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A
AHobbyist
Participant
June 25, 2011
Question

I Need PHP 5.3 no longer avail in a VC6 compatable with Apache 2.2.15

  • June 25, 2011
  • 1 reply
  • 8045 views

I appologize if this question is already answered somewhere (I did search a bit)..

1. I have written a significant amount of my site using functions only available in PHP 5.3+ (ie not in PHP5.2)

( see php.net /manual/en/migration53.new-features.php )

2. PHP (in thier infinite wisdom) have decicided that not only is there no longer a VC6 (ie Apache 2.2.15 compatable) build of php 5.3.6 but they removed the 5.3.3 build and are offering only 5.2.17 in a VC6 build suitable for use with the version of Apache built into FMS4.

(see windows.php.net/download/ and note the lines:

Do NOT use VC9 version with apache.org binaries.

and

VC9 versions of Apache can be fetched at Apache Lounge. We use their binaries to build the Apache SAPIs.)

3. The FMS4 documentation says:

(see help.adobe.com/en_US/flashmediaserver/configadmin/WSE2A5A7B9-E118-496f-92F9-E295038DB7DB.html#WS02f7d8d4857b1677-469e53bb12984254411-8000

The recommended approach to upgrading the Apache web server is to install or build the Apache server in a directory that is separate from the existing server. Then copy the contents of newly-installed directories to the existing server.

In most cases, you do not replace the existing Apache configuration files with the newer versions of these files. This is because the Apache web server installation for Flash Media Server is pre-configured with specific modules and settings.)

My Question is:

Does this even work? I sounds like a REALY BAD idea to me to instal a version of Apache built to use the Visual C 9 runtime and then kludge in an httpd.conf file that starts loading modules that were built to interact with a version that uses the Visual C 6 library. Has anyone actually done this successfully???

I don't blame the FMS developers here (well except for the really bad idea of making Apache "part" of the FMS package in the first place) but you a shipping with a version of Apache that is incompatable with PHP! (OK, the _latest versions_ of PHP.. but that still makes this _your_ problem.. and a big problem at that if you ask me).

Suggestions?

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    1 reply

    Nikhil_Kalyan
    Nikhil_Kalyan
    Participating Frequently
    June 25, 2011

    Hi,

    I am sorry but i tried to see the documentation link you provided only to see its not correct. Can you please provide the correct link , so that i can verify and if there is any modification needed to the doc, i could help in adding that.

    Irrespective of what's there in the doc for now, personally I always felt its a good idea to have Apache bundled with FMS as it reduces a small effort in setting up the web server. A very good out of the box approach ...

    Bundling Apache is for the sake of simplicity and to use it in a more convincing manner along with FMS, given the new features of HTTP Dynamic streaming and the upcoming iOS device support. But this in no way mean we would hamper a custom apache functionality.

    You can install your own apache and FMS can work seamlessly with it, you do not need to entirely copy the configurations if you feel they are not going to be compatible. Please make sure you copy the necessary modules and other files that FMS expects to be on Apache, change the conf files and you are good to go. FMS with its new features of HDS and otherwise is fully tested with external Apache installations and there should not be any problem in using them..

    Please give it a try and let us know if it helped.

    Thank you !

    A
    AHobbyistAuthor
    Participant
    June 26, 2011

    Thanks for the Reply Nikhil..

    Most forums frown on live links but here's clickable versions:

    http://php.net/manual/en/migration53.new-features.php
    http://windows.php.net/download/
    http://help.adobe.com/en_US/flashmediaserver/configadmin/WSE2A5A7B9-E118-496f-92F9-E295038DB7DB.html#WS02f7d8d4857b1677-469e53bb12984254411-8000

    You mention bundling apache into FMS as being a time saver.. it is the exact opposite if you need the latest version(s) of PHP.. I am  surprised you haven't been swamped with complaints over the last month or so since the PHP development team stopped offering a VC6 build for PHP 5.3+.

    The problem is that PHP built with the visual C version 9 runtime  is not compatable with the version of Apache that is bundled with FMS 4. It is compatable with the visual C version 6 runtime and up until this latest release (PHP 5.3.6) the PHP site offered both VC6 and VC9 (thread safe) variants. With the introduction of 5.3.6 they have removed not only the 5.3.5 VC6 options and (for some undocumented reason) offer only  5.2.17 in a VC6 version (see the second link above).

    The "out of the box" requirement for FMS now is to D/L the VC9 compatable version of Apache they refer on the PHP.net site from the Apache Lounge site (see link in my original post) and then try and take the "normal" httpd.conf file and reduce it to the completely gutted version that installs with FMS.. Why wouldn't the FMS developers at least have left the file httpd.conf basicly the same and added/removed as little as possible???? It has been completely trashed and then had a bunch of undocumented module load, etc statements stuck in. If I didn't know better I'd say the FMS team deliberately made it difficult to convert a "real" Apache install into a working FMS configuration.

    Anyway I'm starting to doubt I'll get much help here if you haven't really caught the drift of my problem.. thanks anyway.

    Nikhil_Kalyan
    Nikhil_Kalyan
    Participating Frequently
    June 26, 2011

    Thanks for the link,

    You complaint about the version change was clear in your first post itself. I just tried to convey that there can always be an external apache installation that can also seemlessly work with FMS.

    Apache that's bundled with FMS is optional. I am not sure of each and every module load/ changes that were made but that in any way doesn't mean to reduce your capabilities. I don't see any reason why a vanilla installation of apache won't work with FMS with VC9 and your PHP, away from FMS.

    I understand your message to get the apache upgraded that comes on FMS. Well, that's always a good thing to do, we should definitely have in the pipeline, i would let you know of the plans there.


    Thank you !

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