Slashdot Mirror

Ron Harwood writes: "I was getting nostalgic for the BBS door games of the late 80's and early 90's -- and decided that some of these could quite easily be brought onto the Web. So, with help from some of the players, I've created a Web version of the old BBS game TradeWars -- and released it as open source. You can try it out at BlackNova.net or download the source for your self at SourceForge. It's made with PHP and MySQL and it's getting reasonably bug free. :)"

I got a piece of email today from Sascha Schumann about the issue of installing mod_perl and PHP together. In his own words: "The problem was caused by mixing object code with and without Large File Support (LFS) in one process. APXS provides a lot of unnecessary information. PHP applied a strict filter to get only useful things. That filter missed settings for LFS, so that PHP was always compiled without LFS." If you are having issues with this, you can check out the latest snapshot here, which is patched to solve this problem. The fix will also be a part of version 4.0.4 when it is released.

It seems that the latest version of the most popular module for Apache, PHP, has been released as PHP 4.0.3. There are some interesting changes, including some security fixes and extensions in shared memory handling. Of special note are the changes in htmlspecialchars/htmlentities and the ENT_COMPAT mode which allows you to reenable the pre-4.0.2 quote translation matrix. Get yours now!

It seems that the latest version of the most popular module for Apache, PHP, has been released as PHP 4.0.3. There are some interesting changes, including some security fixes and extensions in shared memory handling. Of special note are the changes in htmlspecialchars/htmlentities and the ENT_COMPAT mode which allows you to reenable the pre-4.0.2 quote translation matrix. Get yours now!

It seems that the latest version of the most popular module for Apache, PHP, has been released as PHP 4.0.3. There are some interesting changes, including some security fixes and extensions in shared memory handling. Of special note are the changes in htmlspecialchars/htmlentities and the ENT_COMPAT mode which allows you to reenable the pre-4.0.2 quote translation matrix. Get yours now!

Mixhaus asks: "I'm trying to promote the Linux culture in my company. I want to migrate or at least start all new web projects on a Linux/Apache setup. Currently all the development is done on IIS/ASP with MSSQL 7.0. Has anybody done this kind of migration before? Any suggestions?"

"These are some of the questions that come up to my mind:

• Be able to migrate IIS to Apache first, and still be able to access the MSSQL databases (FreeTDS?)
• Use a scripting syntax similar to ASP so that the programmers don't have much of a headache learning new stuff (PHP looks like a solution).
• Migrate MSSQL 7 to MySQL, PostgreSQL or other (Which one is better for web development?)
• Web log reports (I need to generate reports on the web site usage. What weblog report generators are available for Linux? Which ones do you use? Are there any that generate graphs, charts, etc..?)

Thanks to the whole Slashdot Community!"

PHP Group announced today the availability of the first maintenance release for PHP 4.0. PHP 4.0.1 includes increased performance as well as some bug fixes and new features. The full list can be found here.

PHP Group announced today the availability of the first maintenance release for PHP 4.0. PHP 4.0.1 includes increased performance as well as some bug fixes and new features. The full list can be found here.

PHP Group announced today the availability of the first maintenance release for PHP 4.0. PHP 4.0.1 includes increased performance as well as some bug fixes and new features. The full list can be found here.

PHP Group announced today the availability of the first maintenance release for PHP 4.0. PHP 4.0.1 includes increased performance as well as some bug fixes and new features. The full list can be found here.

Rock-n-Rolf writes " Another PHP 4.0.0 has been released. The web site doesnt show it yet but php-4.0.0.tar.gz can be grabbed from the ftp server here. " Update: 05/22 07:46 by H :Folks, I've been told by the PHP folks that this is *NOT* the final release - so I've changed the title. I'll be updating this story with more information as it comes in.Update 05/22 3:30 by jimjag: The actual 4.0.0 version is out and has been released. The PHP site now reflects the news. If you're still running PHP 3, PHP 4 provides a substantial improvement!

Rock-n-Rolf writes " Another PHP 4.0.0 has been released. The web site doesnt show it yet but php-4.0.0.tar.gz can be grabbed from the ftp server here. " Update: 05/22 07:46 by H :Folks, I've been told by the PHP folks that this is *NOT* the final release - so I've changed the title. I'll be updating this story with more information as it comes in.Update 05/22 3:30 by jimjag: The actual 4.0.0 version is out and has been released. The PHP site now reflects the news. If you're still running PHP 3, PHP 4 provides a substantial improvement!

mjgamble writes: "PHP 4.0 Release Candidate 2 is out. Check it out here. From the site: Highlights of this release include support for new Web servers (Zeus, Netscape Enterprise, Apache Win32 module), improved portability of the Unix build framework and tons of bug fixes. We expect this to be the final release candidate before PHP 4.0. " I've found the PHP4 RCs to be extremely stable. If you are only familiar with PHP3, take a look. You should also look at the Zend site, to read more about the engine behind PHP4.

mjgamble writes: "PHP 4.0 Release Candidate 2 is out. Check it out here. From the site: Highlights of this release include support for new Web servers (Zeus, Netscape Enterprise, Apache Win32 module), improved portability of the Unix build framework and tons of bug fixes. We expect this to be the final release candidate before PHP 4.0. " I've found the PHP4 RCs to be extremely stable. If you are only familiar with PHP3, take a look. You should also look at the Zend site, to read more about the engine behind PHP4.

I was just made aware of the somewhat old, but interesting article from Information Week entitled Open Source Moves To The Mainstream. In addition to Apache, the article also refers to Perl, PHP, MySQL and Linux as Open Source products that are "luring" developers away from commercial solutions.

Zelphyr writes "PHP version 4 Release Candidate 1 was released to the public yesterday. Go check it out! Also, Zend Technologies released the second beta of their Zend Optimizer as well. "

dlc writes, "Zend has an article about Michael "Monty" Widenius, of MySQL fame, which focuses mainly on the evolution of MySQL and its relationship with PHP. "

The March 2000 Netcraft survey puts Apache at over 60% of all surveyed servers, with an impressive increase of 1.97%, or 1.4 million domains. All other servers showed a decrease in percentage, except for the mysterious mod_x-httpd-php3_script server which appears to be an Apache/PHP setup with a somewhat mangled Server: line.

The PHP Group announced the release of PHP 3.0.15, which fixes some bugs and addresses some safe mode security concerns. Also available is a short patch file for PHP 4.0 Beta 4 which fixes a problem with "magic quotes" not working properly.

The PHP Group announced the release of PHP 3.0.15, which fixes some bugs and addresses some safe mode security concerns. Also available is a short patch file for PHP 4.0 Beta 4 which fixes a problem with "magic quotes" not working properly.

The PHP Group announced the release of PHP 3.0.15, which fixes some bugs and addresses some safe mode security concerns. Also available is a short patch file for PHP 4.0 Beta 4 which fixes a problem with "magic quotes" not working properly.

cybermalandro sent us an interesting interview with Rasmus Lerdorf of PHP fame. The interview talks with him about the origins of the project. Also heard are Stig Bakken, Andi Gutmans, and Zeev Suraski about working on PHP and where it's going. You can grab the MP3 from the site, as well as a QuickTime version.

The PHP Group announced today the latest and greatest beta version of PHP 4 (download here). PHP 4 is a rewrite of PHP 3 and incorporates the super-fast Zend engine. Noteworthy in this beta is built-in XML support, a PHP core repository and better session tracking. There's also a bunch of bug fixes as well. According to Netcraft, mod_php is the most popular Apache module in use.

The PHP Group announced today the latest and greatest beta version of PHP 4 (download here). PHP 4 is a rewrite of PHP 3 and incorporates the super-fast Zend engine. Noteworthy in this beta is built-in XML support, a PHP core repository and better session tracking. There's also a bunch of bug fixes as well. According to Netcraft, mod_php is the most popular Apache module in use.

The PHP Group announced today the latest and greatest beta version of PHP 4 (download here). PHP 4 is a rewrite of PHP 3 and incorporates the super-fast Zend engine. Noteworthy in this beta is built-in XML support, a PHP core repository and better session tracking. There's also a bunch of bug fixes as well. According to Netcraft, mod_php is the most popular Apache module in use.

PHP 3.0.14 was released on January 11, 2000 to address an obscure safe-mode bug reported on bugtraq. Along with this fix, 3.0.14 also patches an annoying GD-related configure problem. No new features have been added, so unless these 2 issues affect you, there's no real need to upgrade. On the Windows side the slightly broken 3.0.13 distribution has been fixed and ZIP file now contains all the needed files.

In celebration of Y2K, the PHP Project has released the long awaited latest version of PHP: 3.0.13. Included with this release are loads of additions and fixes. Now that's reason for a toast!

In celebration of Y2K, the PHP Project has released the long awaited latest version of PHP: 3.0.13. Included with this release are loads of additions and fixes. Now that's reason for a toast!

In celebration of Y2K, the PHP Project has released the long awaited latest version of PHP: 3.0.13. Included with this release are loads of additions and fixes. Now that's reason for a toast!

With the success of various IPOs lately, there are a lot of new millionaires in the Open Source community running around. It's heartwarming to those of us with long-standing roots in Open Source and a deep commitment to it to see this "validation," of sorts, towards the ideals that we hold dear. Unfortunately, as postings on Slashdot clearly indicate, it also fosters some resentment. Will Open Source's own success destroy the grass roots effort that forms its foundation?

This isn't some idle speculation. Linux, FreeBSD, Apache, PHP and others depend on the wide and varied developer community in order to grow and develop. People who helped got some 'Net notice, their names in the contributor lists and a warm fuzzy feeling that they were helping the effort. But now people are seeing companies and individuals making staggeringly large amounts of money, and are asking "When am I gonna get mine?" Not that they were/are "in it" for the money alone, but, after all, they think, "others are making major bucks." Some other developers are asking themselves why they should put forth so much of their own time and effort to simply benefit the corporate bottom line of a company that, they feel, has deserted the common Open Source contributor.

Of course, that's not totally true. Usually the company implements a "Directed Shares" program that allows significant Open Source contributors to purchase shares at the pre-IPO price. Still, things have not gone smoothly in these programs, with last minute changes in pricing and implementation causing even those "chosen" members to scramble about. And even if you did get in on the 2 big ones, RedHat and VA Linux, and had the money to buy the maximum amount of shares, and cashed in at the best possible time, you would have made about $150,000 (before taxes). Not exactly chump change, but for people who have put 4 or 5 years of significant effort into Open Source, the payoff may seem a little small.

So what will happen? Well, I'm certain we'll see a weeding out of some developers. Some will leave in search of obtaining some of that money out there. Others will leave because the playing field has changed, and recognition by your peers may no longer have the attraction that it once had, what with gobs of money floating around. Others will "follow the money" and start contributing to Open Source in hopes of "getting in" on the action, maybe even dropping any efforts on such projects where there are no perceived fiscal payoffs: "What, they aren't going public soon? Forget them! I'll work on Foobar."

And there will be some of us who stay because, well, even though the world may have changed, we haven't. All the things that made contributing to Open Source are still valid and vital. And so while we may look a little enviously at the stock market pages, and have to endure people asking "Why are you wasting your time" or "Why aren't you rich yet", we stay the course. Sometimes rewards are more than what you see on a bank statement; it's a warm and pure satisfaction that goes deeper than your wallet.

Romulux writes "Active server pages are pretty bitchen. Can databases be integrated in this way using Linux. " I'm not sure if Romulux's main desire is access to databases or whether it's the capability to use ASP under Linux (and Apache). If the former, of course there's PHP and Perl scripting, with their inherent database connectivity. If it's just ASP then there are at least a few Apache modules that implement this. Anyone know of more?

The latest Netscraft Survey is out. Apache enjoyed an over 1 percent increase, with Microsoft and Netscape showing some decreases. According to the survey, Apache has a 54.81 percent "market share." Also reported is the fact that Webjump actuals uses a hybrid setup with NT serving static content and the dynamic content with a Solaris/Apache/Perl system. Tucked away in the report is a small factoid that PHP is on over 1.1 million domains.

Anonymous Coward writes "In an interview with linuxpower.org, the developers of PHP present hot facts on the future of PHP, the next major release PHP 4.0, the license change, and what window managers they use."
jimjag note: See the Apache section for info about the latest beta release of PHP 4.0.

Anonymous Coward writes "In an interview with linuxpower.org, the developers of PHP present hot facts on the future of PHP, the next major release PHP 4.0, the license change, and what window managers they use."
jimjag note: See the Apache section for info about the latest beta release of PHP 4.0.

PHP version 4.0b3-RC5 (meaning PHP4, beta3, release-candidate 5) has been announced by the PHP Development Team. PHP is an extremely popular module for Apache and other web servers, as shown by this usage report obtained using Netcraft results. The PHP4 website still only refers to Beta2, though you can grab this Beta3 RC via CVS.
UPDATE: 11/16/99: PHP4.0b3 (the real thing) is released. Available here!

PHP version 4.0b3-RC5 (meaning PHP4, beta3, release-candidate 5) has been announced by the PHP Development Team. PHP is an extremely popular module for Apache and other web servers, as shown by this usage report obtained using Netcraft results. The PHP4 website still only refers to Beta2, though you can grab this Beta3 RC via CVS.
UPDATE: 11/16/99: PHP4.0b3 (the real thing) is released. Available here!

PHP version 4.0b3-RC5 (meaning PHP4, beta3, release-candidate 5) has been announced by the PHP Development Team. PHP is an extremely popular module for Apache and other web servers, as shown by this usage report obtained using Netcraft results. The PHP4 website still only refers to Beta2, though you can grab this Beta3 RC via CVS.
UPDATE: 11/16/99: PHP4.0b3 (the real thing) is released. Available here!

PHP version 4.0b3-RC5 (meaning PHP4, beta3, release-candidate 5) has been announced by the PHP Development Team. PHP is an extremely popular module for Apache and other web servers, as shown by this usage report obtained using Netcraft results. The PHP4 website still only refers to Beta2, though you can grab this Beta3 RC via CVS.
UPDATE: 11/16/99: PHP4.0b3 (the real thing) is released. Available here!

PHP version 4.0b3-RC5 (meaning PHP4, beta3, release-candidate 5) has been announced by the PHP Development Team. PHP is an extremely popular module for Apache and other web servers, as shown by this usage report obtained using Netcraft results. The PHP4 website still only refers to Beta2, though you can grab this Beta3 RC via CVS.
UPDATE: 11/16/99: PHP4.0b3 (the real thing) is released. Available here!

There's an interesting (but somewhat old) article by Network Computing which supposedly helps webmaster's pick their "best bet" for web development systems. They compare Netscape's Enterprise Server, Microsoft's IIS and the ASF's Apache. Despite Apache and PHP being their "clear favorite" they somehow give the Editor's Choice to Netscape. Confusing, but still a pretty good read.

Emphyrio writes "Today, the first beta of Zend (php 4.0 scripting engine) was released. Php 4.0, in combination with the Zend scripting engine, is supposed to be a faster, more efficient, and enhanced version of php 3.0. Benchmarks between php 4.0/Zend and ASP have been made, giving _very_ good results, and showing php 4.0/Zend to outperform asp greatly. Php 4.0 is the first public php release using the Zend scripting engine, wich is relased under the QPL source license. More information about Zend and php 4.0 can be found on the Zend home page and the Php 4.0 homepage. . "

Matthew Crosby wrote in to tell us that "there will be an informal little celebration thing on irc.gimp.org port 6666, channel #party. Paul Hart gave me a link to The Worm Farm. It's just weird. Robert Jones wrote in to send us a link to an excellent Linux Help site. Richard Brown sent us a link to a A weather site running Linux. Brian Moore wrote in to send us a link to a story about Communicator 5.0 And finally, Rasmus Lerdorf wrote in to announce that the PHP3 has hit the wire. For those in the dark, PHP is another excellent web page scripting language.

Matthew Crosby wrote in to tell us that "there will be an informal little celebration thing on irc.gimp.org port 6666, channel #party. Paul Hart gave me a link to The Worm Farm. It's just weird. Robert Jones wrote in to send us a link to an excellent Linux Help site. Richard Brown sent us a link to a A weather site running Linux. Brian Moore wrote in to send us a link to a story about Communicator 5.0 And finally, Rasmus Lerdorf wrote in to announce that the PHP3 has hit the wire. For those in the dark, PHP is another excellent web page scripting language.