Tutorials > Setting Up a Development Environment > Installing PHP
3. Installing PHP
- This article assumes you have completed the previous tutorials up to: Apache Basic Setup
- Go to http://windows.php.net/download/ and download the VC6 x86 Thread Safe Installer. I've found that version 5.2 tends to be the most universally compatible.
- Run the install.
- Install to C:\PHP\.
- Under Web Server setup choose Apache 2.2.x Module.
- Change the Apache configuration directory to C:\Apache\conf\.
- On this screen you can select which PHP extensions to install. You can change this later.
- I usually install these: bzip2, Curl, GD2, Mcrypt, MySQL and MySQLi.
- Click next and then install. Once finished close the installer.
- You need to restart Apache before PHP works, but first you need to verify it was setup correctly.
- Open C:\Apache\conf\httd.conf and scroll to the bottom. You will see 4 lines have been added by the PHP installer. Make sure it matches the following:
PHPIniDir "C:/PHP/" LoadModule php5_module "C:/PHP/php5apache2_2.dll'"
- Restart Apache.
- Goto C:\wwwroot. Create and open test.php.
- Add this code to the file and save it.
<?php echo "PHP works."; ?>
- Open up a browser and go to http://localhost/test.php, you should see the message 'PHP works'.
- Now that PHP is working, lets change the default file from index.html to index.php.
- Open C:\Apache\conf\httpd.conf.
- Change the directory index from 'DirectoryIndex index.html' to 'DirectoryIndex index.php index.html' and save.
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html
- Restart Apache.
- Rename test.php to index.php.
- Go back to your browser and remove test.php from the address, so it just says localhost, and hit enter.
- It should still say 'PHP works.' since that is what is in index.php
