What am I doing wrong

Apache2, MySQL, PHP and PhpMyAdmin installation problems

[retroking]

First of all I would like to say I know nothing about servers. But here I am designing a web site. Anyway I am trying to install Apache HTTP server 2.0 on my computer with windows XP
Entering server information:
domain - localhost
name - localhost
and email address

Yet I get this window poping up
<OS 10048>Only one usage of each socket address <protocol/network address/port> no listening sockets available, shutting down
Unable to open logs

and few seconds later:

<OS>The systen cannot find the file specified. : No installed service named "Apache2".

I am doing it from a book and tried on my PC and laptop too. I can see Apache is installed but when I try to go to [localhost...] or [127.0.0.1...] I get ether some crazzzzzy password popups coming up or just going nowhere ... depending on a browser.

So what is happening and what I am doing wrong?
Please please help its driving me nuts!

[willybfriendly]

Could it be a firewall problem?

WBF

[jdMorgan]

retroking,

Welcome to WebmasterWorld!

Try this search [google.com] for some suggestions.

Jim

[retroking]

I actually managed to install it BUT....
I would love to know, was it because I uninstalled
Microsoft's ISS script or is it because I downloaded 2.0.52 version instead of 2.0.48
Is it posible that ISS was blocking the install?

[retroking]

My problems still continue, I posted this in PHP forum before but I thing it is as much Apache related thing

"I don’t even know where to start. Two days over 14 bloody hours I am trying to install Apache2, MySQL, PHP and PhpMyAdmin. First I had a problem with Apache 2.0.48 but when I downloaded 2.0.53 and it installed fine. Next step Installing MySQL Servers and Clients 4.0.16 was the easiest part. Then I go for PHP and that’s the place where I feel sudden urge to swear uncontrollably.
My installation file is php-4.3.4-installer.exe I select standard install and of course it goes to C:\PHP
Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I am using Windows XP and I am doing tutorials on dynamic web sites from a book I just bought so I’m really following the steps from that book.
So I select:
Address for SMTP server: localhost
(From) address: me@localhost
Select the type of http server: Apache (I set Microsoft IIS 4 of higher on my laptop and it worked)
Now most of you probably know what happens next. Exactly! It throws at me Apache configuration window “ sorry, the software to automatically configure the Apache httpd.conf file has not yet been written. You will have to configure it manually”
But that’s not a problem
In Apache httpd.conf I change and save.
From -DirectoryIndex index.html index.html.var
Into - DirectoryIndex index.html index.html.var index.php
PhP.net says PHP can be installed as a CGI binary or Apache module … in my case it would be inserting into httpd.conf
ScriptAlias /php/ “c:/php/”
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
Action application/x-httpd-php “/php/php.exe” – for the CGI connection, or
LoadModule php4_module “c:/php/sapi/php4apache2.dll”
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php – for the Apache module connection.
I tried both with no avail.
What should I do now? I installed and uninstalled hundred times tried using php-4.3.9 too.
So I have PHP installed but not configured to work with Apache2.
Skipping that I extract PhpMyAdmin into Apache’s myadmin folder inside htdocs then I open config.inc.php file in dreamweaver and edit
$cfg[‘PmaAbsoluteUri’]= ‘http:127.0.0.1/myadmin1’:
….
$cfg[‘blowfish_secret’]=’cookie’:
….
$cfg[‘Servers’][$I][‘auth_type’]=’cookie’: //Authentication method(config,http or cookie based)?
Save it and hoping to see login page for myadmin when I type htt://127.0.0.1/myadmin but I get something that looks like Unix code instead.
Am I right to believe that is because my PHP isn’t set-up properly? Must be … I tried PhpMyAdmin 2.5.4 and 2.6.0 versions "
HELP!

[vkaryl]

I bypassed the stuff you're dealing with by downloading and installing a "matched set" of the latest programs (apache, php, mysql etc.) from apachefriends [apachefriends.org] (German site, but they VERY kindly provide an English version, as well as an English language forum section for Windows installations).

I had a few problems, as you can see from posts herein and posts on the apachefriends forum, but NOT with the install which worked first time out-of-the-box-perfect, just with my expectations....

[retroking]

Thanks vkaryl I have managed to install it with PHP5 at 6am yesterday, but I know some people that will be very happy with an easy option as I am in Uni and all my coursemates are trying to install it. It is strange though that such a problem exists at all, as it seams everybody working with PHP or dynamic web sites sooner or later has to go through a similar process. Ok I understand there are different versions, updates, upgrades, servers and so on, but I still think, that installation process could be much better documented than it is now. Maybe somebody should create a web site or a Forum called “Installing.com” where all issues of installing any kind of software could be discussed.

[vkaryl]

Hi retroking -

That's an interesting idea. Y'know, you might give your comp sci prof a rundown on that, and see if he'd get you the space on the uni computer, use it as a course extra credit sort of thing....

Glad you got the beast running finally!