[Kreshna]

I need to recompile an existing PHP installation, but the PHP was installed from RPM package.

Is it possible to recompile such RPM-installed PHP? And if that's the case, what things should I anticipate? What potential problems I'm going to face?

I'm quite familiar in compiling from scratch, but I have never re-compiled anything before. I'm also unfamiliar with RPM. Should I use the usual ./make and /make install command, or should I use RPM instead? Can RPM recompile things?

[wirehopper]

Before you recompile, see if you can just add the RPM - try yum install (RPM name) If it is a RedHat or CentOS server, adding the RPM may do it.

RPM resource php

There's probably more here than you need, but these are the steps I took. The RPM install may take care of it.

1. Configure firewall to allow httpd requests: system-config-securitylevel
2. Get PHP development RPM: RPM Search php-devel-5.1.6-20.el5.i386.rpm
3. Get PHP source RPM: ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/ftp.cento...23.el5.src.rpm
4. Use yum to handle RPM dependencies. yum install php-5.1.6-23.el5.src.rpm 5. Update SPECS/php.spec and enable/disable options as necessary.
6. rpmbuild -bb –target=i386 SPECS/php.spec - It’s good to specify the target, since otherwise, the RPM build may take a very long time.
7. Force the installation of the updated RPMs. I did an ls of the RPMS directory and forced them all.
rpm -i –force php-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-bcmath-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-cli-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-common-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-dba-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-debuginfo-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-devel-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-gd-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-imap-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-ldap-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-mbstring-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-mysql-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-ncurses-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-odbc-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-pdo-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-pgsql-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-snmp-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-soap-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-xml-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-xmlrpc-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm

[End User]

Reminds me of a joke....

It only takes three commands to install Gentoo:

cfdisk /dev/hda && mkfs.xfs /dev/hda1 && mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/gentoo/ && chroot /mnt/gentoo/ && env-update && . /etc/profile && emerge sync && cd /usr/portage && scripts/bootsrap.sh && emerge system && emerge vim && vi /etc/fstab && emerge gentoo-dev-sources && cd /usr/src/linux && make menuconfig && make install modules_install && emerge gnome mozilla-firefox openoffice && emerge grub && cp /boot/grub/grub.conf.sample /boot/grub/grub.conf && vi /boot/grub/grub.conf && grub && init 6

That's the first one.

[Kreshna]

Originally Posted by wirehopper

Before you recompile, see if you can just add the RPM - try yum install (RPM name) If it is a RedHat or CentOS server,

Yes, it is a RedHat/CentOS server.

Linux version 2.6.9-22.ELsmp (buildcentos@louisa.home.local) (gcc version 3.4.4 20050721 (Red Hat 3.4.4-2)) #1 SMP Sat Oct 8 19:11:43 CDT 2005

Originally Posted by wirehopper

adding the RPM may do it.

You mean re-configuring the source RPM, rebuild the PHP RPM packages, and then install the newly-configured PHP RPM over the existing PHP? Am I correct here?

Sorry, I'm an RPM noob.

Originally Posted by wirehopper

2. Get PHP development RPM: RPM Search php-devel-5.1.6-20.el5.i386.rpm
3. Get PHP source RPM: ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/ftp.cento...23.el5.src.rpm

Why do we need both development RPM and source RPM?

Originally Posted by wirehopper

4. Use yum to handle RPM dependencies. yum install php-5.1.6-23.el5.src.rpm

Well, the PHP come from the built-in Red Hat installer packages, and it's already up and running on a production server. Do I really need to handle RPM dependencies? And what if I skip this part?

Originally Posted by wirehopper

5. Update SPECS/php.spec and enable/disable options as necessary.

This is where the reconfiguration takes place, isn't this? So what I'm doing here is similar to what I'm doing with the ./configure command, isn't it?

Originally Posted by wirehopper

6. rpmbuild -bb –target=i386 SPECS/php.spec - It’s good to specify the target, since otherwise, the RPM build may take a very long time.

This is the name of the SPEC file I've just edited, right?

Originally Posted by wirehopper

7. Force the installation of the updated RPMs. I did an ls of the RPMS directory and forced them all.

Er, this is where I don't understand the most.

Originally Posted by wirehopper

rpm -i –force php-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-bcmath-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-cli-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-common-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-dba-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-debuginfo-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-devel-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-gd-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-imap-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-ldap-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-mbstring-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-mysql-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-ncurses-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-odbc-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-pdo-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-pgsql-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-snmp-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-soap-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-xml-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm php-xmlrpc-5.1.6-23.i386.rpm

So after Red Hat installed its built-in PHP, it would make all the following files above, am I correct? And I should update all of them with my re-configured RPM, right?

[wirehopper]

Sorry it has taken me awhile to respond.

A coworker recently told me for RedHat/CentOS - you can just add the RPMs for options you need - such as mb_string.

I can't remember why you need both the development RPM and the source RPM. I don't rebuild PHP often. My approach was derived from various sources on the 'net. It is definitely a brute force approach. It probably takes longer and yields far more capability than you may need.

Yes it is the name of the SPEC file you just edited. I think the difference between ./configure and RPM build is that ./configure just does the compile and RPM build compiles and creates the RPMs. You can decide how you want to do it. I like using RPMs because that way, if I wanted to take the RPM and put it on a different server, it would be easy.

You do need to worry about dependencies or the build will fail. yum is really nice.

When it finishes, you should have a big collection of RPMs, the forced installation ensures they are loaded onto the server for use.