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The document below have been taken from php.net and from http://www.delouw.ch/linux/Apache-Compile-HOWTO/html/apache.html
Example 4.1. Installation Instructions (Apache Shared Module Version) for PHP

  1.  gunzip apache_xxx.tar.gz
  2.  tar -xvf apache_xxx.tar
  3.  gunzip php-xxx.tar.gz
  4.  tar -xvf php-xxx.tar
  5.  cd apache_xxx
  6.  ./configure --prefix=/www --enable-module=so
  7.  make
  8.  make install
  9.  cd ../php-xxx

  10. Now, configure your PHP.  This is where you customize your PHP
    with various options, like which extensions will be enabled.  Do a
    ./configure --help for a list of available options.  In our example
    we'll do a simple configure with Apache 1 and MySQL support.  Your
    path to apxs may differ from our example.

    ./configure --with-mysql --with-apxs=/www/bin/apxs

  11. make
  12. make install

If you decide to change your configure options after installation, you only need to repeat the last three steps. You only need to restart apache for the new module to take effect. A recompile of Apache is not needed.
Note that unless told otherwise, 'make install' will also install PEAR, various PHP tools such as phpize, install the PHP CLI, and more.

  13. Setup your php.ini file:

      cp php.ini-dist /usr/local/lib/php.ini

You may edit your .ini file to set PHP options. If you prefer your php.ini in another location, use --with-config-file-path=/some/path in step 10.
If you instead choose php.ini-recommended, be certain to read the list of changes within, as they affect how PHP behaves.

14. Edit your httpd.conf to load the PHP module. The path on the right hand side of the LoadModule statement must point to the path of the PHP module on your system. The make install from above may have already added this for you, but be sure to check.

For PHP 4:

      LoadModule php4_module libexec/libphp4.so

For PHP 5:

      LoadModule php5_module libexec/libphp5.so

15. And in the AddModule section of httpd.conf, somewhere under the ClearModuleList, add this:

For PHP 4:

      AddModule mod_php4.c

For PHP 5:

      AddModule mod_php5.c

16. Tell Apache to parse certain extensions as PHP. For example, let's have Apache parse the .php extension as PHP. You could have any extension(s) parse as PHP by simply adding more, with each separated by a space. We'll add .phtml to demonstrate.

      AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .phtml

    It's also common to setup the .phps extension to show highlighted PHP source, this can be done with:

      AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps

17. Use your normal procedure for starting the Apache server. (You must stop and restart the server, not just cause the server to reload by using a HUP or USR1 signal.)

Alternatively, to install PHP as a static object:

Example 4.2. Installation Instructions (Static Module Installation for Apache) for PHP

  1.  gunzip -c apache_1.3.x.tar.gz | tar xf -
  2.  cd apache_1.3.x
  3.  ./configure
  4.  cd ..

  5.  gunzip -c php-5.x.y.tar.gz | tar xf -
  6.  cd php-5.x.y
  7.  ./configure --with-mysql --with-apache=../apache_1.3.x
  8.  make
  9.  make install

  10. cd ../apache_1.3.x

11. ./configure --prefix=/www --activate-module=src/modules/php5/libphp5.a

(The above line is correct! Yes, we know libphp5.a does not exist at this stage. It isn't supposed to. It will be created.)

12. make

    (you should now have an httpd binary which you can copy to your Apache bin dir if
    it is your first install then you need to "make install" as well)

  13. cd ../php-5.x.y
  14. cp php.ini-dist /usr/local/lib/php.ini

  15. You can edit /usr/local/lib/php.ini file to set PHP options.
    Edit your httpd.conf or srm.conf file and add:
    AddType application/x-httpd-php .php




    Note: Replace php-5 by php-4 and php5 by php4 in PHP 4.

Depending on your Apache install and Unix variant, there are many possible ways to stop and restart the server. Below are some typical lines used in restarting the server, for different apache/unix installations. You should replace /path/to/ with the path to these applications on your systems.

Example 4.3. Example commands for restarting Apache

  1. Several Linux and SysV variants:
  /etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd restart

  2. Using apachectl scripts:
  /path/to/apachectl stop
  /path/to/apachectl start

  3. httpdctl and httpsdctl (Using OpenSSL), similar to apachectl:
  /path/to/httpsdctl stop
  /path/to/httpsdctl start

  4. Using mod_ssl, or another SSL server, you may want to manually
  stop and start:
  /path/to/apachectl stop
  /path/to/apachectl startssl

The locations of the apachectl and http(s)dctl binaries often vary. If your system has locate or whereis or which commands, these can assist you in finding your server control programs.

Different examples of compiling PHP for apache are as follows:

./configure --with-apxs --with-pgsql

This will create a libphp5.so (or libphp4.so in PHP 4) shared library that is loaded into Apache using a LoadModule line in Apache's httpd.conf file. The PostgreSQL support is embedded into this library.

./configure --with-apxs --with-pgsql=shared

This will create a libphp4.so shared library for Apache, but it will also create a pgsql.so shared library that is loaded into PHP either by using the extension directive in php.ini file or by loading it explicitly in a script using the dl() function.

./configure --with-apache=/path/to/apache_source --with-pgsql

This will create a libmodphp5.a library, a mod_php5.c and some accompanying files and copy this into the src/modules/php5 directory in the Apache source tree. Then you compile Apache using --activate-module=src/modules/php5/libphp5.a and the Apache build system will create libphp5.a and link it statically into the httpd binary (replace php5 by php4 in PHP 4). The PostgreSQL support is included directly into this httpd binary, so the final result here is a single httpd binary that includes all of Apache and all of PHP.

./configure --with-apache=/path/to/apache_source --with-pgsql=shared