Install and Test PHP on Linux system

Q. How can I install and test PHP on Linux? How do I make sure it is working on my Linux system? I am using Red Hat Fedora Core Linux.

A. PHP (PHP Hypertext Preprocessor) is an open-source, programming language. Originally designed as a high level scripting language for producing dynamic Web pages, PHP is used mainly in server-side application software.

Task: Install PHP

If you are using Fedora Core or Cent Os Linux, type the following command:
# yum install php

If you are using Debian Linux, type the following command:
# apt-get install php5

Now restart Web Server:
# /etc/init.d/httpd restart

Task: Test php

Go to /var/www/html/ directory:
# cd /var/www/html/

Create a php file – phptest.php
# vi phptest.php

Append following lines:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Save and close the file.

Open a web browser and type the url : http://yourdomain.com/phptest.php or http://localhost/phptest.php or http://server-ip-address/phptest.php.

See sample output here

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