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About PHP

PHP is a popular server-side scripting language frequently used to develop web sites or command line scripts.

For information on integrating Apache with MySQL and PHP, see MAMP.

Versions

MacPorts includes several versions of PHP. You can install any or all of these versions simultaneously, though it is expected that you will only need to install one of them.

• php74: PHP v7.4.x. This is the latest stable version. Security support until Nov 28 2022
• php73: PHP v7.3.x. This is an older stable version. Active support until Dec 6 2020. Security support until Dec 6 2021.
• php72: PHP v7.2.x. This is an older stable version. Active support until Nov 30 2019. Security support until Nov 30 2020.
• php71: PHP v7.1.x. This is an older stable version. Active support ended Dec 1 2018. Security support until Dec 1 2020.
• php70: PHP v7.0.x. This version reached ​end of life on 10 Jan 2019 and is therefore not recommended.
• php56: PHP v5.6.x. This version reached ​end of life on 31 Dec 2018 and is therefore not recommended.
• php55: PHP v5.5.x. This version reached ​end of life in 2016 and is therefore not recommended.
• php54: PHP v5.4.x. This version reached ​end of life in 2015 and is therefore not recommended.
• php53: PHP v5.3.x. This version reached ​end of life in 2014 and is therefore not recommended.
• php52: PHP v5.2.x. This version reached ​end of life in 2011 and is therefore not recommended.

This page shows how to install and use the php74 family of ports, but you can use another version if you prefer; all of these ports use a similar directory layout.

Step 1: Install PHP SAPIs

PHP comes in several Server APIs (SAPIs). You can install any or all of these that you need:

SAPI	Port	Install command
Command line	php74	sudo port install php74
Apache 2 module	php74-apache2handler	sudo port install php74-apache2handler
FastCGI	php74-cgi	sudo port install php74-cgi
FastCGI Process Manager	php74-fpm	sudo port install php74-fpm

Step 2: Install PHP Modules

The SAPI ports contain the core PHP features, but there are many optional features available in separate ports, some of which you may want to install as well. Use port search php74 to see all the ports that are available.

Installing a PHP module automatically makes it available to all PHP SAPIs of the same PHP version.

For example, if you with to interact with a database server, here are some of the choices that exist:

Database server	Port	Install command
MSSQL	php74-mssql	sudo port install php74-mssql
MySQL, MariaDB, Percona	php74-mysql	sudo port install php74-mysql
ODBC	php74-odbc	sudo port install php74-odbc
Oracle	php74-oracle	sudo port install php74-oracle
PostgreSQL	php74-postgresql	sudo port install php74-postgresql
SQLite	php74-sqlite	sudo port install php74-sqlite

Step 3: PHP Configuration file setup

Set up your PHP configuration files. For development purposes use:

$ cd /opt/local/etc/php74
$ sudo cp php.ini-development php.ini

or for a production server:

$ cd /opt/local/etc/php74
$ sudo cp php.ini-production php.ini

then make changes to that newly created php.ini file - /opt/local/etc/php74/php.ini

Step 4: Install phpMyAdmin

Use MacPorts to install the latest version of phpMyAdmin.

$ sudo port install phpmyadmin

phpMyAdmin must be configured before it can be used. We do this in Step 5 below.

Step 5: Visit howto/MAMP for integration information

howto/MAMP must be consulted next for modifications to the Apache Configuration file to enable PHP and MySQL.

Trouble shoot

If by some reason the server still doesn't interpret PHP files (i.e. your web client tries to download them) it means the PHP configurations, as described at howto/MAMP#job1, are not taking effect. Typically, the file "Include etc/apache2/extra/mod_php74.conf" - is not being processed; the file is missing; or the contents incorrect. That file contains the two "AddType" lines below.

Verify your config file again!

Verify any changes you have made to the config file: /opt/local/etc/apache2/httpd.conf - The most common problem is that the files in the "extra" directory are not "readable" All files in that directory should be "-rw-r--r--"

$ /opt/local/sbin/apachectl -t

This will return either "Syntax OK" or a specific line by line error listing.

The typical error message: "Could not open configuration file /opt/local/etc/apache2/extra/httpd-mod_php74.conf: Permission denied"

After correcting any config errors and saving the updated config file, simply run:

$ sudo port unload apache2

to stop apache (even though it is not running) and then start it using

$ sudo port load apache2

to start it again.

If the above fails to cause php files to be interpreted, you can edit the Apache httpd.conf file itself again and search for the block:

<IfModule mime_module>

And then add the following two lines before the end of that block.

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

Then restart the server.

As a last check, reboot and verify that everything has autostarted and is running (i.e., repeat the above tests).

Step 6: Configure phpMyAdmin

Edit the phpMyAdmin configuration file at /opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php.
A sample configuration file is installed at /opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/config.sample.inc.php.

Consult the documentation on your server at "/opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/doc/html/config.html"

NOTE: This option expects "/opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/doc/html" to be accessible under "<Document Root>." This can be accomplished by

$ cd <Document Root>
$ ln -s /opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/doc/html/ phpmyadmin-doc

and then accessing ​http://<servername>/phpmyadmin-doc/

Finally, you need to set up the phpMyAdmin configuration to access MySQL.

First create the config.inc.php file:

$ cd /opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/
$ sudo cp config.sample.inc.php config.inc.php

This will create a file config.inc.php in the phpMyAdmin directory.
Next, Edit that file, and locate the line:

$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type']   = 'cookie';    // Authentication method (config, http or cookie based)? - default is Cookie.

It will be right at the beginning in the section labeled: "/* Authentication type */"

Change the value from 'cookie' to 'config'.

You will need to add the following two lines immediately after it.

$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user']        = 'root';      // MySQL user
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password']    = '';          // MySQL password (only needed with auth_type = 'config')

Where ' ' is an empty password; fill it with your MySQL root password.
NOTE: You should change the 'auth_type' from 'config' to 'cookie' or 'httpd' so that you do not need to provide the password you selected for the MySQL root user in the 'password' option. (I.e. leaving it in plain text in this config file.)
However, as this is to simply get you "up-and-running," details for configuring those two authorization options are not given here. Details on "Using Authentication Modes" can be found at "​https://docs.phpmyadmin.net/en/latest/setup.html#using-authentication-modes."

To check your phpMyAdmin installation, point your browser to ​http://localhost/phpmyadmin and verify that phpMyAdmin loads and can access your database (by providing a username and password, depending on the authentication method you selected).

Step 6: Install pmadb

Some consider the installation of pmadb "optional."
However, phpMyAdmin will flag the fact that it is missing and therefore certain features are not functional, with the message:

The phpMyAdmin configuration storage is not completely configured, some extended features have been deactivated. Find out why. 
      Or alternately go to 'Operations' tab of any database to set it up there.

For additional features provided by pmadb (​http://wiki.phpmyadmin.net/pma/pmadb), first run

$ mysql -u root -p < /opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/sql/create_tables.sql

Next: create a file: mysql_phpMyAdmin_pmaSetup.sql - containing the following SQL code: (change the 'pmapass' to your password)

• this is a one-time use scratch file so you can place it anywhere and delete it after use. (It is not included with the phpMyAdmin distribution.)

Note: In MySQL versions beginning with 5.6.7, there is no mysql.host table, so you will need to edit the SQL code below: (i) in lines 9 and 17 delete "Host," from the the GRANT SELECT commands; and (ii) delete the line 16 command "GRANT SELECT ON mysql.host TO 'pma'@'localhost';".

-- HOW TO USE THIS FILE (with MacPorts installation)
-- mysql -u root -p < /opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/examples/create_tables.sql
-- mysql -u root -p < mysql_phpMyAdmin_pmaSetup.sql

CREATE USER 'pma'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'pmapass';

GRANT USAGE ON mysql.* TO 'pma'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'pmapass';
GRANT SELECT (
    Host, User, Select_priv, Insert_priv, Update_priv, Delete_priv,
    Create_priv, Drop_priv, Reload_priv, Shutdown_priv, Process_priv,
    File_priv, Grant_priv, References_priv, Index_priv, Alter_priv,
    Show_db_priv, Super_priv, Create_tmp_table_priv, Lock_tables_priv,
    Execute_priv, Repl_slave_priv, Repl_client_priv
    ) ON mysql.user TO 'pma'@'localhost';
GRANT SELECT ON mysql.db TO 'pma'@'localhost';
GRANT SELECT ON mysql.host TO 'pma'@'localhost';
GRANT SELECT (Host, Db, User, Table_name, Table_priv, Column_priv)
    ON mysql.tables_priv TO 'pma'@'localhost';

-- Privileges
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE ON `phpmyadmin`.* TO 'pma'@localhost;

Then run this SQL to setup the pma 'controluser'

Finally, verify that the config file, at /opt/local/www/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php, is like this:
Note: The database name is pma underscore underscore -- two underscores!

/* User used to manipulate with storage */
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['controlhost'] = '';                                                                                             
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['controlport'] = '';    
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['controluser'] = 'pma';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['controlpass'] = 'pmapass';
/* Storage database and tables */
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['pmadb'] = 'phpmyadmin';                                                                                         
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['bookmarktable'] = 'pma__bookmark';                                                                              
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['relation'] = 'pma__relation';                                                                                   
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_info'] = 'pma__table_info';                                                                               
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_coords'] = 'pma__table_coords';                                                                           
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['pdf_pages'] = 'pma__pdf_pages';                                                                                 
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['column_info'] = 'pma__column_info';                                                                             
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['history'] = 'pma__history';                                                                                     
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_uiprefs'] = 'pma__table_uiprefs';                                                                         
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['tracking'] = 'pma__tracking';                                                                                   
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['userconfig'] = 'pma__userconfig';                                                                               
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['recent'] = 'pma__recent';                                                                                       
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['favorite'] = 'pma__favorite';                                                                                   
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['users'] = 'pma__users';                                                                                         
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['usergroups'] = 'pma__usergroups';                                                                               
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['navigationhiding'] = 'pma__navigationhiding';                                                                   
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['savedsearches'] = 'pma__savedsearches';                                                                         
// $cfg['Servers'][$i]['central_columns'] = 'pma__central_columns';