OpenVMS VAMP Board

I am assuing that this board is running in VAMP -- right? If you are then at least I know I'm not wasting my time.

I'm trying to install bhpBB in an ES40 but I'm stuck at the phpBB install phase.

My post from comp.os.vms:

VMS 7.3.2
TCPIP 5.4
CWS (Apache) 2.0
CWS 1.2-1

What version of MySQL does the new PHP MySQL extensions support? My
version of MySQL (4.1.9) does not talk with lastest version of CSWS_PHP
(1.2-1). I have uncommented out the MySQL extension in PHP.INI and the
PHP script seems to acknowlege that it was trying to talk to the MySQL
sever but I get the following error messages:
-------------
Warning: mysql_connect(): Client does not support authentication
protocol requested by server; consider upgrading MySQL client in
/apache$specific/htdocs/phpbb2/db/mysql4.php on line 48

Warning: mysql_error(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL-Link
resource in /apache$specific/htdocs/phpbb2/db/mysql4.php on line 330

Warning: mysql_errno(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL-Link
resource in /apache$specific/htdocs/phpbb2/db/mysql4.php on line 331
phpBB : Critical Error

Could not connect to the database
-------------

I am using JFP-AXPVMS-MYSQL-V0401-9-1.PCSI as my souce for MySQL.
NOTE: A packaged MySQL from HP would be great.

MySQL required following packages to install:
JFP-AXPVMS-OPENSSL097E-V0102-0-1.PCSI
JFP-AXPVMS-ZLIB-V0102-2-1.PCSI

Thanks,
Kevin Morris

Hi Kevin,

Presumably you found the solution to your problem elsewhere on the board.

Is your board now up & running? Did you have any more issues?

phpBB works and works pretty well. I've been away from VMS from awhile and have some spin up time ahead of me. The phpBB software was easy to setup once I got through the basic setup of the underlying infrastructure. This whole environment is new to me. The last time I touched Apache was in 98. I never heard of PHP or phpBB until I ran into www.smoothwall.org and discovered how their forum worked. I made a note to look into the software, bought an ES40 via E-Bay and the rest is history. The right thing to do would have been to compile everything but I could not figure out how to compile the various pieces of uncooperative software.

Has anyone tried running phpBB on Oracle9i?

I have an Alpha ES40 4GB running
VMS 7.3-2
TCPIP 5.4 eco5
CSWS 1.3-1
CSWS_PHP 1.2-1
Oracle9i (9.2.0.5)

Any useful tips or tricks for installing phpBB on VMS? Any thoughts on the changes that might be required to change the MySQL piece to Oracle? (Is it just basic ODBC? I'd rather not install yet-another database.)

I haven't seen any detail on what it took to get the code on run on any flavor of VMS. Hard? Easy? And I didn't see much on http://www.phpbb.com/

Any comments (or details) appreciated.

helmkera wrote: I have an Alpha ES40 4GB running

IMPRESSSIVE.

VMS 7.3-2

Good, but don't forget the patches. Though about 8.2? it has some advantages.

TCPIP 5.4 eco5

Good.

CSWS 1.3-1

This might be a problem. I have tried some PHP code (Pivot blog) and did not succeed in getting the application running. I have been told there are some issues with this version of SWS and PHP - so it couldn't work. With 2.0 it's Ok (proven by this (and other) forums) but it requires STREAM_LF file formats, which made me and others decide NOT to install it. Just waiting for 2.1 where this requirement is lifted. Should be out soon.

CSWS_PHP 1.2-1

Good - will do

Oracle9i (9.2.0.5)

Have you considered RdB - PURE VMS: Stable, robust, cluster aware from the beginning, and VERVY VERY FAST (faster than Oracle though Ellyson won't admit)

Any useful tips or tricks for installing phpBB on VMS?

Be sure to install the product on an ODS-5 disk, have parse-style=EXTEMDED set and be sure to define a number of logicals:
There may some more.
If the package comes in a ZIP package (typically Windows, but usuable on VMS), copy the ZIP file to VMS. Do NOT use ?nzip unless you are prepared to dig into the code to scan for multiple dots in file references. IOt's is well possible (unlessthe right logicals are set) that all dits but the last are replaces by "_".
Better: install JAVA. Though I don't like it, it has a good facility you will need: jar. Use that to unpack the ZIP file. Case AND ALL DOTS will be preserved so that will NOT be a source of trouble (For a chnage, something useful on JAVA)

Any thoughts on the changes that might be required to change the MySQL piece to Oracle? (Is it just basic ODBC? I'd rather not install yet-another database.)

I don't know PHP that good (yet), but I don't think it's ODBC with MySql; It's well possible it uses the PHP-built-in mySql engine. Surely there will be a way to use any ODBC connectivity but I cannot help you there. It may involve quite some changes. However, I'm interested in anything you encounter (and solve), eventually help you out. I have some idewas on that. Post it here, or in your own board

I haven't seen any detail on what it took to get the code on run on any flavor of VMS. Hard? Easy?

I hope that above will help you. It may be some minor changes are required, some things may not work. Whether hard or easy - I don't know.

issinoho: Could you post your findings here? Or drop me a line or document, so I can include it in my HOWTO site.

And I didn't see much on http://www.phpbb.com/

I doubt if they even know what (Open)VMS is.

If you look in your apache$common:[php]php.ini you will find various extensions most of which will be commented out as follows,

;extension=php_bcmath.exe
;extension=php_bz2.exe
;extension=php_calendar.exe
;extension=php_ctype.exe
;extension=php_dba.exe
;extension=php_exif.exe
;extension=php_ftp.exe
;extension=php_iconv.exe
;extension=php_ldap.exe
;extension=php_mhash.exe
extension=php_mysql.exe
;extension=php_oci8.exe
;extension=php_odbc.exe
;extension=php_openssl.exe
extension=php_openvms.exe
;extension=php_oracle.exe
extension=php_pcre.exe
;extension=php_posix.exe
extension=php_session.exe
;extension=php_sockets.exe
extension=php_xml.exe
;extension=php_zip.exe
;extension=php_zlib.exe

The php_mysql entry switches on MySQL integration which is utilised by phpBB out of the box.

The php_oci8 entry switches on Oracle support within PHP.

What I *don't* know is what changes to the underlying PHP are needed to utilise the Oracle connection. My guess is it won't be easy; but you never know

Don't forget to restart Apache after changing php.ini

Thanks for these notes. They will help me get started on this project.

We are using this ES40 for email and Apache webserver. We've been happy with SWS 1.3-1 and have a couple of users running php on their production websites so I think this is working pretty well.

We have several production Oracle databases running on another ES40 so I'm most comfortable working in this environment. Thanks for your notes about php extensions.

Of course, I am now currently swamped with my day job, but will post any status or tips when I get back to it.

Thanks!