utilizing the php install outside of xampp?

[stacia]

In the windows install, you can get away with using the xampp install instead of installing php itself. I'd like to do the same thing with Linux, but when I type php in a console, it prompts me to install it via apt. I'm sure there's an easy solution to this with symbolic links but I wanted to know if there was a "correct" way to do it...

[Wiedmann]

In the windows install, you can get away with using the xampp install

I'm not exactly sure what you mean with "get away"? And how are you doing this with the Windows XAMPP?

[stacia]

Sorry, let me be more clear.

If you install the windows version of xampp (as far as I can remember), you can type "php" into a console and have php start up. This isn't really important, it's just an example of what I want to do.

After installing XAMPP on linux, when I type php I am prompted to install it from the repositories, even though I know I have a working version through XAMPP. I guess I will just try a symbolic link to the PHP binary, but I was wondernig if there was a better way to do this.

[Wiedmann]

If you install the windows version of xampp (as far as I can remember), you can type "php" into a console and have php start up.

That's only working for the XAMPP Shell. For normal Windows command prompts you must also call the PHP binary with the full path, like on Linux.

Well, the XAMPP Shell is just prepending the $PATH environment variable with the paths to some XAMPP tools. On Linux it's the same:
Just prepend /opt/lampp/bin to your $PATH environment variable.