Using MariaDB (MySQL) with IBM i PHP
Following Part 3 – where we verified our installation of IBM i MariaDB (MySQL) – the next red hot, and slightly relieved, question is “OK, So just how do we use this darn MySQL Database on our IBM i Server??”
Me – with a cold coffee
Now that MariaDB is on your IBM i Power System, let’s fire it up and see if it works.
1 – Download WordPress
Grab the latest WordPress from https://wordpress.org/download/
Now let’s choose a PHP Server which will power WordPress to the Cloud
2 – Download PHP Server
Side-by-Side Comparison of PHP Options
| Feature | CommunityPlus+ PHP | Zend Server | ZendPHP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider (and link to offering home page) | Seiden Group | Zend by Perforce | Zend by Perforce |
| Free to use? | Yes | No | Yes |
| Suitable for production workloads? | Yes, with support in place | Yes, with support in place | Yes, with support in place |
| Support | Available from Seiden Group and/or IBM. | Available through Zend Server paid license | Available from Perforce or IBM. |
| Supported release lifespan | Determined by open source community | Long term support beyond community project timeframes | Determined by open source community Long-term support beyond community project timeframes is also available. |
| Classic ibm_db2 database connector support | See this document for details | See this document for details | See this document for details |
| How to acquire and install? | Install as RPM from Seiden Group | Download from Perforce portal. Installed as IBM i Licensed Program (LPP) or an IBM i RPM | Install as RPM from Perforce’s repository |
| Available PHP extensions | full list here. Others available upon request. | Contact Perforce | full list here |
| IBM i toolkit included with distribution | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can integrate with IBM’s integrated Apache HTTP Server? | Yes (can be automatically configured) | Yes | Yes (automatically done by installer) |
| Can integrate with the Nginx HTTP Server | Yes (requires manual setup) | Yes (requires manual setup) | Yes (requires manual setup) |
| Database connectivity | PDO_ODBC or odbc, requires setup of ODBC driver ibm_db2 or PDO_IBM modules (included) | PDO_ODBC or odbc if 64bit, requires setup of ODBC driver ibm_db2 or PDO_IBM modules (included) | PDO_ODBC or odbc, requires setup of ODBC driver ibm_db2 or PDO_IBM modules (PDO_IBM module requires manual build) |
| Bit modes available | 64bit | 32bit (LPP) 64bit (RPM) | 64bit |
| Compatible with Zend Framework | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can run inside a chroot-based container? | Yes (doc) | No | Yes |
| Comes with 5250 management interfaces | No | Yes | No |
| Comes with preconfigured subsystems for job management | No | Yes | No |
| Performance tools | xdebug | Zend Server performance tools | xdebug |
| Comes with Zend Server interface for deploying and monitoring applications | No | Yes | No |
Choices… Choices…. Choices….
I’ve opted for the Seiden CommunityPlus+ PHP Server
To install Seiden CommunityPlus+ PHP, follow these steps:
STEP 1: Make sure your IBM i Open Source environment is properly set up.
STEP 2: Install CommmunityPlus+ PHP RPMs. (The document password is seidenrpms)
STEP 3: Set up an Apache web server instance: automatically with our siteadd utility or manually
STEP 4: Configure common settings such as PHP error logging and mail(), if needed.
NEXT ON THE TO-DO LIST – Install this on my personal IBM i System.
Come back later to see if this blog has been updated with some real time findings. It will be. But maybe take a bit of time. I’m just busy in the real world doing real stuff and this install is kind of tricky stuff… I can tell you 😉
Hi Nick, hope your well? Did you manage to get any further on this project, as it was just starting to get very interesting 😉 & I had already installed PHP, MariaDB many moons ago and curious if WordPress worked.