2. PHP Download

• PHP main site http://www.html.net
• PHP resources http://ils.unc.edu/web-db/php/links.html
• PHP Code Exchange - http://px.sklar.com

2.1 PHP Installation on Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT/2000

PHP is IMMENSELY POPULAR on Microsoft Windows platform and is surprisingly more popular than Microsoft's own ASP web scripting language!! PHP runs lot faster than ASP on MS Windows and has more features and functionalities than Microsoft ASP. PHP is much more robust, reliable and powerful than ASP. And the user base of PHP is extremely large because PHP runs on MS Windows, Linux, Mac OS and all unixes. Greatest advantage of PHP is that you can develop on MS Windows and deploy on Linux or Unix and vice versa!!

There are more PHP users under MS Windows98/NT/2000 than on any other operating system!! Because there is so much demand for PHP on MS Windows 98/NT/2000, a ready to install executable is made and you simply double-click on the exe file to automatically install PHP in just 2 minutes. Download the PHP executable install file from

• MS Windows exe installer for PHP http://php.weblogs.com/easywindows
• Lots of info on PHP on MS Windows platform http://php.weblogs.com
• Install and config of PHP on MS Windows http://www.html.net/manual/install-windows95-nt.php
• PHP Triad installs a complete PHP server environment on Windows platforms http://www.htmlgeek.com

2.2 Apache Webserver Quick-Install (10 seconds) on Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT/2000

You need a web-server to run the PHP on MS Windows. You can use MS IIS web server or you can use free Apache web-server for MS Windows 95/98/NT/2000. To save you lot of time here is the ready-to-install setup.exe file for apache for Windows platform: Apache binaries - http://www.apache.org/dist/binaries/win32

2.3 SQL server for Microsoft

SQL server can be on a seperate box which need not be running MS Windows. You also need a SQL server for doing web development. I recommend that you install Redhat Linux on a very old PC like (Pentium or 486 box) and install the PostgreSQL RPMs on it. You do not need any windows graphics for a database server and at console mode startup the PostgreSQL server. PostgreSQL is 3 times faster than Oracle or MS SQL server.

You can also order ready-to-go cheap Linux boxes from -

• Egghead Egghead, click on Auctions and Linux boxes, you get best deals in live Auctions.
• Goto LinuxHardware and click ComputerSystems, LinuxOnline, Linux hardware Crynwr, Linux HarwareNet
• US Land5, US QLiTech, US CompaqLinux, US VAlinux, US StoreAnywhere
• In Europe : UK GBdirect, UK MultiT, Hungary Leonardo, Belgium Mind, Germany Spier
• DEC alpha linux DECalpha and CompaqAlphaLinux

You can also get PostgreSQL for Windows NT/2000 from http://www.askesis.nl.

See also the PostgreSQL howto at pgsql-howto

2.4 PHP Installation on unixes and others

See the installation guide and instructions at PHP main site http://www.html.net or INSTALL file in the downloaded package itself.