I'm trying to install php-4.3.1 on slackware 8.1, bt when I do the make command, I get this error message, after some some half minute...:

ext/ctype/ctype.lo: file not recognized: File truncated
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make: *** [libphp4.la] Error 1

could someone please help me?

That's weird. What were your config options? 'cat config.nice' to review them.

'./configure' \
'--with-mysql' \
'--with-apxs2=/www/bin/apxs' \
"$@"

that's what said in the install document....

Are you configuring for Apache2 or the Apache that was installed with Slack8.1?

I've removed the Apache package that came with slackware, and installed apache2, httpd-2.0.45

find / -name apxs2

as ordinary user the console displays several catalogs... but permission denied...
as root, nothing happends at all...

OK... How about find /path/to/apache2 -name apxs

yupp...

/usr/local/httpd-2.0.45/support/apxs

ok. put that in your config line --with-apxs2=/usr/local/httpd-2.0.45/support/apxs

I had this exact same problem with RH, the way i solved it... "APT"

You should get apt, uninstall apache (save httpd.conf) and php, then $] apt-get install php4
$]apt-get apache


There are other ways of using it, and I am not sure I wrote the right thing, but APT will install the newest version of both apache and php right from the console.

I have also noticed that apache from a tarball has a lot missing compared to an rpm.

Although it may appear that way, technically this statement is not quite the case. The apache packages usually include (or package mangers add) a set of mod_'s for apache, as well as being built to suport fun stuff like php and mysql.

While the source on its own doesn't have the bells and whistles, a source build that you nurture yourself not that difficult to patch and maintain. It's a bit of a learning curve but its rewards are worth it.

I added --with-apxs2=/usr/local/httpd-2.0.45/support/apxs to my config line, and I get a new nice error message:

Configuring SAPI modules
checking for AOLserver support... no
checking for Apache 1.x module support via DSO through APXS... no
checking for Apache 1.x module support... no
checking for mod_charset compatibility option... no
checking for Apache 2.0 module support via DSO through APXS...

Sorry, I cannot run apxs. Possible reasons follow:

1. Perl is not installed
2. apxs was not found. Try to pass the path using --with-apxs2=/path/to/apxs
3. Apache was not built using --enable-so (the apxs usage page is displayed)

The output of /usr/local/httpd-2.0.45/support/apxs follows:
./configure: /usr/local/httpd-2.0.45/support/apxs: /usr/bin/perl: bad interpreter: Permission denied
configure: error: Aborting

Perl is installed, i hav configured apache with --enable-so
and the directory to apache is correct

ahhh.. I belive you need to apprach it like this;

You need to config and NOT make/make install your apache first. Then build php, which will tell apxs to build the required php bits as per your php build.

There's a good HowTO at...
http://www.sgms-centre.com/LAMPS/

... and once you get that all figured out you can go out and get php-4.3.2 which was released yesterday.