PHP on IBM iSeries

I tried to use the most recent version of each software. Except for gettext-0.13 because it compiles fine with the iconv software include in the OS400. I didn't try yet to compile gettext-0.14.1 on V5R3.

A few installation notes :

I assumed that you don't have a /QOpenSys/usr/local directory.

You must installed the iSeries Tools for Developers (5799PTL) software program. You can find this software here

You must register with IBM to download the software which is free and the software is among the trials and betas. I guess it is better if you also ask to your IBM representative the 5733SC1 LPO which is freely available. This is because this distribution support OPENSSL.

This archive MUST be installed in the /QOpenSys/usr directory

You can uncompress it with the bunzip2 command : e.g. bunzip2 local-V5R3-2.0.tar.bz2.

you can then untar it with tar xvf local.tar

Of course, if you don't have bunzip2 command on your iSeries, you must do that with a utility on your PC such as WinRAR, 7Zip, a.s.o.... However it will be Ok to untar on the iSeries.

You must create a symbolic link the following way :

When you are in the PASE environment (CALL QP2TERM from a regular iSeries command line) type the following commands :

cd /usr

ln -s /QOpenSys/usr/local local

The above instruction will create a symbolic link which will permit the use of the software

You can now go in the /usr/local/php4/bin or /usr/local/php5/bin directories. There you can type the 'php -v' command.

If there is the version number which is displayed then everything should be fine for php.

You must configure mysql. To do that you must create a user profile on the iSeries called 'MYSQL'.

It is advised that you configured it as a *USER with no rights at all.

You must run the mysql configuration script which is in /usr/local/mysql/bin. The configuration script is called mysql_install_db.

You should then follow the instruction of this script.

With the command /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysqld_safe &, you should be able to run the mysql daemon.

You must also configure your iSeries apache server (in your httpd.conf file) with the following configuration directives, if you want to use the included php-4.4.0 version :

ScriptAlias /php-bin/ /QOpenSys/usr/local/php4/bin


# new type mime definition


AddType application/x-httpd-php .php


Action application/x-httpd-php /php-bin/php


Action php-script /cgi-bin/php


&ltDirectory /QOpenSys/usr/local/php4/bin>


 Options +ExecCGI
 CGIConvMode %%BINARY/BINARY%%
 order allow,deny


 allow from all


</Directory>

If you want to use the PHP-5.0.4 version you must configure your httpd.conf with the following instructions :

ScriptAlias /php-bin/ /QOpenSys/usr/local/php5/bin


# new type mime definition


AddType application/x-httpd-php .php


Action application/x-httpd-php /php-bin/php


Action php-script /cgi-bin/php


&ltDirectory /QOpenSys/usr/local/php5/bin>


 Options +ExecCGI


 CGIConvMode %%BINARY/BINARY%%
 order allow,deny


 allow from all


</Directory>

Make sure you setup the folder and file permissions properly in the /QOpenSys/usr/local/php/bin folder and on the php executable.

The IBM Apache server uses the user profile: QTMHHTP1 when calling CGI applications unless you change the Server User Profile in the Apache config. Refer to the documentation in IBM iSeries Info Center.

*PUBLIC or user QTMHHTP1 will need to have read access to the QOpenSys folder, read access to the php folder, and read access to the bin folder. The owner of the files of the distribution is QPGMR

They will also need read and execute access to the php executable in the /QOpenSys/usr/local/php4/bin (or /QOpenSys/usr/local/php5/bin) folder.

To control mysql you should install phpmyadmin. You will find in this archive the compress archive of the version 2.6.3-pl1 version of phpmyadmim. If you want to use it you will have to install it on your web server. You can find the latest version here : http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/index.php

Have Fun

Olivier

WARNING : If you have downloaded this version before december, 30th, 2005 then you have a bug in the version that you have downloaded with the GD library. After that date the bug as been corrected and I also added the mbstring and exif support.

This is another version of the AS/400, iSeries, i5 open-source PASE software distribution.