PHP.ini file and GD package

the machine doesn't understand apt-get

That's right. apt-get is a Debian Linux-specific package/service. Mac OS X is not Linux.

Your options are to either manually install GD (with all its dependencies) and reinstall PHP, or download a precomiled version such as that described here.

What the author says above is correct. However, one of the easiest ways is to download Entropy.ch's PHP5 package.

http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/php/

It has a GUI installer and includes TONS of extra PHP libraries, including GD, that Mac OS X does not come with (at least in 10.4 and earlier). It will replace the PHP5 that comes with Server.

However, one of the easiest ways is to download Entropy.ch's PHP5 package

Which, I believe, is the process describe in the link I posted.

Entropy's package is out of date - it still has 5.2.4 and the last server update installed 5.2.6.

topicdesk has a good tutorial on how to get GD and PHP to work on OSX..

http://osx.topicdesk.com/content/category/4/18/41/

You might want to build your own Apache/PHP. I found several issues with Apple's built in offering, it brought me to the point of just making my own.

Try these instructions:
http://www.unibia.com/unibianet/node/32

I found this the best solution to solve missing php modules

http://www.pagebakers.nl/2008/12/17/installing-php-soap-extension-on-leopard-10- 5-5/#comment-4931

The fact that you managed to build soap as universal binary dynamic extension, does not mean the solution applies universally.
Not all dynamic extensions can be successfully build as universal binaries on Leopard.

In some circumstances you will need to recompile PHP, in some even Apache.

This looks like a good solution but quite a process. I have a 'spare' machine so I might try it just to see how far I can get.

What is the latest Apple version of PHP5 for Leopard server?

I'm using Marc's excellent package from http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/php/ as mentioned before but it seems to be stuck on version 5.2.5 release 6. I use the GD extensions for some graphing applications.

Our campus IT security people have scanned my server with something called NeXpose and it is complaining about PHP being out of date and posing a couple of security threats that are solved by v5.2.6 and presumably the current 5.2.8 (not .7 😉

Do I need to abandon Max OS X Server if I go with this 'unibia' direction? Anybody else tried it?

I recently switched to:

http://www.kyngchaos.com/software:php

Setup and so on is quite different from what you might be used to with entropy PHP (This runs PHP as a separate process (cgi) instead of as an apache module. I believe a module is supposed to be faster in theory however I have experienced as good if not greater performance on this PHP package running as a fast cgi. It require some frameworks to be installed and may or may not be as simple to setup as entropy (I personally felt this new php was easier).

If you can compile your own then you probably don't need this but if you can't (Or just don't have the time) it has proven to be rock solid for me thus far and offers everything I had and more from entropy (Which served me well mind you but has been MIA for updates lately).

It is up to v 5.2.8 of PHP and has GD along with various other extensions. It also lets you run Apache as a 64 bit process (As opposed to doing the lipo thing every time you upgrade the OS with 32bit PHP). Contains a shell script that also allows you to switch between the Apple and your custom PHP (The included php enabler app did not work for me but if you view the shell script, you can see what it does).

In any case, credit would go to William Kyngesburye. Works great for me.

...As always I highly advise testing it out before running anything on production. I did so on a test box for awhile...

Message was edited by: Shane Depner1

I just finished going through the process described in the instructions found at http://osx.topicdesk.com/content/category/4/18/41/ and nothing happened afterwards. I did everything it said and everything executed as it said it would, but in the end when I ran the phpinfo and then tried using it - it wasn't there. No GD library support.

The only thing that did not go as planned was the php.ini file wasn't there originally. It was called php.ini.default. I did cp php.ini.default php.ini and it copied it to the right name. I then did the echo command specified in the instructions - success. Still no GD library and phpinfo does not list gd.

Any ideas as to why this isn't working?

How could I get bcmath enabled with kyngchaos.com/software:php

It is not part of the config

Message was edited by: Steven Donovan

I would advise contacting the author of the package (His contact info is listed in the readme when you download the package).

That said, I do not think it is included whereas it was in entropy PHP. Unfortunately you pick and choose what you can get when you aren't compiling your own PHP and this + entropy are the two that I know of. There's MAMP also but I didn't quite like the way it handles things.

Perhaps in his next build he could include the extension you're looking for if you mention it though in an email to him?