Thanks muchly for the help here. I just couldn't find anything online about what each build was for, but I can find installation tips allover town... hehe.

I'ma have a look in to the one you recommended too.

I've never heard of Cent. However, I would highly recommend you NOT use Debian as your first foray into Linux. It's not exactly the most user friendly build of Linux. Personally I'd probably push you toward Mandrake or something. Probably doesn't matter. Red Hat was good stuff till they decided to discontinue their desktop-line.

I assume the self-booting CD has the graphical installer than Red Hat was using before they stopped...in that, it's not that hard. Of course, choosing what to install is another think altogether. If you know what you want to run, then choose those options...if you don't...well....shit. It's not like Windows...it comes with a TON of options, most of which you'll never use.

Double post, but fuck it

Right, Ignore the previous post. here's my current situation.

I'm running Mandrake 10.1
I have Apache installed
I have MySQL installed

I am trying to install PHP 5.

It doesn't install, because of no output from "lex"

I researched in to this, and found out I need to install "flex" so, I try this, but this comes up with errors. After installing via this method

http://www.faqs.org/docs/linux_scratch/ ... /flex.html

I get this error

make: *** [parse.c] error 127

So, I sniff about, and also find, I cannot install PHP without a program called "bison" so I download and install that, via these instructions

http://www.faqs.org/docs/linux_scratch/ ... bison.html

and get the error
configure: error: GNU M4 1.4 is required

Now go, my minions, outstand me with your knowledge.

you didn't have an option to install php with apache/mysql?

Anyway...welcome to the wonderful world of Linux. It has, and will probably continue to be, a pain the fucking ass. The things you mentioned are the reasons that Linux frustrates many users, myself included.

I don't know the answer to your problems, I'm afraid. Unless 11b is on it, you may want to search around online.

well, I think I fixed that problem.

My next is this

I need to install libxml2 and libxml2-devel

However, earlier I could find the RPM and download it no trouble. But things went wrong, so I formatted and reinstalled. I've gotten to the same stage, but for some reason can not find a working scource to download it from. I tried alsorts of place, non of the mandrake links work. Don't know why.

Any ideas?

Doesn't Mandrake have a packet manager?

Well Apahce and MySQL are already installed now, there is no RPM for php5. So I have to compile it.

Gah

heh....I sure hope you installed all the Make and compiler options when you installed.

I installed everything that I could install