BW-userx,

By flowers, I remembered something. There is a flower, a very rare species, by the name 'Brahma Kamal' [Indian language hindi], or the 'White lotus'. It mostly grows in the Himalayas. Though it belongs to the Cactus genre, the flower is just fantastic. It is white in colour. Quite big, equal to the size of both palms joined together in the form of a flower. It is said to have devine qualities. Its name itself is 'God's flower' [translated from hindi]. When the flower bud forms, it blossoms only at around mid-night. It stays in that state only for a couple of hours. And before dawn, it fades. It has a very pleasant and sweet smell, better than most flowers that I have smelt.

Very strangely, I bought a leaf of the cactus and planted in a flower pot. Within a couple of months it grew into almost a 2-3 feet tall plant. And surprisingly, because it is very rare where I am located, one fine day, a small bud formed. And after two days, one evening I saw that the bud had started opening at the tip. We, our neighbours everyone in the vicinity, waited there, before the pot. At about 11pm it blossomed completely into a beautiful flower. The sight was so charming. Everyone was so glad.

I am sending the photos of the flowers to all of you BW-userx, Hydrurga and everyone at LQ.
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Thank you & Regards

There are two more images here;

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Thank you

Hello there,

I just went through different links you had provided, and tried to get a clear concept of it all, before going for the actual installation, without knowing what is what.

In my struggle to get properly informed at least a bit, to get a correct overview, of the whole process of the interaction between the "client computer & the web server and the software processes involved and the different software codes doing different jobs", I will just give a gist what I have understood till now regarding every thing. Please kindly inform, whether I am right or wrong in assuming the whole picture, and I humbly, request you to correct me where I am wrong.

Here is the gist of what I have understood.

Let me begin with the web-page & the web-browser. A browser is a GUI, which displays a web page on a monitor or mobile device. Web browsers read files written in HTML [HTML, is the language used to create web pages. Along with CSS, and JavaScript.] and render them into visible or audible web pages. The web page is what is displayed by the browser. The web-browser sends request to the internet/www in order to retrieve content from the web-servers. The web browser uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to make such requests.

Apache written in 'c', is a software to be installed on a computer to convert it into a web-server. Apache is a web server program that listens to the network and accepts and acts on the network message. It even authenticates inquirers i.e, web clients. The Apache software works by handling URL requests to the server through specific communication protocols, and extending itself to work with programming and database languages. It handles primarily Hypertext Transfer Protocol requests. When the user enters a URL, the browser sends an HTTP [HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. HTTP functions as a request–response protocol in the client–server computing model.] request to the server computer running Apache or any other web-server program. The HTTP protocol is the Internet standard data transfer protocol for Web pages, so when a user makes a URL request to an Apache server, it is transmitted to the Apache server through TCP/IP [Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol; is a set of protocols enabling computers to talk to each other over networks. TCP/IP applies where there is a network. Each computer on a network that wants to use TCP/IP has an IP address, for example, 192.168.123.1.] The Apache server will handle the HTTP request and return the requested Web pages.

PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language. PHP code may be embedded into HTML code. The standard PHP interpreter, powered by the Zend Engine, is free software released under the PHP License. PHP has been widely ported and can be deployed on most web servers on almost every operating system and platform, free of charge.

When the server receives the client request, the Apache program on the server invokes the PHP program. The PHP then asks the MySQL software on the web server to fetch the content requested. The MySQL software that does the task of creating the database of all the content created by the admin of that web page, then retrieves the content and hands it over to the PHP. Then the PHP converts the content received from MySQL into html code and passes it on to Apache. [The end product of PHP, contains everything required by the Browser to generate the web-page and is in HTML] Then the Apache sends that content to the client, in the form of HTTP confirming to the TCP/IP. As it receives, the html web browser then translates that content into all of the text, pictures, links, videos, etc. that so many web pages contain.

Inferring from all the above;

Can I give an analogy here. The web server is very similar to a PC in its processes. Only the processors are different. These are the similarities; the pc comprises of a human user, an OS, a CPU and a Hard disk. Similarly a web-server also comprises of its own four counter parts. The the Browser on the client computer is the user of the web-server, the OS of the web server is the Apache program, the Processor of the web-server is the PHP [though the Processor is a hardware in the PC and PHP is a software, they do the similar jobs, i.e, processing information and giving it to the OS/Apache, the middleman's job.] and then the Hard disk counterpart in the web-server is the MySQL. Am right in saying this?

Now there are some things that I haven't understood. They are as below;

During installation of LAMP, it is suggested that tests be done on each installation i.e, Apache, PHP, MySQL and WP. And for each test I need to enter a url in the browser. But mysteriously, the url for all the tests for proper working of different installations, is the same; 'localhost'! Is it because the folder /var/www is the same for all those test pages? Does that mean that whatever is inside the /var/www folder, will be displayed as a web page, when I type 'localhost with a /and name of the file with the extension .html or .php or even .txt & .mp4!?

Is the MySQL database created inside the folder in /var/lib/mysql? Is this the place where whatever content I create in the WP platform, would be saved to? In what format are the different contents that I create are saved here? I want to change the location of the MySQL database location, instead of the default location. How to do that during MySQL installation itself? Can it be done? Or at least later?

If all my content is stored in the MySQL DB directory i.e, /var/lib/mysql then why pages inside the /var/www folder get displayed when I type the 'localhost' url? Do Apache & PHP retrieve only from that location? How does it come there while everything is stored in /var/lib/mysql? Does PHP bring it from there and place it in var/www so that Apache can retrieve it to send it to the client? This is confusing.

Why do I need the phpMyAdmin program, to handle the administration of MySQL while there is the MySQL software that can handle itself? What are the uses of phpMyAdmin? Do I need it really? Why do I require a username & password for phpMyAdmin?

Why do I require username & passwords for each one of them, the MySQL database, WP, phpMyAdmin? Why there is no password for Apache2?

Forgive my ignorance, I have asked too many questions. These were the matters I was unsure about. I would be grateful if you would help me remove these doubts.

Thank you for giving a patient reading.

Regards

Hello Hydrurga and BW-userx.

Hoping you are still with me. Pray; you are not fed up of me.

Hydrurga,

Since I had already installed LAMP by this command;

sudo apt-get install lamp-server^

I felt this time I should go for installing individually Apache, MySQL & PHP and see how it would develop, and also because I could test the success of each installation and resolve any issue as and how I moved forward.

So I started installing according to the procedure laid out in this link Installing LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) On Linux Mint provided by, BW-userx.

Hello BW-userx,

I began installing according to the procedure laid out in this link Installing LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) On Linux Mint;

I installed Apache2 successfully. I even tested it and the web page of Apache also showed 'It works'. Then I went to the next step of installing 'PHP'. That too was installed successfully. But when I applied the test i.e,

I got an error as belows;

I was wondering if I am getting this error because of 'something I forgot to mention before'?

In my home, I have two computers. One is an old desk top with OS: Linux mint 17 qiana XFCE 32 bit. And the other one is the Laptop with OS: Linux mint 17.3 Rosa Cinnamon 32 bit; on which I am trying to install the LAMP server. But I have only one Broad-Band connection and I am sharing it on both the above mentioned computers through a D-Link 5 Ports Unmanaged Network Switch (DES-1005A). Image shown below.



I checked the '/hosts, the /hostname' in the /etc folder of both computers. The 'hostnames' files on both the computers show different names. But the 'host' files on both computers have the same data except for the entry against the 127.0.1.1, as shown below;

Both computers show the same IP address, '127.0.1.1' against their host names in the '/etc/hosts' files as belows;



Is this the cause of the Apache restart error I encountered after installing PHP. Interestingly, I had encountered the same error when I had earlier installed LAMP. But the I took suggestions from this site Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified domain name?. Then I had done according to the suggestion in the website as below;

By doing this the Error did not appear then.

Now too, should I do the same thing again to correct the error or is it not proper? I am asking because I do not want to mess up again.

Please guide me. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.

Thank you

Regards

Well you're right in asking before proceeding. You're right in telling yourself. I think I'll try it this way instead of that other way that screwed me up. Now let me try to teach you how to trouble shoot until you have no option but to ask for help. Keeping in mind that sometimes we all just want a quick answer sometimes, so it is still ok to just ask from time to time.

For starters. I see you have one error. Then a suggestion how to elevate that error.
You now if you have not already asked. What is a " fully qualified domain name"?
just type that question you just asked yourself into the search engine.

A:
Now you have to find out how to make your computers name localhost that is assigned to IP address 172.0.1.1 into a fully qualified domain name.

A: How to change my hostname and make it a fully qualified domain name? typed into the search engine. Which returns a bunch of pages to look at. I picked this link.
. then moved down the page until I found what I was looking for.
Setting the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN)

I'd suggest you start searching definitions on these terms so you'll have a better understanding of them. Because I am getting from you that this is your first shot at this, and you just jumped into the pool before sticking your toe in the water first. Now you're asking questions in how do I get out of this pool and get the proper swimming suit on before jumping back in.

now you're jumping back in without reading the instructions on how to put your swimsuit on first. I hope you understand that analogy.

You need to slow down a little back up and learn the basics of TCP/IP and how it is put together first. Along with everything else you're trying to do here. for example. How much experience do you actually have in writing PHP scripts?

I do not even know all of this stuff. I'm taking what little I have pick up along the way by what I've read and in doing, then winging it to help you. But what I do know is the very basics of TCP/IP, and not even all of that do I know.

Not that I am complaining mind you. Only trying to get you to open your eyes a little more so hopefully you'll see (I think) you're trying to run before you've learned to walk, here.

Because you'd not be asking about this domain name problem had you did your homework first. But it is ok. No sweat off my brow. no worries.

Lets find out together shall we? Wait, we've already done part of it. HostName is the name of the host, or the computer (node). Domain name is just another name attached to the hostname. Like a parent with many children. They all have first names, but that last name they have too. First name is different, last name is always the same. but that .net .org or .ed what is that? that could be said the clan it belongs to. each .net.org etc is a designator to what the webpage is used for or the governing body that is operating it.

net is a network
gov is a government
org is an organization

now in a Intranet you can name it anything you want because it is a stay at home domain. If it is part of the Internet then it has to obey the rules outside of the house that it is staying in. It, being your computer.

read up on it.

now all you have to really do for starters is change your hosts file so that it contains a fully qualified domain name. So that Apache can identify it properly.

or use your fav text editor to open /etc/hosts.

now modify it to have this fully qualified domain name that Apache needs to shut it up and cooperate with you.

mine looks like this.

I am breaking the rules here, (because I can) by using an actual fully qualified domain name for the internet and not the intranet. But I am not out on the internet with my laptop using this domain name, so it matters not what I call it. I can name it whatever I feel like and change it when ever I want.

do notice I have just commented out the lines I do not want to use, keeping them there, for that Just in case. Then added what I wanted to.

so in the file I give you a self understanding of what it is.
Unless you register your hostnames.domain.names (plural) with a DSN then it all changes again.


that should be enough to get you a few more steps forwards. I'm going to let go of your hand now, and let me see you take your first steps in the right direction.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thanks a tonne, BW-userx, for staying with me.

Always BW-userx, I do not approach the forum for help until and unless I feel am exhausted, to the point of breaking down. I try to resolve the issue in the hope that I would get some good quick suggestion somewhere and my issue would be solved without holding my work for too long. And at some point things get so worse [may be due to, as you pointed out, my eagerness to get out of it quickly, without getting myself informed.] that the system itself would stop working. That is the point when I will have to reinstall. And that is one hell of a thing to do, keeping aside all the imminent work. And that is the point when it is nerve wrecking. And then suddenly after re-installation, I am very conscious. I feel I will not be reckless again. I will approach informed guys. And that is the time when I am all patience. I approach the Forum. At that point I take every step cautiously, asking, whether I am right at each step. Now too I did everything possible to me. I bombed the system. Reinstalled it. Now here I am, ready to take every word seriously.

I read through your links and also searched the web, and read through some other links and also went through a couple of video lectures. From all that, I found the following about the error.

The meaning of the error message is that "the Server Name is not set".

The address 127.0.0.1, which points to the 'local-host' is a loop-back. But since I have installed a server on my system, the system has designated 127.0.1.1 as the host-name to my home server. This happened because of this following reason.

"Some software (e.g., GNOME) expects the system host-name to be resolvable to an IP address with a canonical fully qualified domain name. This is really improper because system host-names and domain names are two very different things; but there you have it. In order to support that software, it is necessary to ensure that the system host-name can be resolved. Most often this is done by putting a line in /etc/hosts containing some IP address and the system host-name. If your system has a permanent IP address then use that; otherwise use the address 127.0.1.1. "

So what is happening here is, when I installed the Apache server gave an IP address 127.0.1.1 to my computer name [host-name]. And by default this is the web address of my computer. But the default Apache web-page that should open when I re-start Apache would be connected to 127.0.0.1 i.e, the local-host. So now to resolve this issue what I need to do is, ask my home server to consider the server-name as local-host. And by that it will be directed towards 127.0.0.1 and the default Apache webpage would open and the error message would not appear. I.e, instead of trying to open 127.0.1.1 which has nothing to display, it will open 127.0.0.1 which would display default Apache web-page.

This can be accomplished by adding a line,

"servername localhost"

in the conf.d file.

Am I correct?

And/or, there is the other way of doing it. Assign a FQDN to my server; i.e, the IP address 127.0.1.1 given by the software to my host-name is the culprit. So in order to resolve the issue, just change the IP address of the hostname also to 127.0.0.1. So by that, the IP addresses of both the local-host and the host-name become same i.e, 127.0.0.1. And Apache would open the default web-page. So no error. This can accomplished by the method you suggested as below;

Am I correct?

When I register a host-name, I will have to change the host-name in the conf.d file

But what IP will that point to? Again 127.0.0.1? That would be wrong!

Then will I have to change the IP of the local-host? Will I have to point it to 127.0.0.1, i.e, to the IP address of my domain-name?

I really appreciate your patience. And I am grateful for your compassion. You have helped me lot. You have given me confidence.

I thank you for everything you have done.

Regards

yes you'll just need to edit what ever files you have telling Apache your IP to match your new one, /etc/hosts too I am sure will be in there somewhere too.

it should be if you are running a router to get your internet using a static IP address that gets you to the internet that will be the one you use and attach to your domain name if you are planing on turning your computer into a server that people will come to from all over the world and blog on.


some links to give you information you may or may not need.

http://www.2daygeek.com/setup-apache...buntu-debian/#


http://subinsb.com/linux-apache-localhost

this is a niffy tool for managing your stuff. I used it when I was running a proxy server on my laptop.
http://www.webmin.com/

IP Calculator online
http://ipcalc.nmonitoring.com/?zmena...ax_addresses=0

you're welcome in all that I have helped you with...

1 members found this post helpful.

Bingo. It's done.

BW-userx, the LAMP is installed, WordPress is installed, I can login, I can access the Dashboard. The job is done.

I had some trouble while creating MySQL database, due to my ignorance of the MySQL syntax. As a result I have several wrong & unwanted MySQL Databases created in my /var/lib/mysql directory. Will that cause any problem in the future? I tried to remove the unwanted DBs with the help of the following commands in the MySQL console

The database-name in the above code representing here, the general substitute for the names of all the unwanted DBs. But I got the following error, for each unwanted DB.

However I can see several databases I created by mistake, in /var/lib/mysql directory. Is it proper to delete them manually by going into the /var/lib/mysql directory with root privileges? Will that delete the databases completely and thoroughly?

But as far as the purpose of the OP is concerned, the issue is resolved and I am marking the thread as solved.

BW-userx, I greatly appreciate your patience, compassion and concern towards my problem. I thank you immensely for all the help you provided to resolve my issue.

I thank Hydrurga and the LQ forum for this.

Regards

I do not know anything about mysql . but from what it states it is not there per sa, it probably not even taking up but 4kb space, if you can see some type of file with the name you gave it. I'd not worry about it. try to put it out of your mind. don't let it eat away at you. or do.

I am happy you finally got it up and working. Now delete everything and do it again. its good practice lol jk, or not.

Not a bad idea. Even I was thinking so.

you go @Anil Kagi what ever tickles your feet, spins your prop, melts your butter, heats your coffee...

Yeah, I am going to make a Blog, that tickles everyone's feet, spins everyone's prop, melts everyone's butter, heats everyone's coffee...

And thank you for helping me do that,