6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

yet another insignificant programming notes... | HOME

TABLE OF CONTENTS HIDE

Setting Up
Apache/MySQL/PHP
(AMP) for Linux,
Windows and Mac

1.Introduction
2.LAMP/WAMP/MAMP Server
2.1WampServer 2.5 For Windows
2.2XAMPP For Windows/Mac OS X/Linux
2.3LAMP Server For Ubuntu

3.Eclipse PDT PHP Developer Tool

4.PhpMyAdmin
5.SQL Buddy
6.Debugging PHP Webapps

6.1XDebug for Debugging Serverside PHP Scr

6.2Zend Debugger for Debugging Serverside P
6.3Firebug Plugin for Firefox for Debugging Cli

7.PHP Webapp Exercises

1.Introduction
LAMP/WAMP/MAMP Server
To develop PHP webapps, you need to setup Apache, MySQL and PHP, in a so called LAMP
Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP, WAMP Windows/Apache/MySQL/PHP, or MAMP Mac OS X/Apache/MySQL/PHP
environment, for your operating platform.
There are two ways of setting up LAMP/WAMP/MAMP:
1. Install individual software components, i.e., Apache, MySQL and PHP.
2. Install a bundle package, which includes all software components needed for developing PHP webapps.
For beginners running on Windows/Mac, I certainly recommend the bundle approach for simplicity although they
might not bundled the latest releases. These are the bundles available:
WampServer @ http://www.wampserver.com/en/ for Windows only.
XAMPP @ https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html Crossplatform for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
Zend Server @ http://files.zend.com/help/ZendServerCommunityEdition/zendservercommunityedition.htm
Crossplatform for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
Easy PHP @ http://www.easyphp.org/.
Others.
I shall describe how to install and setup some of these bundles in Section "LAMP/WAMP/MAMP Servers".

Integrated Development Environment IDE

You also need to install an IDE, such as Eclipse PHP Development Tool PDT. Read Section "How to install Eclipse
PDT".
You need to setup these debugging tools and be familiar with:
Serverside PHP debugging with xDebug, and
Clientside JavaScript debugging with Firebug.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

1/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

Read Section "Debugging PHP Webapps".

Programming Languages
I shall assume that you have some basic knowledge on these programming languages. Otherwise, read the relevant
sections.
1. Database programming: SQL or PostgreSQL. Read the "SQL Section".
2. Severside programming: PHP or Python, or Perl. Read "PHP Section"
3. Clientside programming: HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Read "Clientside Programming: HTML/CSS/JavaScript
Section". In addition, BootStrap and jQuery for advanced programming.

Not for Dummies Version Control System

Set up a Version Control System, such as Git, for backup, version control and collaboration. Read "How to setup and
get started with Git".

2.LAMP/WAMP/MAMP Server
In this section, I shall briefly describe how to install and customize some of the AMP bundles. To install individual
components, read "How to install and get start with Apache", "How to install and get started with MySQL".

2.1WampServer 2.5 For Windows

WampServer @ http://www.wampserver.com/en/ bundles Apache, MySQL and PHP for Winodws in a single
package. It also includes tools such as PhpMyAdmin a MySQL database administration tool, SQL Buddy an
alternative to PhpMyAdmin, XDebug a PHP Debugging Tool, WebGrind a PHP Profiling Tool.
At the time of writing, WampServer 2.5 bundles Apache 2.4.9, MySQL 5.6.17, PHP 5.5.12, PhpMyAdmin 4.1.14,
SqlBuddy 1.3.3 and XDbebug 2.2.5.

Installing WampServer
To Install WampServer:
1. Download: Goto WampServer mother site at http://www.wampserver.com/en Select "DOWNLOADS"
Choose the appropriate package for your platform 32bit or 64bit Download the installation file e.g.,
wampserver2.5Apache2.4.9Mysql5.6.17php5.5.1264b.exe.

2. Install: To install the WampServer, simply run the downloaded installation file. Choose your installation
directory. I shall assume that WampServer is installed in "d:\WampServer", denoted as <WAMPSERVER_HOME>, in
this article.

Starting/Stopping WampServer
To start the WampServer, choose "Start WampServer" from the "Start" menu; or run "wampmanager.exe" from the
WampServer installed directory.
An little icon will appear on the icon tray. "Green" indicates that all the services have started; while "Red" indicates
that all the services have stopped. Click on the icon to open the "WampServer Control Panel". You could:
Under "Quick Admin": Start/Stop/Restart all the services Apache & MySQL services.
Put the server online so that user can access the server over the Internet or offline.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

2/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

Configure Apache, MySQL and PHP, under their respective sections.

Launch "PhpMyAdmin".
Others.
To shutdown the program, click "Stop All Services" on WampServer Control Panel rightclick on the WampServer
icon Exit.

Verifying Apache/MySQL/PHP Installation

By default, a directory called "www" was created under the WampServer installed directory, which serves as the
Apache's document root directory. A welcome page called "index.php" was also created in the "www" directory.
To verify the installation:
1. Start the WampServer. Wait for the icon to turn green indicating all services have started otherwise, click the
icon and select "Start All Services". For testing, put the server "offline" to disable external access i.e., it can only
be accessed in localhost.
2. To verify Apache: Start a browser and issue URL http://localhost. This will in turn request for "index.php".
The index page provides links to documentations, aliases and tools. The installation creates these aliases for
Apache: phpmyadmin, sqlbuddy, phpsysinfo for the respective services. You can issue URL
http://localhost/aliasname to access these services.
3. To verify MySQL: Issue URL http://localhost/phpmyadmin to access the MySQL via PhpMyAdmin. Click on
the "Users", which reveals that no password was set for the superuser root and the anonymous user.
4. To verify PHP: Issue URL http://localhost/?phpinfo=1, which runs the phpinfo() function.

Write a Helloworld PHP Script

Use a programming editor such as notepad++ for Windows, or gedit for Ubuntu/Mac OS X to write a simple PHP
script called "hello.php" and save under the "www" directory, as follows:
<html>
<head>
<title>FirstPHPPage</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
echo'<h1>Hello,world!</h1>';
?>
</body>
</html>

To run this script, start a browser and issue URL http://localhost/hello.php, assuming that the Apache server
has been started.

Another Example : Write another PHP script called "phpinfo.php" saved under "www" to display the PHP
settings under Apache, as follows:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Run the script by issuing URL "http://localhost/phpinfo.php".

WampServer Directory Structure

WampServer is organized in the following directory structure. The important ones are:
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

3/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

bin : contains binaries for Apache, MySQL, and PHP, in their respectively subdirectory. For each component, you
can install multiple versions and select one of them in operation.

apps : contains serverside tools such as PhpMyAdmin, SQL Buddy, and WebGrind.
tools : contains clientside tool such as xdc XDebug Client.
www : the default apache's document root directory.
logs : contains apache, php, mysql error/access logs.
alias : contains the the apache's alias configuration for PhpMyadmin, SQL Buddy and WebGrind.
Apache Configuration
The

Apache's

main

configuration

file

"httpd.conf"

is

located

at

"

<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\bin\apache\Apache2.x.xx\conf". Take note of the following configuration directives.

The core directives are:
ServerRoot"<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/bin/apache/apache2.x.xx"
Listen80
ServerNamelocalhost:80
DocumentRoot"<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/www/"

The ServerRoot specifies the apache's installed directory. Listen specifies the TCP port number for Apache web
server, in this case, default of TCP port 80. The DocumentRoot specifies the root directory of the web server.
The directives related to directory authorization are:
#
#EachdirectorytowhichApachehasaccesscanbeconfiguredwithrespect
#towhichservicesandfeaturesareallowedand/ordisabledinthat
#directory(anditssubdirectories).
#
#First,weconfigurethe"default"tobeaveryrestrictivesetof
#features.
#
<Directory/>
OptionsFollowSymLinks
AllowOverrideNone
Orderdeny,allow
Denyfromall
</Directory>
#
#ThisshouldbechangedtowhateveryousetDocumentRootto.
#
DocumentRoot"<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/www/"
<Directory"<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/www/">
OptionsIndexesFollowSymLinks
AllowOverrideall
OrderDeny,Allow
Denyfromall
Allowfrom127.0.0.1
</Directory>

[TODO] Explanation
The directives related to logging are:
ErrorLog"<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/logs/apache_error.log"
CustomLog"<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/logs/access.log"common

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

4/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

PHP Configuration
The

PHP's

main

configuration

for

Apache2

"php.ini"

is

located

at

"

<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\bin\apache\Apache2.x.xx\bin" as revealed by phpinfo() output.

[TODO] Explanation

MySQL Configuration
The MySQL's main configuration file "my.ini" is located at "<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\bin\mysql\mysql5.x.xx". Take
note of the following settings:
MySQL Server
[wampmysqld]
port=3306
socket=/tmp/mysql.sock
basedir=<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/bin/mysql/mysql5.x.xx
logerror=<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/logs/mysql.log
datadir=<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/bin/mysql/mysql5.x.xx/data

The port specifies the TCP port number for the MySQL server defaulted to 3306. The basedir specifies the
MySQL installed directory. The datadir specifies the databases directory. The logerror specifies the MySQL
error log file.
MySQL Server Daemon mysqld.exe
[mysqld]
port=3306

MySQL Interactive Client mysql

[client]
port=3306

Customizing MySQL
The default MySQL installation creates a superuser "root" without password. It also creates an anonymous user with
no password. You need to:
1. Set a password for "root".
2. Remove the anonymous user.
3. You should not use superuser "root" for normal daily operations. Instead, create a new user says wampuser
for operational use.
There are many ways to administer MySQL, via the graphical client "PhpMyAdmin" or "SQL Buddy"; or commandline
client "mysql.exe".
PhpMyAdmin: login to PhpMyAdmin via "http://localhost/phpmyadmin". Click the "Users" tab Set
password for root for all hosts Select Edit Privilege Change Password GO Refresh. Delete the

anonymous user denoted as "Any" User Select Remove selected users GO. Create a new user called
"wampuser" by clicking the "Add User". Grant all privileges to begin with.
Note: Once you set a password for root, you may need to modify the PHP configuration file in order to login with
the new password. See "PhpMyAdmin PHP Configuration".
SQL Buddy: login to SQL Buddy via "http://localhost/sqlBuddy". Click "Submit" with empty password for
"root". Select "Users". Set password for all root users of all hosts Select Edit. Remove the anonymous user
the row with empty user name Select Delete. Create a new user called "wampuser" by filling in "Add a New
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

5/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

User". Grant all privileges except the "Grant option" to begin with.
MySQL commandline client "mysql.exe": Read "How to setup MySQL".

Start a new PHP Webapp

To start a new PHP webapp, create you working directory under "www" says directory "hello". You can launch your
webapp via URL "http://localhost/hello". Alternatively, you can use the "www" directory, by removing all the
existing contents. You can access the webapp via URL "http://localhost".
For Production, configure a virtual host in Apache for your project.

2.2XAMPP For Windows/Mac OS X/Linux

The XAMPP stands for Crossplatform, Apache, MySQL, PHP and Perl @ https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html
bundles Apache, MySQL, PHP and Perl, for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. It also includes FileZilla FTP Server, Mercury
Mail Server, and Tomcat Server; plus tools PhpMyAdmin, Webalizer, and Fake Sendmail.
At the time of writing, XAMPP 1.8.3 bundles PHP 5.5.15, Apache 2.4.10, MySQL 5.6.20 and PhpMyAdmin 4.2.7.1.

Installing XAMPP on Windows

1. Download: Goto XAMPP mother site at https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html Download the Windows
package e.g., xamppwin321.8.35VC11installer.exe.

2. Install: Simply run the downloaded Installer. Choose your installation directory. I shall assume that XAMPP is
installed in "d:\xampp", denoted as <XAMPP_HOME>, in this article.

Installing XAMPP on Mac OS X [@@To Check!!]

1. Download: Goto XAMPP mother site at https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html Download the Mac OS
X package e.g., ......

2. Install: Simply run the downloaded Installer. Choose your installation directory. I shall assume that XAMPP is
installed in "......", denoted as <XAMPP_HOME>, in this article.

Starting/Stopping XAMPP Servers

Launch the "XAMPP Control Panel" "xamppcontrol.exe" for Windows, @@To Check ...... MAC OS X under the
XAMPP installed directory. A little icon appears in the Icon Tray. Rightclick on the icon "Show/Hide" to show the
"full" Control Panel Window.
The XAMPP Control Panel allows you to start/stop each of these servers: Apache HTTP Server, MySQL Database
Server, FileZilla FTP Server, Mercury Mail Server, and Tomcat HTTP Server. You can also check their configurations
"Config", logs "Logs" and launch the administrator tools such as PhpMyAdmin for MySQL "Admin".

Verifying the Apache/MySQL/PHP/Perl Installation

By default, a directory called "htdocs" was created under the XAMPP installed directory, which serves as the Apache's
document root directory.
To verify the installation, launch the XAMPP Control Panel. Start the Apache and MySQL servers by clicking the "Start"
buttons.
On your browser, issue "http://localhost" to get the welcome page. Select your language, which leads you to
the XAMPP home page under "htdocs/xampp". You can now verify all the components by clicking on the info
links on the left panel, e.g., phpinfo() for PHP, perlinfo() for Perl, PhpMyAdmin for MySQL.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

6/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

On your browser, issue "http://localhost/phpmyadmin" to access the MySQL via PhpMyAdmin. Select the
"Users" tab. which reveals that no password is set for the superuser root and the anonymous user. You can also
click the "Admin" button under MySQL to launch PhpMyAdmin.
To shutdown XAMPP, stop all the services and press "Quit".

Write a Helloworld PHP Script

By default, the Apache's document root directory is located at "<XAMPP_HOME>/htdocs". Use a programming editor
such as notepad++ for Windows, or gedit for Ubuntu/Mac OS X to write a simple PHP script called "hello.php"
and save under the "htdocs" directory, as follows:
<html>
<head>
<title>FirstPHPPage</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
echo'<h1>Hello,world!</h1>';
?>
</body>
</html>

To run this PHP script, start a browser and issue URL http://localhost/hello.php, assuming that Apache server
has been started.

Another Example : Write another PHP script called "phpinfo.php" saved under "htdocs" to display the PHP
settings under Apache, as follows:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Run the script by issuing URL "http://localhost/phpinfo.php".

XAMPP Directory Structure

XAMPP is organized in the subdirectories. The important ones are:

htdocs : the default apache's document root directory.

apache , mysql , FileZillaFTP , MercuryMail , tomcat : for the server software.
phpMyAdmin : for the PhpMyAdmin tool.
php , perl : for the languages.
Apache Configuration
The Apache's main configuration file "httpd.conf" is located at "<XAMPP_HOME>\apache\conf". Take note of the
following configuration directives:
The core directives are:
ServerRoot"<XAMPP_HOME>/apache"
Listen80
ServerNamelocalhost:80
DocumentRoot"<XAMPP_HOME>/htdocs"

The ServerRoot specifies the apache's installed directory. Listen specifies the TCP port number for Apache web
server, in this case, default of TCP port 80. The DocumentRoot specifies the root directory of the web server.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

7/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

The directives related to directory authorization are:

#
#Denyaccesstotheentiretyofyourserver'sfilesystem.Youmust
#explicitlypermitaccesstowebcontentdirectoriesinother
#<Directory>blocksbelow.
#
<Directory/>
AllowOverridenone
Requirealldenied
</Directory>

#
#DocumentRoot:Thedirectoryoutofwhichyouwillserveyour
#documents.Bydefault,allrequestsaretakenfromthisdirectory,but
#symboliclinksandaliasesmaybeusedtopointtootherlocations.
#
DocumentRoot"<XAMPP_HOME>/htdocs"
<Directory"<XAMPP_HOME>/htdocs">
OptionsIndexesFollowSymLinksIncludesExecCGI
AllowOverrideAll
#
#Controlswhocangetstufffromthisserver.
#
Requireallgranted
</Directory>

[TODO] Explanation
The directives related to logging are:
ErrorLog"logs/error.log"
CustomLog"logs/access.log"combined

PHP Configuration
The PHP's main configuration file "php.ini" is located from "<XAMPP_HOME>\php" as revealed by phpinfo()
output.
[TODO] Explanation

MySQL Configuration
The MySQL's main configuration file "my.ini" is located at "<XAMPP_HOME>\mysql\bin". Take note of the following
settings:
MySQL Server Daemon mysqld.exe
[mysqld]
port=3306
socket="<XAMPP_HOME>/mysql/mysql.sock"
basedir="<XAMPP_HOME>/mysql"
tmpdir="<XAMPP_HOME>/tmp"
datadir="<XAMPP_HOME>/mysql/data"
pid_file="mysql.pid"
log_error="mysql_error.log"

The port specifies the TCP port number for the MySQL server defaulted to 3306. The basedir specifies the
MySQL installed directory. The datadir specifies the databases directory. The logerror specifies the MySQL
error log file.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

8/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

MySQL Interactive Client mysql

[client]
port=3306
socket="<XAMPP_HOME>/mysql/mysql.sock"

Customizing MySQL
The default MySQL installation creates a superuser called "root" without password. It also provides an anonymous
user with no password. You need to
1. Set a password for "root".
2. Remove the anonymous user.
3. You should not use superuser "root" for normal daily operations. Instead, create a new user says xampppuser
for operational use.
There are a few ways to administer MySQL, via the graphical client "PhpMyAdmin", or commandline client "mysql".
PhpMyAdmin: login to PhpMyAdmin via "http://localhost/phpmyadmin". Click the "Users" tab Set
password for root for all hosts Select Edit Privilege Change Password GO Refresh. Delete the
anonymous user denoted as "Any" User Select Remove selected users GO. Create a new user called
"xampppuser" by clicking the "Add User". Grant all privileges to begin with.

Note: Once you set a password for root, you may need to modify the PHP configuration file in order to login with
the new password. See "PhpMyAdmin PHP Configuration".
MySQL commandline client "mysql.exe": Read "How to setup MySQL".

Start a new PHP Webapp

To start a new PHP webapp, create you working directory under "htdocs" says directory "hello". You can launch
your webapp via URL "http://localhost/hello". Alternatively, you can use the "htdocs" directory, by removing all
the existing contents. You can access the webapp via URL "http://localhost".
For Production, configure a virtual host in Apache for your project.

2.3LAMP Server For Ubuntu

Read the various sections in "How to Install and Setup Ubuntu". For example,
1. Install Ubuntu: Read "How to install Ubuntu Desktop".
2. Install LAMP Server: Read "How to install LAMP Server for Ubuntu".
3. Install PHPMyAdmin: Read "How to install PHPMyAdmin for Ubuntu".
4. Others.

3.Eclipse PDT (PHP Developer Tool)

Eclipse PDT @ http://www.eclipse.org/pdt is an IDE for PHP webapp development. The main advantage is it can
debug PHP Serverside scripts with XDebug or Zend Debugger.
Alternative PHP IDEs are: NetBeans @ http://www.netbeans.org, PHPEclipse @ http://www.phpeclipse.com.

Install Eclipse PDT

If you have never installed any Eclipse package, goto Eclipse mother site @ http://www.eclipse.org Downloads
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

9/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

Select "Eclipse for PHP Developers":

For Windows: Download the ZIP file 32bit or 64bit. Unzip the downloaded file in a directory of your
choice.
For Mac OS X: Read "How to Install Eclipse on Mac".
For Ubuntu: Read "How to Install Eclipse on Ubuntu".
If you have installed an Eclipse package such as Eclipse IDE for Java Developers, you can add the PDT plugin by:
Launched Eclipse Select menu "Help" "Install New Software".
The "Install" dialog appears. In "Work with" field, pull down the dropdown menu and select "Luna
http://download.eclipse.org/releases/luna" or Kepler for Eclipse 4.3; or Juno for Eclipse 4.2; or helios for
Eclipse 3.7.
In the "Name" box, expand "Programming Language" node Check "PHP Development Tools PDT"
"Next" Accept the license "Finish".

Configure Eclipse PDT

Launch Eclipse run "eclipse.exe" from the Eclipse installed directory Select menu "Window" "Preferences"
Expand "PHP" node:

1. Select "PHP Servers" Check that there is an entry with "Name" of "Default PHP Server" and "URL" of
"http://localhost" Select the entry Edit Select "Server" tab In "Debugger": Select "XDebug".

2. Select "PHP Executable" "Add":

In "Name", Enter a name, e.g. "WampServer" or "XAMPP".
In

"Executable

Path",

enter

the

location

of

PHP

executable

"php.exe"

e.g.,

"

<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\bin\php\php5.x.x\php.exe" for WampServer, "<XAMPP_HOME>\php\php.exe" for

XAMPP Windows.
In "PHP ini file", enter the php configuration file
<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\bin\apache\Apache2.2.xx\bin\php.ini"

used

by
for

the Apache e.g.,

WampServer.

"
"

<XAMPP_HOME>\php\php.ini" for XAMPP Windows.

In "SAPI Type", select "CGI".
In "PHP Debugger", select "XDebug" which is bundled in WampServer and XAMPP.
3. Select "Debug":
In "PHP Debugger", select "XDebug".
In "Server", select "Default PHP Server".
In "PHP Executable", select the PHP Executable configured in the previous step i.e., "WampServer" or
"XAMPP".
4. Select "PHP Manual" Check that there is an entry with "Site Name" of "php.net" with "URL" of
"http://www.php.net/manual/en".
5. Browse through the other settings for PHP.

Writing a Helloworld PHP program in Eclipse PDT

1. Launch Eclipse. Choose a workspace.
2. Create a new PHP project: "File" New PHP Project or "Project..." PHP PHP Project.
In "Project Name", enter a name for the project, e.g., "hello".
In "Contents", select "Create project at exiting location", enter your web server's root directory followed by
the
project
name
e.g.,
"<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\www\hello"
for
WampServer,
"
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

10/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

<XAMPP_HOME>\htdocs\hello" for XAMPP Make a subdirectory called "hello" under "www" or

"htdocs" "Finish".
3. Write your PHP program: Rightclick on the project "hello" "New" "PHP File". Enter the following codes
and saved as "HelloObj.php":
<?php
classHello{
//Variables
var$message;

//Constructor
function__construct(){
$this>message="HelloWorld!";
}

/**
*Functionthatprintsthevalueoftheinstancevariable$message
*/
functionprintMessage(){
echo$this>message;
}
}
?>

Again, create a new PHP file for the following driver program "HelloDriver.php":
<?php
include_once('HelloObj.php');
$hello=newhello();
$hello>printMessage();
?>

4. To run the program, rightclick anywhere on "HelloDriver.php" "Run As" "PHP Web Application"
output shown in Eclipse internal browser or external browser
http://localhost/hello/HelloDriver.php.

The

launch

URL

shall

be

To select your browser, select "Window" Preferences General Web Browser Choose your browser,
such as internal web browser, or external web browser Firefox, IE, etc.
The browser shall display "Hello World!".
Note: You can also run this script as a "PHP CLI Application", i.e., a standalone commandline interface program
instead of serverside script, as the above program are purely PHP, with no HTML statements.

Debugging PHP Serverside Script

HERE.

4.PhpMyAdmin
PhpMyAdmin http://www.phpmyadmin.net is a popular open source webbase tool intended to handle the
administration of MySQL database system.

Installing PhpMyAdmin
PhpMyAdmin is bundled in WampServer, installed under "<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\apps\phpmyadmin4.x.xx". It is also
bundled in XAMPP, under "<XAMPP_HOME>\phpmyadmin".
For Ubuntu, read "Install PhpMyAdmin for Ubuntu".
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

11/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

Launching PhpMyAdmin
PhpMyAdmin is an Apache PHP application. Typically, an alias called "phpmyadmin" is defined which maps to its
installed directory.
To launch PhpMyAdmin, start
http://localhost/phpmyadmin.

Apache

and

MySQL

servers.

Then,

start

browser

and

issue

URL

Using PhpMyAdmin
[TODO]

PhpMyAdmin's Configuration for Apache

In WampServer: PhpMyAdmin is configured in "<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\alias\phpmyadmin.conf", which is
included
into
Apache's
main
configuration
<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\bin\apache\apache2.4.9\conf\httpd.conf"
via
directive

file
"Include

"
"

<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/alias/*"". In the "phpmyadmin.conf", an alias called "/phpmyadmin" is defined which

maps to PhpMyAdmin's directory "<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/apps/phpmyadmin4.x.xx/".
In XAMPP: PhpMyAdmin is configured in "<XAMPP_HOME>\apache\conf\extra\httpdxampp.conf", which is
included into Apache's main configuration file "<XAMPP_HOME>\apache\conf\httpd.conf" via an Include
directive. In the configuration, an alias called "/phpmyadmin" is defined which maps to PhpMyAdmin's directory
at "<XAMPP_HOME>/phpMyAdmin/".

PhpMyAdmin's PHP Configuration

PhpMyAdmin is a PHP app running under Apache. The PHP app uses a configuration file called "config.inc.php",
located at the PhpMyAdmin installed directory. The default configuration uses socalled "config" authentication type
which requires you to hardcode the MySQL user and password inside the configuration file:
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type']='config'
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user']='root';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password']='your_root_password';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowNoPassword']=true;

If you change MySQL root's password, you need to enter the new password into this file, in order to login into
MySQL.
I recommend that you change the authentication type to "cookie", which prompts you to for the login user and
password.
//$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type']='config'
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type']='cookie';
//$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user']='root';
//$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password']='your_root_password';
//$cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowNoPassword']=true;

Notes on Errors
Cannot login using root, after setting password. See above.
If you get an error "Connection for controluser as defined in your configuration failed", see
"http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11506224/connectionforcontroluserasdefinedinyourconfiguration
failedphpmyadminxa". I encountered this error for XAMPP.

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

12/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

5.SQL Buddy
SQL Buddy http://www.sqlbuddy.com is an alternative to PhpMyAdmin. SQL Buddy is bundled in WampServer,
under directory <WAMPSERVER_HOME>\apps\sqlbuddy1.3.x. SQL Buddy could be easier to use than PhpMyAdmin.
To use SQL Buddy, start a browser, and issue URL http://localhost/sqlbuddy.
[TODO] more user guide

6.Debugging PHP Webapps

6.1XDebug for Debugging Serverside PHP Script
XDebug @ http://xdebug.org is an PHP extension, that allow you to debug serverside PHP Script running under
Apache in Eclipse PDT.

Install xDebug Extension for PHP

For
WampServer,
xDebug
module
is
installed
as
<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/bin/php/php5.x.xx/zend_ext/php_xdebug2.x.x5.xvc11x86_64.dll".

"

For XAMPP Windows, xDebug module is "<XAMPP_HOME>/php/ext/php_xdebug.dll".

For XAMPP Mac OS X, xDebug module is ...... @@To check
For Ubuntu, read "Install XDebug extension for PHP" for Eclipse PDT".
To verify that xDebug is installed, search the phpinfo() output run "phpinfo.php" written earlier for "xdebug",
which shall show up as follows:

Configure xDebug for Eclipse PDT

1. Find the PHP configuration file for Apache from the phpinfo() output, under "Loaded Configuration File".
For WampServer, it is "<WAMPSERVER_HOME>\bin\apache\apache2.4.9\bin\php.ini".
For XAMPP Windows, it is "<XAMPP_HOME>/php/php.ini".
For XAMPP Mac OS X, it is "<XAMPP_HOME>/php/php.ini". @@ To Check
For Ubuntu: See "Install XDebug extension for PHP" for Eclipse PDT".
2. Check if the following lines are included in the PHP configuration file include them otherwise:
;ForWampServer
zend_extension="<WAMPSERVER_HOME>/bin/php/php5.5.12/zend_ext/php_xdebug2.2.55.5vc11x86_64.dll"
;ForUbuntu
zend_extension=xdebug.so
;ForXAMPP(ForWindows)
zend_extension="<XAMPP_HOME>/php/ext/php_xdebug.dll"
;ForXAMPP(forMacOSX)
zend_extension="<XAMPP_HOME>/......."
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

13/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

......
[xdebug]
xdebug.remote_enable=On
xdebug.remote_port=9000
xdebug.remote_host=127.0.0.1

Restart the Apache Server.

Example 1: Debugging PHP Serverside Script

Let's trace through the "hello" PHP Webapp created earlier, which contains two PHP scripts: "HelloDriver.php"
and "HelloObj.php".
1. Set a breakpoint at line 2 of "HelloDriver.php" by clicking on the left margin.
2. Rightclick on "HelloDriver.php" "Debug As" "PHP Web Application".
3. Switch to "Debug" perspective.
4. The program shall break at line 2 of "HelloDriver.php". Click "Step Into F5" or "Step Over F6" to trace
through the program. Inspect the variables and observe the output at the web browser.
5. You need to terminate the debugging session by pushing the "Terminate" button.
Take note that if you check "Break at First Line" in the debug configuration, the program will pause at the first line of
a PHP file. You need to push "Resume" or "Step Over".

Example 2: Debugging PHP Webapp HTML+PHP

Create the following two files "Query.php" and "ProcessQuery.php", saved under Apache's document root
directory.
<!DOCTYPEhtml>
<!Query.php>
<html>
<head>
<title>TestHTMLForm</title>
</head>
<body>
<formmethod="post"action="ProcessQuery.php">
Whatisyourname?<inputtype="text"name="username"/>
<inputtype="submit"/>
</form>
</body>
</html>
<?php
//ProcessQuery.php
echo'<h2>Thankyouforyourquery</h2>';
if(isset($_POST['username'])){
echo'<h2>Hello,'.htmlentities($_POST['username']).'</h2>';
}
?>

Note: This code is meant for illustrating PHP webapp debugging. In practice, the two files are often merged into one.
To run the PHP webapp, rightclick on "Query.php" Run As PHP Web Application
To debug the PHP webapp:
1. rightclick on "Query.html" Debug As Debug Configuration Select "Debugger" tab Check "Break at
First Line" which sets a breakpoint at the beginning of each file "Debug".
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

14/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

2. Switch to "Debug" perspective.

3. Push "Resume F8" button to run thru the HTML code.
4. Switch to the browser. Enter something in the textfield and click "submit".
5. Switch back to Eclipse, it now breaks at the first line of "ProcessQuery.php".
6. Click "Step Into F5" or "Step Over F6" to trace through the program. Inspect the variables and observe the
output at the web browser.
7. You need to terminate the debugging session by pushing the "Terminate" button.
Take note that if your program contains HTML and PHP, your need to switch between the web browser to enter
data and eclipse to push "Resume" to run thru the HTML codes, or "Step Over/Into" to execute the PHP codes. At
times, the browser/eclipse icons on the taskbar brink to remind you to switch over.
Note: I actually intend to name "Query.php" and "Query.html", but the XDebug session does not seem to start on
HTML although you could tailor the "Run configuration" to start running from an HTML file?! Let me know if you
have an answer. For the time being, name all files may be only the starting page ".php" even they contains only
HTML. This is not really a problem.

6.2Zend Debugger for Debugging Serverside PHP Script

[TODO] Can't install Zend Debugger long time ago. To try again and compare with XDebug. Not critical.

6.3Firebug Plugin for Firefox for Debugging Clientside

JavaScript/HTML/CSS
HERE

7.PHP Webapp Exercises

1. Read "PHP Basics".
2. Read "PHP MySQL webapps". Use "PDO" for database connection.
3. Convert the "Java Servlet Case Study ebookshop" from Java Servlet Tomcat/MySQL to PHP Apache/MySQL.
4. Read HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
5. Proceed to "Advanced PHP Webapp Development".

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

1. Robin Nixon, "Learning PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, and CSS", 2nd ed, O'Reilly, 2012.
2. Timothy Boronczyk, Elizabeth Naramore, Jason Gerner, Yann Le Scouarnec, Jeremy Stolz and Michael K. Glass,
"Beginning PHP6 Apache MySQL Web Development", Wrox Programmer to Programmer, 2009.
3. Luke Welling and Laura Thomson, "PHP and MySQL Web Development", 4th edition, AddisonWesley, 2008.
4. Dirk Merkel, "Expert PHP 5 Tools", Packt Publishing, 2010.

Latest version tested: WampServer 2.5, XAMPP 1.8.3

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

15/16

6/24/2015

HowtoSetUpApache/MySQL/PHPforLinux(LAMP),Windows(WAMP)andMac(MAMP)

Last modified: September, 2014

Feedback, comments, corrections, and errata can be sent to Chua HockChuan (ehchua@ntu.edu.sg) | HOME

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/webprogramming/AMP_Setup.html

16/16