Appendix D: Best Practice PHP Installation

Overview

These days it seems anybody can handle a simple installation. Even your mom and dad could probably handle popping the latest version of Windows on their PC.

The exception to this rule seems to be server applications such as PHP. Although the PHP Web site and supplied documentation do touch on how to get it up and running, they really go as far as telling you exactly that getting it up and running. Having a usable installation is quite a different matter and requires some inside knowledge.

In this short appendix, you'll learn the ins and outs of getting PHP properly set up in a configuration best suited to the kind of enterprise development detailed in this book. We also look at the differences between PHP on Windows and PHP on UNIX, and examine which is better suited for enterprise development.

If you haven't yet got PHP up and running, start here before you attempt the rest of this book.