php dlls in two places?

[Forumwebuser]

Hello,

I was wondering why in the XAMPP installation there are php dlls inside the bin folder of apache and then we have the php folder with these dlls again. Which dlls are really being used by apache? Shouldnt apache point to the dlls inside the php folder in the apache config file?

thank you

[Wiedmann]

Which dlls are really being used by apache?

By Apache? That ones in ./apache/bin

[Forumwebuser]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

What im trying to understand is why the xampp install is putting php dlls (including the php.ini) inside the apache bin folder. Note that it is not only php.ini that it is being "replicated" as all these files are also inside the php folder.

thank you

[Wiedmann]

What im trying to understand is why the xampp install is putting php dlls inside the apache bin folder.

The one DLLs are used from Apache, the others if you use PHP standalone without Apache. And Apache must be able to find these files.

(including the php.ini)

So I guess you have an older XAMPP?

[Forumwebuser]

Hello,

No, actually Im using the latest version. And I dont find any pointer to php inside the Apache config file... Does this means that if we directly put apache dlls inside apache bin folder, apache will use it just like that? I thought php always need to be referenced in the Aapche config file.

Thank you

[Wiedmann]

No, actually Im using the latest version.

The latest version (1.7.1) don't have a "php.ini" in "./apache/bin". (or maybe you have upgraded from an older one)

Does this means that if we directly put apache dlls inside apache bin folder, apache will use it just like that?

No. Like every other Apache module, you must first load the module with "LoadModule ... ...". And if a Apache module needs additional DLLS, it will search for them in "./apache/bin".

[Forumwebuser]

hello,

Yes, you are right widemann, the php.ini is not inside the bin folder, sorry.
However, I still dont understand why there is not a php module configured in the apache config file. And how without this information apache can run php...

The only explanation I find is that if php dlls are inside apache bin folder, they are instanciated without a load nodule...? But if you are telling me this isnot the case, then Im lost again

Thank you

[Nobbie]

However, I still dont understand why there is not a php module configured in the apache config file. And how without this information apache can run php...

That's not right. You either have overlooked the PHP configuration or you overwrote the Xampp Apache config files by other ones.

Maybe the loadmodule of PHP dll does not take place in the top level httpd.conf (I currently have no Xampp installed), but there are a couple of extra files included in httpd.conf. I am pretty sure that somewhere there is a LoadModule for the corresponding PHP dll.

[Forumwebuser]

Yes, that is what is happening. The configuration is in httpd-xampp.conf. I was making a find inside the main config file and didnt see the includes. thank you

I just would like to make one more question: do you know why some php dlls are replicated inside apache bin folder. Sorry to came back to this question, but I would like to understand this design option (if it is not a technical constraint). If there is a php directory with all the dlls need to run php on apache, why xampp would have some of this dlls inside other folder. The problem with that is that if we need to update one of the components (apache or php) we cant just update one unique folder.

thank you again.