[mapserver-users] Questions on deploying PHP MapScript, IMAGEPATH, and file locations

[kreshna_iceheart at yahoo.com]

I have made a web map application using PHP MapScript, and now I'm supposed to deploy it on the production server.

The production server is using Red Hat Linux (2.6.9-22.ELsmp kernel, buildcentos at louisa.home.local, gcc version 3.4.4 20050721, Red Hat 3.4.4-2). It already has Apache 2.0.52 and PHP 5.1.6. Both the Apache and the PHP were installed from RPM, as part of the Red Hat installation package.

On the other hand, I wrote the web map application using MS4W on Windows XP. The MapServer is version 5.0.2, and came pre-packaged with Apache 2.2.8 and PHP 5.2.5.

The questions are:

(1) Would PHPMapScript 5.0.2 work well with Apache 2.0.52 and PHP 5.1.6?


(2) Please tell me if I'm right or wrong. Based on my experience with MS4W, the value of IMAGEPATH parameter points to the /temp folder, relative from the location of the php.exe.

For example, my php.exe is located in D:\ms4w\Apache\cgi-bin\, while the /temp folder is located in D:\ms4w\Apache\htdocs\temp\. Thus, the IMAGEPATH value in my mapfile is ../htdocs/temp, traversing from D:\ms4w\Apache\cgi-bin\ to D:\ms4w\Apache\htdocs\temp\.

Am I correct with the assumption above? Because in the production server, the php.bin is located in /usr/sbin/, then I have to change the IMAGEPATH value accordingly, am I correct?


(3) I think it would be easier if I start from root for the IMAGEPATH value (for example, /ms4w/Apache/htdocs/temp/ instead of ../htdocs/temp), but wouldn't it cause problem if the www user doesn't have permission to the / folder?


(4) On MS4W, the php_mapscript.dll is located in D:\ms4w\Apache\php\ext\. I think the location would be quite different in the production server. Does it affect anything?


(5) On my development PC (MS4W on Windows XP, MapServer 5.0.2), MapServer is able to display .TIFF with .RRD and .AUX (instead of world file). However, the MapServer came with MS4W. If I install MapServer on the production server, would it be able to support .RRD and .AUX out of the box, or should I install additional libraries?


(6) Based on Verbose Linux Installation page, it seems I need to recompile PHP, since the one at the production server doesn't have --with-pgsql and --enable-dbase switches. However, the production server PHP was installed from RPM. Can I recompile such RPM-installed PHP?


Many thanks,
-Kresh