Windows web-server setup instructions guide you through making a WIMP server. WIMP stands for Windows, IIS, MySQL, and PHP which are the names of the server software this type of web server will use. Follow instructions found in each of the links below to set up your server.

These instructions were written following a Windows Server 2016/2019 server that runs IIS 10. However, the steps should be compatible to those needed for other versions of windows as well. If you find any important discrepancies, please let us know by writing to help.ltk@concordia.ca.

Remember your MySQL Login Information!

As you go through this procedure, remember to make note every time you are asked to choose a username or a password. Especially your MySQL login information.

Post-Installation Reference

When you are done installing your web server, here is what you will need to know. Write this down or remember to come back when you need it.

• Web root directory: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot
• PHP configuration file: C:\PHP\php.ini
• How to start, stop, or restart IIS: Start > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager (in older versions, may be located at Start > Start > Control Panel > Administrative Options > Internet Information Service)

• Default MySQL login information (if you didn't change it):

  username: root

  password: (blank)

Internet Information Services (IIS) is a web server that comes with Windows Server 2016 / 2019. If it is not already installed on your computer, you may need your Windows Installation CD to install it. For older versions of Windows, the instructions are slightly different from Windows Server 2016 / 2019. Please follow the instructions corresponding to your Windows version.

Windows Server 2016 / 2019

The following instructions were written following a Windows Server 2016 / 2019 server that runs IIS 10.

1. Installation:
   1. Open SERVER MANAGER
   2. Select ADD ROLES AND FEATURES (this can be done in the Dashboard)
   3. If you see the "Before You Begin" page, click NEXT
   4. Installation Type: Select ROLE-BASED OR FEATURE-BASED INSTALLATION and click NEXT
   5. Server Selection: Select the server and click NEXT
   6. Server Roles: Check the WEB SERVER (IIS) checkbox
   7. "Add features required for Web Server (IIS)?" dialog appears:
      • Check the INCLUDE MANAGEMENT TOOLS (IF APPLICABLE) checkbox
      • Click ADD FEATURES and then click NEXT
   8. Features: Click NEXT
   9. Web Server Role (IIS): Click NEXT
   10. Role Services: Check the CGI checkbox (and keep the ones already checked). NOTE: The CGI checkbox can be found under the "Application Development" category
   11. Click NEXT
   12. Confirmation: Click INSTALL
   13. Results: Click CLOSE
2. Configuration:
   1. Open INTERNET INFORMATION SERVICES (IIS) MANAGER
   2. Select the computer from the list of Connections
   3. If you see the "Do you want to get started with Microsoft Web Platform..." dialog, click CANCEL
   4. Double-click on ISAPI AND CGI RESTRICTIONS
   5. Click on EDIT FEATURE SETTINGS...
   6. Check the ALLOW UNSPECIFIED CGI MODULES checkbox
   7. Click OK

Windows Server 2012

The following instructions were written following a Windows Server 2012 server that runs IIS 8.

1. Installation:
   1. Open SERVER MANAGER
   2. Select ADD ROLES AND FEATURES (this can be done in the Dashboard or in the Tools menu)
   3. If you see the "Before You Begin" page, click NEXT
   4. Installation Type: Select ROLE-BASED OR FEATURE-BASED INSTALLATION and click NEXT
   5. Server Selection: Select the server and click NEXT
   6. Server Roles: Check the WEB SERVER (IIS) checkbox
   7. "Add features required for Web Server (IIS)?" dialog appears:
      • Check the INCLUDE MANAGEMENT TOOLS (IF APPLICABLE) checkbox
      • Click ADD FEATURES and then click NEXT
   8. Features: Click NEXT
   9. Web Server Role (IIS): Click NEXT
   10. Role Services: Check the CGI checkbox (and keep the ones already checked). NOTE: The CGI checkbox can be found under the "Application Development" category
   11. Click NEXT
   12. Confirmation: Click INSTALL
   13. Results: Click CLOSE
2. Configuration:
   1. Open INTERNET INFORMATION SERVICES (IIS) MANAGER
   2. Select the computer from the list of Connections
   3. If you see the "Do you want to get started with Microsoft Web Platform..." dialog, click CANCEL
   4. Double-click on ISAPI AND CGI RESTRICTIONS
   5. Click on EDIT FEATURE SETTINGS...
   6. Check the ALLOW UNSPECIFIED CGI MODULES checkbox
   7. Check the ALLOW UNSPECIFIED ISAPI MODULES checkbox
   8. Click OK

Windows Server 2008

The following instructions were written following a Windows Server 2008 R2 server that runs IIS 7.

1. Installation:
   1. START > ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS > SERVER MANAGER
   2. In the left-side pane, select ROLES
   3. Click ADD ROLES
   4. If you see the "Before You Begin" page, click NEXT
   5. Check the WEB SERVER (IIS) checkbox
   6. Click NEXT
   7. Click NEXT
   8. Check the CGI checkbox (and keep the ones already checked)
   9. Click NEXT
   10. Click INSTALL
   11. Click CLOSE
2. Configuration:
   1. START > ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS > INTERNET INFORMATION SERVICES (IIS) MANAGER
   2. Select the computer from the list of Connections
   3. Double-click on ISAPI AND CGI RESTRICTIONS
   4. Click on EDIT FEATURE SETTINGS...
   5. Check the ALLOW UNSPECIFIED CGI MODULES checkbox
   6. Check the ALLOW UNSPECIFIED ISAPI MODULES checkbox
   7. Click OK

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor is a popular server-side scripting language used for building web pages. It can be downloaded for free. We will guide you through installing PHP 8.2. The minimum required version of PHP is 7.3.0 and the maximum version is currently 8.3.x. PHP 8.3 support was added in the LTK+ 4.9.1 patch. Please ensure that IIS (or Apache) is already installed before you install PHP.

1. Installation:

   1. Download the PHP 8.2 "Non Thread Safe" zip file from: https://windows.php.net/download/#php-8.2

      Choose the zip that corresponds to your Windows architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).

      Note: If you do not have the required Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio for your version of PHP, you will need to download and install it.

   2. Extract the contents to C:\PHP
2. Configuration IIS with PHP:
   1. Open this guide: https://php-legacy-docs.zend.com/manual/php5/en/install.windows.legacy.index#install.windows.legacy.iis7
   2. Follow the instructions in the "Using IIS Manager user interface to create a handler mapping for PHP" section to create a handler mapping for PHP.

   3. Follow the instructions in the "Set index.php as a default document in IIS" section to add index.php as a default document.

      In IIS 7+, this can also be done under Default Document in IIS Manager

   4. Follow the instructions in the "FastCGI timeout settings" section to adjust FastCGI timeout settings - set Activity Timeout and Request Timeout to at least 10800 seconds (180 minutes)

      In IIS 7+, this can also be done under FastCGI Settings in IIS Manager

   5. (Optional) Follow the instructions in the "FastCGI and PHP Recycling configuration" to adjust additional FastCGI settings
3. Configuration PHP settings for LTK+:

   1. Open php.ini for editing (PHP's configuration file).

      C:\PHP\php.ini

      Note: If there is no php.ini file, create one by copying the sample php.ini-production file.

   2. Make the following changes:

      1. Search for: memory_limit

         Change this line to: memory_limit = 128M

      2. Search for: post_max_size

         Change this line to: post_max_size = 25M

      3. Search for: upload_max_filesize

         Change this line to: upload_max_filesize = 20M

      4. Search for: Paths and Directories

         Set the extension_dir to "ext" (you may need to add a new line for this)

      5. Search for: extension=gd

         Uncomment this line (remove ";" from the beginning of the line).

      6. Search for: extension=mbstring

         Uncomment this line (remove ";" from the beginning of the line).

      7. Search for: extension=mysqli

         Uncomment this line (remove ";" from the beginning of the line).

      8. Search for: session.auto_start

         Change this line to: session.auto_start = 0

      9. Search for: session.gc_maxlifetime

         Change this line to: session.gc_maxlifetime = 10800

   3. (Optional) If you plan to import student information from GPI databases, then keep php.ini open and proceed to Windows GPI Setup.

MySQL is a widely used open-source database. It is commonly used with web applications like ePEARL. We will guide you through installing MySQL 8.0. The minimum required version of MySQL is 5.6 but the latest version is recommended (except "Innovation Release" versions).

1. Installation & Configuration:

   1. Download MySQL Community Server from https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/8.0.html#downloads.

      Choose the MySQL Installer MSI download.

   2. Double-click on the downloaded file to being MySQL installation.
   3. Follow these instructions:
      1. Proceed until the "Choosing a Setup Type" page of the wizard
      2. Choosing a Setup Type: Select SERVER ONLY and click NEXT
      3. Installation: Click EXECUTE and then NEXT
      4. Product Configuration: Click NEXT
   4. You will be taken to the configuration wizard. Follow these instructions:

      1. Type and Networking:

         Change the Config Type to SERVER COMPUTER

         Click NEXT

      2. Authentication Method:

         Click NEXT

      3. Accounts and Roles:

         Enter a new root password. (Write this password down!)

         Retype the password.

         Click NEXT

      4. Windows Service:

         CONFIGURE MYSQL SERVER AS A WINDOWS SERVICE should be checked

         START THE MYSQL SERVER AT SYSTEM STARTUP should be checked

         Click NEXT

      5. Server File Permissions:

         Click NEXT

      6. Apply Server Configuration:

         Click EXECUTE

         Click FINISH

      7. The installer returns to the "Product Configuration" page:

         Click NEXT

      8. Installation Complete:

         Click FINISH

Additional steps are required in order to support importing GPI school data. GPI requires a Microsoft SQL Server connection which requires additional PHP libraries. Different libraries must be included depending on your version as described in the "Additional PHP Configuration" section below.

It is highly recommended that you raise the server's PHP memory limit when importing from GPI.

1. Open php.ini for editing (PHP's configuration file).

   C:\PHP\php.ini

2. Make the following changes:

   Search for: memory_limit

   Change this line to: memory_limit = 512M

After you have finished importing from GPI you can change your memory limit back to the recommended settings (128M).

Additional PHP Configuration

1. Download Microsoft Drivers for PHP for SQL Server:
   1. See the following System Requirements to determine which version of SQLSRV you should download: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc296170.aspx
   2. Download the appropriate version of SQLSRV from: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-ca/sql/connect/php/download-drivers-php-sql-server
2. Depending on the version of SQLSRV downloaded, you will either have a Zip file (e.g. "SQLSRV510.ZIP") or an executable file (e.g. "SQLSRV59.EXE").

   • For Zip downloads, extract the files into your PHP library folder (ext) most likely found under "C:\PHP".

   • For executable downloads, follow these steps:

     1. Click "Yes"
     2. Click "Browse" and select your PHP library folder (ext) most likely found under "C:\PHP".
     3. Click "OK"

   You should now have several new libraries added to your ext folder.

3. Open php.ini for editing (PHP's configuration file)

   C:\PHP\php.ini

   Make the following changes:

   1. Search for your other extensions: extension=

      Depending on the version of PHP installed, append the corresponding extension to the bottom of the extension list:

      Note this assumes you are using a non-thread safe version of PHP

      PHP 8.3
      • For 32-bit (x86): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_83_nts_x86
      • For 64-bit (x64): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_83_nts_x64
      PHP 8.2
      • For 32-bit (x86): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_82_nts_x86
      • For 64-bit (x64): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_82_nts_x64
      PHP 8.1
      • For 32-bit (x86): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_81_nts_x86
      • For 64-bit (x64): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_81_nts_x64
      PHP 8.0
      • For 32-bit (x86): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_80_nts_x86
      • For 64-bit (x64): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_80_nts_x64
      PHP 7.4
      • For 32-bit (x86): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_74_nts_x86
      • For 64-bit (x64): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_74_nts_x64
      PHP 7.3
      • For 32-bit (x86): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_73_nts_x86
      • For 64-bit (x64): extension=pdo_sqlsrv_73_nts_x64

4. Note: If you are using SQLSRV Version 5.10 or higher and receive an error message when trying to use GPI that states the Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 is not installed, you can download it using one of the links below. Choose the link that corresponds to your Windows architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)

   • For 32-bit (x86): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2214633
   • For 64-bit (x64): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2214634

   Note: If you are using SQLSRV Version 5.2 or higher and receive an error message when trying to use GPI that states the Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 is not installed, you can download it using one of the links below. Choose the link that corresponds to your Windows architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)

   • For 32-bit (x86): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2216865
   • For 64-bit (x64): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2217421

   Note: If you are using SQLSRV Version 4.0 or higher and receive an error message when trying to use GPI that states the Microsoft ODBC Driver 13.1 is not installed, you can download it using one of the links below. Choose the link that corresponds to your Windows architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)

   • For 32-bit (x86): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2120923
   • For 64-bit (x64): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2121020

Depending on your version of MacOS, it may come with some of these server components already installed. Apache, for instance, is included as part of the standard MacOS installation.

PHP and MySQL are trickier. While PHP is frequently installed, many versions lack a needed module and may need to be replaced. MySQL is inconsistently installed across different versions of MacOS and these instructions therefore assume that it is not present - you are welcome to look up whether you already have MySQL installed, but there is no harm in simply installing it again.

The instructions below were written for MacOS Catalina (MacOS 10.15) or higher. If you find any important discrepancies from your experience, please let us know by writing to help.ltk@concordia.ca.

Alternative Method

If you do not require as much control over your server, only wish to run the LTK+ on a single computer, or cannot complete server setup to match LTK+ requirements otherwise, then you may want to consider installing the free or paid versions of the programs MAMP (https://www.mamp.info) or XAMPP (https://www.apachefriends.org) instead. Both these programs already include Apache2, MySql and PHP, and becomes the program you use to control your server services in place of MacOS.

Setting up Apache on MacOS involves configuring the built-in Apache HTTP Server that comes with the operating system. To begin, you can check the status of Apache by using the Terminal command apachectl -v. You can start the Apache server with sudo apachectl start and stop it with sudo apachectl stop

If you need to configure Apache or make changes to its settings, you can do so by editing the Apache configuration files. The main configuration file is typically located at /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

This process is usually equally simple in other versions of macOS. However, the details of this action might change depending on the version.

PHP is installed in many versions of Mac OS and most versions of Mac OS X Server by default, but it may not be a version that is supported by the LTK+.

If the PHP version does not meet the LTK+ requirements, you will need to change the version of PHP you have installed. Information on how to install PHP on MacOS can be found online at https://www.php.net/manual/en/install.macosx.packages.php. You may need to research the process for your specific situation, as the installation process may vary depending on your operating system.

If you find that you cannot run or install a supported version of PHP, then you may want to try installing and running a program like MAMP or XAMPP (see the MacOS overview section). Failing that, you may have to try a different system altogether.

Once you have ensured your PHP version meets the requirements; we need to make sure the Apache web server is configured to run PHP. To enable PHP, open the macOS Server application and, in the "Websites" tab, check the "Enable PHP" option under Web Applications.

MySQL

To install MySQL:

1. Download MySQL:
   1. Go to https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/
   2. Select the version that best matches your server
2. Installation
   1. Open the mysql-x.x.xx-.dmg and double-click the .pkg file inside
   2. Follow the installation instructions. For more help, see: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/macos-installation-pkg.html
   3. Helpful information can also be found at https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/macos-installation-notes.html

Tips for Interacting with MySQL

By default, mysql installations reside in the /usr/local/mysql/ folder. You can have more than one version of MySQL present on your system. This causes no harm as long as you don't try to run more than one version at the same time.

Be sure to use commands that reach your intended version by specifying the full path (starting with /usr/local/mysql/), or make sure your shell's path variable is set to direct to that version.

Starting MySQL

If you have installed the MySQL Preference Pane, then open System Preferences and find the MySQL option. Click Start MySQL Server to start the service.

Otherwise, you can also start the service it from the Terminal:

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start

Running MySQL in the Terminal

Find the location of the MySQL executable and then use that path in the following command in Terminal in order to run it:

/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql -u root -p

Enter the password you were given by the MySQL installer. You will now be interacting with MySQL.

Changing the default password

In order to do any other actions, such as creating databases or adding users, you may need to set a new password. The MySQL command to update a user's password is:

mysql> ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password';

Then also update the LTK+ folder's config.php document with this new password.

Now you can create the database that will be used by the LTK+, and ensure that the config.php file has the same database name for the 'mysql_database'.

Common issues

If running the LTK+ site displays the error that it cannot connect to MySQL, even when you have ensured it is running and correctly installed, try changing the 'mysql_host' name in the LTK+ folder's config.php file to '127.0.0.1' and reloading the page. If this change solves the issue, your server might not be set to listen to the file system socket.

If you have issues with the ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/tmp/mysql.sock' ensure that the service has started. See the Starting MySQL section. This error can have many causes, however since this file is created when the service is started, starting the service again may sometimes solve the issue.

Linux setup instructions are organized differently than those for Windows and MacOS. Linux instructions are inconsistent from one distribution type to the next and so, rather than grouping instructions by server component, they are grouped by distribution type. In all cases you will be asked to run security updates on the server and use its built in package manager to install the needed software.

If you would like to try installing the software for a distribution type that is not covered below, you will probably be able to do so by taking hints from these instructions and doing a bit of research. If you find any important discrepancies between your install experience and these instructions, please let us know by writing to help.ltk@concordia.ca.

Choose the guide corresponding to your Linux distribution