Configuring Apache for PHP CGI Scripts

<< Integrating PHP with Apache Web Server

<< Building Chinese Web Sites using PHP

This section describes how to configure Apache server to support PHP CGI scripts.

With both PHP 5 and Apache 2 installed on my Windows system, I continued to configure the Apache server to support PHP CGI scripts:

1. Open the Apache configuration file, \local\apache\conf\httpd.conf, in a text editor

2. First I have to define a CGI script directory alias, mapping an Apache document directory to a real directory where php-cgi.exe is located. Go to alias_module section and add one line:

<IfModule alias_module>
...
   ScriptAlias /cgi-bin-php/ "/local/php/"
</IfModule>

3. Now I need to add an access control section for this directory as:

<Directory "/local/php/">
    AllowOverride None
    Options None
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
</Directory>

4. Next, I have to define a new MIME type to support the .php file extension. Go to mime_module section and one line:

<IfModule mime_module>
...    
    AddType application/x-httpd-php .php 
</IfModule>

5. The last setting is to tell Apache to serve the new MIME type with php-cgi.exe located in the directory alias /cgi-bin-php/: At the root level below the LoadModule section, define an "Action" entry:

#LoadModule ssl_module modules/mod_ssl.so

Action application/x-httpd-php "/cgi-bin-php/php-cgi.exe"

6. The configuration changes are done. Now restart the Apache server by clicking Start > All Programs > Apache Server 2.2.4 > Control Apache Server > Restart.

Another way to integrate Apache with PHP is to set PHP as a load module. This is more efficient than the CGI script interface. But for my personal testing purpose, the CGI script interface is good enough.

Sections in This Chapter

Downloading Apache 2.2.4 Binary for Windows

Installing Apache 2.2.4 on Windows Systems

Publishing HTML Documents as Web Pages

Configuring Apache for PHP CGI Scripts

Publishing PHP Scripts as Web Pages