Sometime ago, I published an article on how to host your own blog on your WHS. I used the instructions documented in our wiki on how to install PHP, MySQL and Wordpress. These instructions work, however, if you miss a step or mistype something you may find yourself unable to get it all working and without a good way to debug your installation steps.
Enter Nigel Wilks, fellow WHS MVP and moderator over at mediasmart.net. With input from our very own Drashna, Nigel (or Cougar as he is known in the mediasmart.net forums) created 3 add-ins to automate the tedious steps required to install the prerequisite software.
The Walkthrough
The first add-in to install is the PHP add-in. Installing this add-in is as simple as any other add-in. Copy the msi installer to your D:SoftwareAdd-ins folder, open the WHS Setting Window in the console and install the software from the Add-ins tab, as shown below.
That is it. When you reopen the console, you will not find a PHP tab in the main console window, or in the Settings window. It is simply an installer (and uninstaller) for PHP inside the console app.
At this point, I recommend you open your browser (from the WHS desktop) and enter in http://SERVERNAME/test.php where SERVERNAME is the name of your WHS. If all went well, you will see a webpage similar to one the following:
At this point, I wanted to check out what happens if one uninstalls the add-in. Pre-uninstall:
Post-uninstall:
As you can see the PHP directory is removed when you uninstall the add-in.
11. October 2009 at 12:53 am
I deleted all the default users to be on the safe side.
11. October 2009 at 12:53 am
I deleted all the default users to be on the safe side. Need sleep now
11. October 2009 at 7:55 am
http://wpmututorials.com/plugins/advanced-export/
And can be downloaded and installed automatically from inside WordPress too. Just look for "Advanced Export for WP and WPMU"
11. October 2009 at 10:55 am
Nice all those add-ins. Are there any plans to build a Joomla-installer?
11. October 2009 at 1:51 pm
Your not the first person to ask, so I might look after I've finished Gallery 2.
11. October 2009 at 2:35 pm
Thats awesome Nigel! There is Linux distro called Amahi. That distro makes it possible to install a kind of web apps. It should be nice if we can install a lot of web apps on WHS. Like Joomla, Wordpress, Gallery 2, Extplorer, Wiki, phpmybackup etc. I'm not developer otherwise i helped you.
11. October 2009 at 12:22 pm
Thanks!
Whilst I can do these relatively quickly, it’s the support of current ones that slows down the new batch. Recently I’ve been playing on German WHS to try and work through some issues with the MySql Add-In on the German OS, which I’ve now done and will be uploading new versions of PHP and MySql which address these localisation issues on non English installs.
13. October 2009 at 2:25 pm
I love it, great work. You commented that you might work on Joomla, could I really test you and ask for both Alfresco and Joomla? Thanks for any thoughts.
13. October 2009 at 4:44 pm
I can certainly look into it although it does seem to be an installer already although not an Add-In?
5. November 2009 at 1:10 am
Splendid work, Nigel!
It doesn't matter how many times I've installed MySQL, PHP, etc., on a variety of platforms…you made the install process a dream. Thank you.
15. December 2009 at 11:35 am
Hmm. For some reason when i get to the " https://SERVERNAME/pma" page and enter "root" i get page cannot be displayed? Perhaps its because i used the wiki version and did the mysql command line part? I unininstalled everything i did when i found this walk through but no luck.. just get "The website cannot display the page" when i enter root with no password? Any help please??
16. December 2009 at 11:07 am
Alrighty! I got it working. I suspected it was the previous attempt in doing the manual way as posted in the wiki. Then when uninstalling that attempt must of messed something up. So I did a clean install of WHS and installed php and mysql.. works great! I also installed the "System Restore" just incase anything goes wrong. Thanks for these addin's and walkthroughs. Im going to try to install Joomla on my whs… but ehhh tommorow. Its 3 AM.
night
2. January 2010 at 5:50 pm
I have followed this howto and have Php and MySql installed but myphpadmin will not let me change the password. says I have no privieges. Can you help?
3. January 2010 at 2:20 am
this is the error I reciece after logging in to myphpadmin and trying to change password.
ErrorSQL query:SET PASSWORD = PASSWORD( '***' )MySQL said:#1044 – Access denied for user ''@'localhost' to database 'mysql'
Can some one help me with this
4. January 2010 at 3:51 pm
Why don't use some a WAMP installation like easyphp? I've been doing this and it's working fine