php help

[beeswax]

just dipping my toes in here, but I need some advice regarding php. I'm designing the website for the school I started work at recently Falinge and at the moment it's in its infancy but the basics are there. We host our own web server and I'm going to have a standalone machine set up in a dmz so that I can practice my php before trying it out on the website.

where can I find the best/easiest tutorials, ones that will show me things from how to configure the server to actually write the script?

cheers,

beeswax

[ChrisH]

Your probably best using a content management system and building on it from there as doing it yourself may become unmanageable.

I use a basic php system on our site which is just basically and index.php that includes a header and footer and what ever content is defined by the page variable index.php?page=ict etc. i build special pages for stuff that needs more functionality like exams results from a mysql query.

I will more that likey move over to moodle soon as all my content is in its own page file and should be easy to copy and paste over.

 

In short experiment by all means like I have done but I would suggest Moodle in the long run.

[beeswax]

can I use my design as a template in moodle though?

[ChrisH]

With most CMS you can cutomise the interface to how you want it.

[Geoff]

http://docs.moodle.org/wiki/Themes/HowTo

[beeswax]

which came first, the moodle or the headache?

Following the advice given here, I'm trying to get Moodle started on my web server Ace Web Hosting The instructions seem simple enough (ha!) but it's not coming out right for me. Has anyone installed moodle on a server which doesn't provide moodle pre-packaged (for want of a better phrase)?

Thanks in advance,

besswax

[beeswax]

p.s. I'm trying it in my web space (no one can hear me scream) before taking it into school.

beeswax

[Geoff]

Yep. I've installed Moodle on the Apache server at Carr Hill. It currently lives at http://vle.carrhill.lancs.sch.uk

 

What errors are you running into?

[MkII]

Has anyone installed moodle on a server which doesn't provide moodle pre-packaged (for want of a better phrase)?

 

Yes besswax, I've had it on an apache server on a windows box [well several], I installed apache, php and mysql. I now host it on my intranet server which is slackware - apache, php and mysql pre-installed: here. I've fiddled with the basics a bit, but we're still not in full production yet.

 

There's a simplified instalation [of moodle] on the moodle site somewhere - I found it once - but haven't managed a second time!

[Ric_]

I seem to remember installing a test setup on IIS with PHP5 and MySQL.

[beeswax]

this is how far I have now advanced. I have to admit that I'm flummoxed (and tired) so I probably sound more desperate than in control. can anyone push me in the right direction?

beeswax

[MkII]

Is this on your hosted site BW? I assume it is... Either the problem is with your hosts setup or you have to enter in something other than localhost as the host name. Have you set up anything else that uses php/mysql on this box?

 

If a dive into php.ini is required - I configured php on my windows machine running apache. I used a how to on the web to step through the settings, which aren't that many really. I don't know your host - do you have access to that?

 

HTH

[Geoff]

Your PHP installation doesn't have MySQL support. You (or your sysadmin) needs to recompile PHP and use the '--with-mysql' make flag.

[beeswax]

my host is Ace Web Hosting and they provide mysql and php. I also have access to the control panel, but lack the knowledge to configure it (I've sent the company an email requesting a little 'advice', but as the hosting is only £35 a year, I don't expect a lot).

I'm trying it locally as a walkthrough first via IIS. I have mysql and php5 installed and running locally, but not apache - is this mt error?

beeswax

[MkII]

I've had problems with php5, and stick with 4.

[Ric_]

Ironically, PHP5 on Linux has never worked for me and PHP4 on Windows hasn't worked for me. Odd!

[E1uSiV3]

Ive got a FreeBSD 5.4 box running Apache 1.3/PHP4 and have similar problems, it wont let me install the PHP MYSQL support package, so looks like im gonna have to compile it myself grrr...

 

On a sidenote, why havent the moodle creators added support for MSSQL, ive got a beast of a SQL box id rather run the DB on but cant. I found a patch file that supposedly upgrades the 1.4.x tree to add support but it chokes on 1.4.5

[Geoff]

because MSSQL does wierd undocumented non-standard SQL things.

[E1uSiV3]

Well thats M$ all over Geoff, seems a bit mean to exclude it tho as other companies seem to offer support for MSSQL aswell as MYSQL, cus it royally screws me over as i have an MSSQL box and dont want to have to run yet another application to do a similar job

[Geoff]

Moodle is open source done entirely by volunteers in their spare time. Supporting a new database type (paticularly one as obscure as MS SQL) is a non-trivial task. Its not that MS SQL support was excluded, its that no one bothered to do it. I guess there's to little demand to justify it.

 

However, all is not lost, because moodle is open source you can fix it yourself. iIf you want MS SQL support so badly, you always have the option of writing a patch yourself to add support.

[E1uSiV3]

This is true, im stuck in the "pay for software" mindset at the moment so sometimes "expect" features to be there. as for it being open source, i think id need to learn PHP first lol (sounds like something for the winter months actually, been putting it off for too long now)

 

Im just frustrated that i cant use my MSSQL box :grrr:

[Geoff]

There were patches for 1.4 to enable it to use MS SQL. I don't think they've been updated for 1.5 yet. Thats probably a good place to start. Remember though you don't have to do it yourself, you can contract the work out to a developer or even pay the Moodle foundation to do the work.

 

Alternatively, try setting up a LAMP solution. It really is worth it. Not only do you get Moodle but you get lots of other great software you can try out too for free.

[E1uSiV3]

I found the 1.4 patches last night and it died horribly on the 1.5x release, it faired better on 1.4.5 but still failed. Ill have to look into the LAMP stuff, ive seen it mentioned a few times but have never looked into it.

 

Thanks for all the info Geoff

[ATOM]

Whilst not completely relevant to all of this thread - I use Sokkit on my win xp box to test and configure my php scripts before uploading to my website. I have found it much easier than running my own apache websever or php under IIS and in the past I have run moodle but not for a while so can't vouch for latest versions.

 

simmo

[beeswax]

today I have mostly been making that sucking sound car mechanics make when asked, "can you fix it?"

thanks for all your suggestions. I'm going to give my head a rest and get down to it at the weekend. as you can probably tell from the time of this post, it's still gnawing at me.

beeswax