how to implement this....

Wish me luck...

~L

-----------------------------------------

Ok, So it installs this opt/perl folder in the root of OSX.

Now what? The README tells me nothing. I have a feeling that I ned to open up the terminal and do something... But what?

~L

If the MAC has the which command, you can type which php from a terminal and it will tell you if there is a version of php installed.

You can also create a webpage and enter in the following:And then open it with your web browser, but don't open it as a file, open it as a web page through your webserver.

Well, the which command seems to work by itself... says, "too few arguments"

When I do the "which PHP" says, "command not found"

So I am assuming that PHP is not installed.

~L

We GOT PHP!!!

Ok, Whats next..... I need to get the perl situation straightened out....

I installed 5.8.0, but it tells me that I only have 5.6.0...

Anyone?

~L

5.6.0 is fine. . . I wouldn't have upgraded to 5.8.0, myself (I would've gone to 5.6.1, though. I don't trust .0 releases of anything).

If you want to learn perl, check out the devshed tutorials, and the tutorials section at www.perlmonks.org. Also, search the perl forum for "learn perl" and you'll see that we've discussed it a number of times.

If you're trying to get PHP working on OS X, I'd suggest doing a google search. There HAS to be some good tutorials out there. Also, search the PHP forums for info, and post your results to the PHP forum if you think it'd be useful to others.