Chapter 2. Installing PHP

In This Chapter

  • Checking whether PHP needs to be installed

  • Installing PHP on Windows, the Mac OS, or Linux

  • Configuring PHP

  • Testing PHP

  • Activating MySQL support

  • Troubleshooting PHP and MySQL installations

You might or might not need to install PHP. In many cases, PHP is already installed. For instance, most recent Linux and Mac distributions automatically install PHP. PHP is not provided with the Windows operating system.

You can check to see whether PHP needs to be installed. If it isn't currently installed or if you have an older version that needs to be updated, you need to install PHP.

Installing PHP includes the following steps, which are explained in detail in this chapter:

  1. Check to find out whether PHP needs to be installed.

  2. Obtain the PHP software, usually by downloading it from a Web site.

  3. Install PHP.

  4. Configure your Web server for PHP.

  5. Configure PHP.

  6. Test PHP.

  7. Activate MySQL support in PHP.

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