Installing MySQL on Windows

[Dan Zollman]

I've successfully installed Apache 2 and PHP 5 (on Windows XP), which I'm using for website testing. I'd also like to install MySQL for database use with PHP.

I've tried to install MySQL using some instructions I have and the instructions in the MySQL manual, but that's kind of confusing and, though it seems that MySQL was installed on the computer, it doesn't show up with the phpinfo() function and it doesn't seem to be recognized by Apache or PHP.

Can anybody help with this? Are there any websites with clear, step by step instructions for installing MySQL with Apache and PHP from the beginning for someone who doesn't necessarily know a lot about system configuration or using the command line?

Thanks,
Dan

[Rohan_DHS]

Hey there Dan,

I don't know any good sites out there for tutorials or such, but for managing the databases once you set things up, there are two good programs available from the same people who made MySQL called MySQL Query Browser and MySQL Administrator, which add nice GUI based management functions.

I know that this probably won't help until after you've set this up, but it takes care of the command line problem

Good luck,
Rohan

[Davx]

Install the MyODBC driver, that will allow PHP to talk to MySql, you can get the driver at the MySql website.

[107Dexter]

What I would suggest doing is downloading and installing Xampp . It has Apache2, PHP 5, and MySQL with a bunch of plugins. And it is installed so they are allc ommunicating with eachother already.

[Dan Zollman]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Originally Posted by 107Dexter

What I would suggest doing is downloading and installing Xampp . It has Apache2, PHP 5, and MySQL with a bunch of plugins. And it is installed so they are allc ommunicating with eachother already.

I think I'll try that because it's probably the simplest and fastest way to do this (plus, it has PHPMyAdmin).

First, will I be able to safely and cleanly use Add/Remove Programs to remove Apache, PHP, and MySQL, or will that cause problems since Apache and MySQL are listed as services?

[DarkJedi613]

Here's a tutorial I had written for a couple of my friends to install Apache2, PHP 5.x and MySQL. It is slightly outdated however.

Apache2 Win32 Binary (MSI Installer)
--Download & Run
----Information:
------Domain: 127.0.0.1
------Server: localhost
------Email: whatever@whatever.com
------Manual
--Configure
----Goto "C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf"
------Open "httpd.conf"
--------Find & Change "DirectoryIndex" to:
----------"DirectoryIndex index.htm index.html index.html.var index.php index.php3 index.phtml"
--------Add to Bottom:
----------#PHP Stuff:
----------LoadModule php5_module "C:/PHP/php5apache2.dll"
----------AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .php3 .phtml .phtm
----------PHPIniDir "C:/PHP"

Windows (x86) - mysql-4.1.14-win32.zip
--Download & Run
----Typical
----Skip Sign Up
----Standard Setup
------Include BIN
------Do not Automatically Run
----Security Settings
------Password

Windows Binaries - Zip Package
--Unzip to C:\PHP
----Rename "php.ini-dist" to "php.ini"
----Open "php.ini"
------Find "Windows Extensions"
--------Uncomment Extensions Needed
----------Recommended:
------------images = php_gd2.dll
------------mysql = php_mysql.dll
------------pdf = php_pdf.dll
------------sockets = php_sockets.dll
------------zip = php_zip.dll
--------Path and Extensions
----------extension_dir = "C:\PHP\ext"

Download PECL Modules for PHP
--Unzip
----Copy "php_pdf.dll" and "php_zip.dll" to "C:\PHP\ext\"

Optional - Download phpMyAdmin
--Unzip to "C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs"
--Rename folder to "phpMyAdmin"
--Open "config.inc.php"
----Change 'host' to 'localhost'
----Change 'port' to '8080'
----Change 'password' to what you set it while installing MySQL
----"http://localhost:8080/phpMyAdmin/" runs it

***ALL DOCUMENTS GO IN THE FILE "C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs"***

Hint: Make shortcut on your desktop.

To Run Files:
--Run Apache2
----Program Files > Apache HTTP Server x.x.x > Control Apache Server > Start Apache in Console
----Program Files > MySQL > MySQL Server x.x

Extras:
--Download the icon files for PHP and set up PHP files to have that icon

I also have some nice batch files for running the server and shutting it down if you want them. If you're having trouble installing it feel free to IM me on AIM.

[Dan Zollman]

It took me a couple of weeks before I got to it, but I installed MySQL (and the other things that come with it) with Xampp. It worked.

Originally Posted by DarkJedi613

Here's a tutorial I had written for a couple of my friends...

I wanted to use Xampp for the simplest installation possible, but I saved that tutorial in case I could use it in the future.


Thanks for your help!

[DarkJedi613]

Originally Posted by worldbringer

I wanted to use Xampp for the simplest installation possible, but I saved that tutorial in case I could use it in the future.

Yeah, I figured I would just post it in case you still wanted to go that way. Also it (well most of it) is available with screen shots now on our website.

[Chris_Elston]

Hi Dan...

Although I don't really like windows, I had a need recently to install a MySQL database / server on my local machine to do some database debugging with PHP. I found a website that helped me STEp-BY-STEP get mysql running on my Windows XP desktop so I could complete my task.

Hopefully this will help you:
http://www.devside.net/web/server/windows/mysql

Originally Posted by worldbringer

Can anybody help with this? Are there any websites with clear, step by step instructions for installing MySQL with Apache and PHP from the beginning for someone who doesn't necessarily know a lot about system configuration or using the command line?

[Dan Zollman]

Thanks again!