You could think of Setting Up LAMP as four books in one, but it's actually something much more valuable: a single volume that presents the open-source technologies known collectively as LAMP-Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP-as tightly dovetailed components of today's most affordable and effective platform for building dynamic web-based applications. Each technology has uses outside of this context, of course, but within it they form something greater than the sum of their parts. This book shows you how to take full advantage of this power, walking you through all the steps required to lay your Linux foundation, install and configure your Apache web server, and then begin using PHP to access content stored in MySQL. Here are a few of the specific topics you'll find covered inside:



Installing and configuring qmail with support for IMAP, POP3, SMTP, virtual domains, spam filtering, and antivirus
Managing system users and groups
Configuring your network
Creating a custom firewall script using IP tables
Recognizing when a system is in distress
Handling MySQL database replication
Configuring virtual domains
Writing a basic PHP script that integrates with MySQL

If you're new to all of this, you'll quickly get to where you need to be to start developing and deploying the higher-level pieces of your web application. Even if you have experience with one or all of these technologies, this book-including its quick-start installation appendix-is a resource you'll want close by whenever you're setting up or fine-tuning your LAMP system.