I have had 3 different issues of Linux sitting on a shelf for two years and haven't got the courage or strength to try and install it on my main computer. I did make a failed attempt to install it on a very old Packard Bell computer.
Maybe when I build a new backup computer I will decide to torture myself trying to install it.
Lance
[Apr 18, 08:20]Luke [e-mail] Well, it's not as if I'm a stranger to Linux - I've currently got two servers running it, and I've installed it on a handful of computers, both Mac and PC. Which I guess makes all of this even harder to comprehend. I'll admit I'm not very familiar with Debian's marketing strategy, but I sure hope they aren't targeting people who want to switch from Windows.
Hell, for that matter, it wouldn't seem as if they are targeting server owners much, either. In this day and age, why would you install Apache without installing PHP and MySQL? You'd think the installer would at least ask "would you like to install these in conjunction with Apache?" It doesn't.
[Apr 18, 16:09]Moneypenny [e-mail] Well, installing PHP/Apache/MySQL is easy enough. I've done it one Windows and Linux machines many times. I even managed to upgrade my Linux machine at home without too many problems. Debian is still a bitch.
[Apr 19, 09:23]Alandovos now if only someone could write a battle rap about Debian...
[Apr 19, 20:56]Luke [e-mail] PHP and MySQL are easy to install if you know what you are doing, but it just seems strange that they wouldn't already come installed when you say you want to install a web server. I know Mandrake automatically installs both if you install Apache.
[Apr 21, 12:27]Moneypenny [e-mail] Yeah, but PHP is not really all that widely used compared to Apache. I mean, there are professional websites that do Oracle and ColdFusion on Apache, so it would be a hassle for them to uninstall. Basically, APache supports so much that to install one supported language/db you would have to supply them all, which would be inconceivable due to cot and security.
[Apr 22, 09:01]Luke [e-mail] Well, I'll say that I like the way Mandrake handles it a lot more. Basically, if you say you want to install "Web Server", it will automatically check Apache, PHP and MySQL, along with a few other things. If you don't want PHP and/or MySQL, you can then expand that catagory and deselect them - everything is grouped together. With Debian, however, you're not even given the option of the two initially - you have to find and install the packages on your own via a separate step.
PHP and MySQL are far from universal, but I'd venture to say a majority of entry to mid-level web servers use one or both these days.