LRW wrote:[color=blue]
> Reply Via Newsgroup <reply-to-newsgroup@please.com> wrote in message news:<xGz3c.11626$Up2.8408@pd7tw1no>...
>[color=green]
>>LRW wrote:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>We have a RedHat 7.3 server running PHP 4.1.2, and I really need to
>>>upgrade it to at least 4.3.3 to take advantage of some features.
>>>
>>>What's the easiest, least risky way to upgrade suffering no or nearly
>>>no server downtime?
>>>[/color][/color]
>
> --SNIP--
>[color=green]
>>I have always upgraded to every stable release of PHP pretty much as
>>soon as it was released (as of PHP4) and all I ever did was recompile
>>Apache + PHP - It took a couple of minutes on my 128mb 400mhz server and
>>I have several modules compiled in (./configure' '--with-mysql'
>>'--with-apache=/data/www/software/apache' '--with-mcrypt'
>>'--with-jpeg-dir' '--enable-exif' '--with-zlib-dir' '--with-gd'
>>'--with-ttf' '--enable-gd-native-ttf' '--with-freetype-dir'
>>'--with-mime-magic' '--disable-session' '--disable-cgi')
>>
>>If you are unable to perform a compile, you can make another posted
>>reply to this and I can give you my simple script that I've used for
>>every version 4 'upgrade' that I've done (in a sense, it should be
>>considered a re-install but it never gave me problems).
>>
>>Alternativly, if you really really want to use 'rpm' to handle it for
>>you (and I suppose, why not) then isn't there something like rpm
>>--upgrade [packagename] that you can use?
>>[/color]
>
>
> Thanks for the advice!
> As for RPM's, well, I did a RedHat up2date which is supposed to locate
> every available RPM for the distro...and there isn't one for PHP.
> And even if there was, I'm not sure I'd trust it not to mess something
> up.
> See, my experience with installing PHP has only been on clean setups.
> Where I'm working now, they installed mods for turning things into
> PDFs and incorporating Ghostscript into image making through the Web
> and other things, and I REALLY am reticent to use any automated
> process that I can't see exactly what it's going to do before it does
> it. Know what I mean?
>
> And also, I uh, don't believe I've ever recompiled Apache or PHP.
> Sounds rather risky. Or is it? I was so hoping it'd be something as
> easy as putting the new PHP in a folder and changing the httpd.conf to
> use the new version LOL. Hey, I'm the guy who in the 80's was sure
> there was some secret device that could convert Apple programs into
> Commodore. =)
> I less "httpd.conf | grep php" and I see no paths, so, obviously a
> recompile of Apache will be needed.
> Well, if you have any more suggestions for an annoying newbie who
> doesn't want to lose his job for corrupting the Web server, I'm all
> ears! =)
>
> Thanks!
> Liam[/color]
Sorry for the delay in replying to your post...
By the by - with a name like Liam, are you Irish? (I am)
I don't think you've thought your problem through - its not as difficult
as you think... and - you can reduce your risk to almost zero - How/Why?
Well - You could compile your own version of Apache and PHP and place it
under a location that is seperate than your existing version - I have
mine installed under /opt/apache - I would gather yours sites under
/usr/local/bin/apache or something, true?
Then - once you've compiled it, you could test it out using a different
port number - By this I mean, whenever you visit a website, it defaults
to visiting port 80 - If you search for '80' in your httpd.conf file,
you'll find something like "Port 80" - Thus, what you could do is after
the compile, is edit your new installations httpd.conf file and change
the default 80 to something like 8080 or 1234 or whatever you like (just
make sure you choose a port that is not already in use).
Then you can test to your hearts content - If your servers IP address
was 12.34.56.78, and you set the port number to 8080 (which is a popular
alternative port number to try) then you would access it via a client
web browser with
http://12.34.56.78:8080
You could do this all the while having your existing (older version) of
Apache running uninterrupted. You could even go so far as to set your
newer version to have the same DOCUMENT_ROOT as the old version
therefore permitting a full test under the new environment without
changing the old environment.
Once you've tested everything, all you'd have to do is change the port
number in your new version to port 80 - Then stop your old version and
new version - Then start the new version and hey presto! new version is
working fine and dandy... I would suggest eventually changing startup
procedures (if you don't, a system reboot would start your old version).
Eventually, you might/should remove the old version once you are happy
with the new version.
Does this help you any? I can help you with the compile if you like
though you'd better off emailing me in part because I'd need a copy of
your existing phpinfo(); output - This would tell me what your existing
(older Apache version) has compiled/included.
I won't publicise my email address just yet - just let me know if you
think you need the help and I can let you know how best to contact me.
laters
randell d.
