PHP an Mysql on home pc's

I'm just wondering if its possible to set up php and mysql on a home computer, and what would be the pc's recommended set-up/requirements? This wouldnt be to act as a server, but to have a more efficient way to learn php and mysql without utilizing a webserver all the time.

Yes it is very possible and it is exactly what I do for development. I have a 233 PII Laptop with 128M of RAM and a 10Gig hard drive. The machine was a hand-me-down. I installed Win2k, IIS, PHP, MySQL and Apache. Makes development a breeze... I also have a box with Linux,PHP,MySQL,Apache on it to test for cross platform compatability.

I recommend the Linux. Using linux for a server will make your life complete and it's good for your soul too.

OK, thnx. I just purchased a new PC with 256M of RAM, and a 40GB hard drive, running WinXP. I didmt know if that would be an acceptable set up.
I know that PHP and MySql are available free, but how easy (or difficult) are they to set up and use? What about Unix/Linux/Apache? Is there any difference on the coding I can work with if I dont have Linux?

The biggest difference will be if you are running any system commands. If it's just basic PHP/Mysql you should have no problem at all

Both MySQL and PHP are easy to set up provided you follow the recommended installation procedures that come with the installations. Do some research before you begin and visit the PHP (www.php.net) and MySQL (www.mysql.com)sites and search the Internet for as much info as you possibly can. when you feel comfortable, go to town and experiment. If you have any questions/problems come back here and ask.

OK, I just want to make sure I download what I need, and get it installed correctly. All I'm wanting to do is work on learning & writing php/mysql scripts. Thnx, and any advice will be appreciated.

Don't forget in the event you get stuck there are the server admin forums here to help you.

OK, I downloaded PHP and mysql. First of all, the files I received are IISConfig, install, license, php.exe, and a dll file. I am still confused on setting this up.
What options am I supposed to select when installing?
The manual mentions moving the php.ini file, but I don't find the file in this folder.
I havent set up Apache, yet the manual keeps refering to it.
I've checked online for help, but I'm coming up empty. so I guess I'm pretty well lost right now.

There will be a file called php.ini-dist if I'm not mistaken.. You have to rename it to php.ini and do the necessary changes as it in install.txt
Read install.txt as it has everything in it.


Thats what you should do first.. You need a webserver. Even if you are running under windows I recommend installing Apache as the Webserver than IIS.

Or you have another way to set these up easily. There are installer-packages available for windows which consists Apache/PHP/mySQL. Which also configures itself. I have installed Foxserv. You can get it from
http://www.foxserv.net

What PHP installation did you download, the installer or the zip packag? Need to know what you are working from in order to give you correct instruction.

I tried the FoxServ program, and it seems to have installed all 3 programs with no problem (all seem to pass the after-install tests). However, in mysql, it's acting wierd. If I add a database (can you add more?), it doesnt show up from the dropdown menu. If I add a table to the test db provided, and add info into the table, neither the table or the info show up, but if i try to re-enter the same info, I get the message that the id is already in use. I'm guessing I overlooked something in the setup, or in the usernames/password priviledges? (hoe many users are recommended? I'm thinking I only need one or two...). Also, if I have a folder of pages and scripts that I want to work on, would I just add this folder into the Foxserv "www" folder, to let it work with apache, php and mysql?

Unfortunatly I have never used FoxServ so I really cant comment on that. As far as MySql Users, for development purposes you should only need one.
Since Nazly suggested Foxserv, I will let him answer those questions.

All Foxserv versions also install PHPMyAdmin.. I hope you are using PHPMyAdmin to access the mySQL databases. Actually I had the same problem as yours but not with PHPMyAdmin though. With a GUI program called 'mySQL Front'. It doesn't show up the tables that are added at once. I had to refresh several times inorder to view them. I'm not sure where the problem is. Better option will be using the command prompt of mySQL.
When you install Foxserv as default all files related to Apache, PHP, mySQL are installed in C:Foxserv.
You can publish all your scripts in the directory called 'www' under the Foxserv directory.

I did use the phpmyadmin provided with Foxserv. I've used phpmyadmin before, but a slightly different layout, it seems, and never had a problem viewing the new tables/data right away. The mysql command prompt I'm lost on, I've never used it, let alone know where to find it.
Also, i tried viewing a php file containing html, and all I got to show up was the source code of the php page, basically a notepad file. Perhaps I didnt set something up correctly. I did place a post on Foxserv's forum, but havent heard anything yet. Keep on tinkerin', I guess...