PHP devReview()

I had occasion to set up a dev box to test a new web application against different php versions, so I thought I would share the steps. This setup is for one PHP version at a time, and I have documented for 2 versions, but more can be done if required. Also I have used PHP4 and 5, but it could be multiple versions of PHP5, such as a beta version of 5.3. This setup was done using Apache2 on Windows.

We will create the php4 part first and when it up and running we will do php5.

• Have Apache installed and tested it is running correctly.
• Create a directory such as C:\php
• Unzip a version of php (example php4.4.9 the zipped binary version, not the one with the installer), into a subdirectory of c:\php. [c:\php\php4\]
• Rename php.ini-recommended to php.ini
• Copy php4apache2.dll from the sapi subdirectory to c:\php\php4
• Open the httpd.conf file, and add the following at the end:

  AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
  # Choice between php versions
  <ifdefine php4>
  LoadModule php4_module "C:/php/php4/php4apache2.dll"
  # configure the path to php.ini
  PHPIniDir "C:/php/php4"
  </ifdefine>
  

• (Optional) Search for DirectoryIndex. Add index.php after index.html, or before if you want index.php to be the default over index.html.
• If the Apache service is running, stop it. In properties set it startup type to ‘Manual’. We are going to delete this later.
• Open up a command prompt and navigate to the apache bin directory. [Default is C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\bin]
• Type the following:

  apache.exe -k install -n Apache_php4 -D php4

• If you refresh the services list, then there will be one named ‘Apache_php4′.
• Start this new service. If all is well, then there will be 2 messages. 1 saying the service is starting and another it has started.
• To test this, create a file in the Apache htdocs directory named test.php. In it have the line:

  <?php phpinfo() ?>

• In a web browser type http://localhost/test.php. If this has worked you will get info about your php install and can continue with the 2nd php install. If not go back through the above steps.

• Unzip the other version of php (eg. 5.2.9) into a subdirectory of c:\php [c:\php\php5]
• Rename php.ini-recommended to php.ini
• Open the httpd.conf file, and add the following at the end:

  <ifdefine php5>
  LoadModule php5_module "C:/php/php5/php5apache2.dll"
  # configure the path to php.ini
  PHPIniDir "C:/php/php5"
  </ifdefine>

• You will now do steps like above when you created and tested the apache service, but this time use php5
• To delete the original apache service use something like:

  apache -k uninstall -n Apache2
  

That is it, you will have 2 versions of PHP installed that you can switch between. Just stop 1 service and start the other. This could also be done using a batch file.