A Simple Guide to PHP Setup

The key to setting up PHP is to clarify the installation method, configure php.ini, connect to the web server and enable necessary extensions. 1. Install PHP: Use apt for Linux, Homebrew for Mac, and XAMPP recommended for Windows; 2. Configure php.ini: adjust error reports, upload restrictions, etc. and restart the server; 3. Use web server: Apache to use mod_php, Nginx to use PHP-FPM; 4. Install commonly used extensions: such as mysqli, json, mbstring, etc. to support full functions.

PHP settings are actually not that complicated, but novices are always confused by various configurations at the beginning. In fact, as long as you understand a few key points, the basic environment will be able to run quickly. Let’s start from common needs and talk about how to solve the basic settings of PHP step by step.

Install PHP: Selecting the right method is easier

There are several ways to install PHP, the most common one is to install it through the package manager, or download the source code from the official website to compile it. If you are using Linux, such as Ubuntu, you can install it directly using apt :

 sudo apt update
sudo apt install php

Mac users can use Homebrew:

 brew install php

It is recommended to use integrated environments such as XAMPP or WAMP on Windows to save the hassle of manual configuration. No matter which way, the key is to confirm whether PHP is installed successfully. You can use the following command to check the version:

 php -v

As long as you can see the version number, the installation has been completed.

Configuring PHP environment: Don't ignore php.ini

After installing PHP, the next step is to configure the php.ini file. This is the main configuration file of PHP, which controls key functions such as error reporting, upload restrictions, extended loading, etc.

To find the location of this file, you can use:

 php --ini

Common settings include:

• error_reporting : It is recommended to set it to E_ALL during the debugging phase to facilitate discovery of problems.
• display_errors : The development environment can be opened, but the production environment must be closed.
• upload_max_filesize and post_max_size : If you want to upload a file, these two values may need to be increased.

After changing the configuration, don't forget to restart the server, such as Apache or Nginx, the changes will take effect.

With web server: How to connect PHP and Apache/Nginx

To run PHP, it also needs to be equipped with a web server. The most common ones are Apache and Nginx.

Apache usually uses mod_php to handle PHP requests, and it will generally be automatically configured during installation. To test whether it takes effect, you can create a new info.php file:

 <?php phpinfo(); ?>

If you can see the PHP detailed information page when accessing this file, it means that Apache and PHP are connected.

Nginx handles PHP requests through PHP-FPM. After installing PHP, remember to install php-fpm and then add FastCGI settings to the Nginx configuration file. This part is a little more complicated, but there are many standard configuration templates available for reference on the Internet.

Extensions and Dependencies: Don't forget to install commonly used modules

Many of PHP's functions are implemented through extensions. For example, if you need to connect to a database, you need to use mysqli or pdo_mysql , and if you need to use json extensions to handle json . The installation method is generally:

 sudo apt install php-mysql

Or uncomment the corresponding extension in php.ini . Some frameworks such as Laravel also rely on mbstring , xml , curl and other modules. Remember to check whether they are enabled after installation.

Basically that's it. Setting up a PHP environment seems to have many steps, but as long as you take it step by step, it is actually not complicated. The key is to choose the appropriate installation method and configuration according to your use scenario, and don’t ignore the default settings. Many problems lie here.

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