Does php and mysql work on a windows server

[Adrian28uk]

Me and my friend are going to build a server. Unfortunately we will be using Windows2003 server to power the thing. If I knew more about linux I would have that on their instead.

Eventually I want to shift my websites from my provider and same myself some money, but I want to know if php and mysql can succesfully work on a windows server. When I have downloaded php scripts before some of them dont even mention about changing the paths if you are using a windows server.
Has anyone had experience of setting up php and mysql on a windows server and most importantly does it work just as well if you were running it from a linux server. I certainly do not want to use ASP I hate it. I am also having big shouting matches with my mate about this. Im sorry but my personal opionion on things is that ASP is dead, and has been dead for the last few years.
Your help would be greatly appreciated on this matter.

[Norman Graham]

Hi Adrian

I can't help you set up the server, but the answer to your question is yes, absolutely. PHP and MySQL are cross-platform applications. You will have no compatibility problems.

I'll leave it up to the experts on this forum to provide you with the technical details of what you need to know.

Best o luck

Norm

[piersk]

Originally posted by Adrian28uk
Im sorry but my personal opionion on things is that ASP is dead, and has been dead for the last few years.

Don't really wanna turn this into an "ASP vs PHP" debate, but:

What about ASP.NET? It's pretty similar. I think this will be a big thing.

Although I prefer PHP, I am starting to like ASP. The company I work for at the moment prefers ASP (although I think I am twisting their arms a bit;) ) so I have had to learn ASP and I think that some of the things that you can do are quite powerful.

Have you used ASP from a web developer's point of view?

Oh, and you say that unfortunately you will be using W2k3. What's wrong with this? again, this is extremely powerful and secure. Luckily for me (and I do mean luckily) I get to deploy one here.

[elToro]

There's a project called FoxServ (http://www.foxserv.net) that simplifies (automates, really) the basic installation of Apache, PHP, and MySQL. I think it also installs phpMyAdmin and a Windows MySQL GUI of some kind.

That will get everything up and running, but you'll still want to do some manual configuration afterward, I'm sure.

[elToro]

This thread wasn't supposed to be about ASP vs. PHP, but what the heck...

I've had a couple of jobs where I had to work with ASP almost all the time. I prefer PHP pretty much unconditionally.

PHP was, of course, designed for Web use, unlike VBScript (which nearly all ASP developers use as their language). ASP's inability to do dynamic includes (e.g. include($filenameInAVariable)) drives me nuts. PHP's many Web-centric functions are simply wonderful.

Some other little things: PDF support in PHP is freely and widely available; it's something you almost certainly would have to pay for with ASP (activePDF, for example).

[goldbug]

Dont forget the huge pain in the ass it is to handle file uploads in ASP (without 3rd-party .dll)

[piersk]

... which you can download for free off the Net and are dead easy to install.

Anyway, I wasnt turning this into an ASP vs PHP discussion, I was simply showing for the record that ASP is not dying out.