php.ini + Apache +Linux

Hi,
I've installed php + Apache on Linux(Mandrake 8.0.2) following the instructions in the php manual:Servers-Apache
instruction number 11 is the following:
cp php.ini-dist /usr/local/lib/php.ini
I compiled both(php + apache) with no errors

After all, my browser processes php files but it looks like the server doesn't use the php.ini file, because I moved it to another directory and it still worked.(So there was no php.ini in /usr/local/lib)
I compiled php without the option short-tags-enabled
and the following script didn't work:
<?
.....
?>
I understand this but the php.ini file contains the line:Short_tags=On
Is this means that I have to always compile php again when I want to change a property?
I've got another problem:
my browser always looking for index.html in my docroot directory,so when I want to try out php I write a link in the index.html file which refers to the *.php file.
I'm sure the name of the "main document" can be configured easily.

Meanwhile chmod solved my problem with php.ini.......
The docroot problem is still alive

In the httpd.conf file there is a line that reads something like:

DirectoryIndex index.html

change it to something like :

DirectoryIndex index.php index.html

and then it will pick up index.php first...

Thanks for helping out