Got lost after apache install

please help I am lost.

I'm running debian linux and I am trying to install apache + PHP

First I downloaded apache and PHP manualy, tried to configure and compile it but some how the apache server won't process php files (the browser is asking me where to save the file when I try to use it).

After that I found out I could use the package manager to install apache and PHP and so I did, the result is I now have several version of apache on my system and I can't figure out wich one is active.

Although the package manager suggests apache 2.0.55-4.1 is installed in /etc/apache2 and libapache2-mod-php4 4.4.4.2.1.1 is installed aswell I can't process php files (html files works fine).

because the commands in the /etc/apache2 dir don't work, I doubt wether this version is running. When I type

I get this error:

so if this version of apache does not work, which version is running??

re: Got lost after apache install

hansgso

Is Apache installed and running? You can check that by doing a 'ps -ef | grep httpd'. If that returns something like:

root 1704 1 0 08:36 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/httpd
apache 2785 1704 0 09:41 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/httpd

(and maybe a few more apache lines, but that's enough to get the picture) then you do have apache physically running on the box. I would check the version by visiting a non-existant page on the server, and the error page should contain the version. If it is not 2.2, you're usdin debian, so I'd recommend

sudo apt-get remove ****

and fill in the packagename, probably something like apache (if you're not on apache 2, I can't remember the full Debian packagename off the top of my head). Anyway, you should be able to delete the earlier source packages you downloaded with the rm and rmdir commands. Then you can apt-get apache2, I think that will get you the latest, you might want to apt-cache search or apt-cache show apache (I think it's apt-cache, it might be apt-get search) and just make sure you have the latest.