SlackServer (or how to setup a slackware linux web server)
By Okibi

This guide will show you the fastest way to setup SlackServer. SlackServer is what I refer to as SLAMP (Slackware Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP). If you follow this guide, you should have SlackServer up in 15 minutes. All you need done prior to this is install Slackware and have it connected to the web. Let's get started.

NOTE: Bold represents commands you have to enter, Italic represents a part of the code you need to change to suit the situation, and Underline represents the package we are working on and is not a command. We'll also be running these commands as root unless specified otherwise.

MySQL

First we want to setup MySQL, so get the slackware package from linuxpackages.net:

wget linktomysqlpackage

Now we need to install the MySQL package:

installpkg mysql-x.x.xx.tgz

Next we'll add the group called mysql for the daemon to run in:

groupadd mysql

Now let's add the user mysql to that group so he can run the daemon:

useradd -g mysql mysql

Now let's give the user access to mysql:

chown -R mysql.mysql /var/lib/mysql

We want to be the user mysql for this next step, so run this command:

su - mysql

Now we'll install the test database:

mysql_install_db

We need to go back to being root:

exit

Next we copy the my.cnf file to /etc:

cp /etc/my-medium.cnf /etc/my.cnf

Time to give execution rights to mysqld:

chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.mysqld

We want to be the user mysql to start mysql, so run this command again:

su - mysql

Now let's start it up:

/etc/rc.d/rc.mysqld start

MySQL should say it's running, so let's go back to being root:

exit

Next we set the root password for MySQL: (Keep in mind we never use the server's root password for this)

/usr/bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'new-password'

Now we open the MySQL terminal: (it'll ask you to enter the root password so do so)

mysql -u root -p

We are in the MySQL terminal, so let's give anonymous users a password:

UPDATE user SET Password = PASSWORD('new_password') WHERE User = '';

After changing a setting, we need to flush the privileges:

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Before we leave the terminal, let's setup a user to access the test database:

GRANT all on test.* to userid@localhost IDENTIFIED by 'password';

Leave the MySQL terminal:

quit

Let's open the terminal again as the user we just created: (it'll ask you to enter the user's password so do so)

mysql -u user -p

We want to tell MySQL to open the test database:

use test;

Now we verify that the database opened by showing the tables:

show tables;

Since we know it opened and was empty, let's leave the terminal again:

quit

MySQL is now up and running, so let's move on to Apache.

Apache

Next we want to setup Apache, so get the slackware package from linuxpackages.net:

wget linktoapachepackage

Now we need to install the Apache package:

installpkg apache2-x.x.xx.tgz

That's all for now, we'll come back and edit the config file later.

PHP
Now we want to setup PHP, so get the slackware package from linuxpackages.net:

wget linktophppackage

Now we need to install the PHP package:

installpkg php-apache2-x.x.x.tgz

We need t1lib, so let's get that next from linuxpackages.net:

wget linktot1libpackage

Next we'll install t1lib:

installpkg t1lib-x.x.x.tgz

Next we want to make sure the Apache config file includes the mod_php config file:

pico /etc/apache2/httpd.conf - search for the line "Include /etc/apache2/mod_php.conf". If it has a # in front of it, remove the #. If you don't see this line, add it with the other Includes. (you don't need the quotes)

(press ctrl+o to save the file, and then ctrl+x to close it)

Now we need to open that mod_php config file and edit it:

pico /etc/apache2/mod_php.conf - make sure this file contains the line "LoadModule php5_module lib/apache2/libphp5.so". If it doesn't add it. (you don't need the quotes)

(press ctrl+o to save the file, and then ctrl+x to close it)

We need to setup PHP's configurations file now, so move to the htdocs directory:

cd /var/www/htdocs

Create the new PHP configurations file:

pico config.php - add the line "" to this file. No quotes.

(press ctrl+o to save the file, and then ctrl+x to close it)

Now let's edit the php.ini file to include support for MySQL:

pico /etc/apache2/php.ini - search for the line "extension=mysql.so". If it has a ; in front of it, remove the ; (no quotes on the line).

Next we can start Apache:

apachectl start

Now we need to test Apache, MySQL, and PHP, so open a web browser on the server and go to the following url:

http://localhost/config.php

You should see a list of all the PHP configurations including MySQL.