You can choose to install one, two, or all three components of the AMP package based on your
specific needs. For example, if you are responsible for providing a company-wide intranet and/or
hosting your own Web site, you should probably install all three. If your site is hosted by a third-
party Web hosting company, however, you do not necessarily need to install all three components
(or, for that matter, any).
What Is Open Source?
PHP, Apache, and MySQL are all part of the open source group of software programs. The open source
movement is basically a collaboration of some of the finest minds in computer programming. By allow-
ing the open exchange of information, programmers from all over the world contribute to make a truly
powerful and efficient piece of software available to everyone. Through the contributions of many peo-
ple to the publicly available source code, bugs get fixed, improvements are made, and a “good” software
program becomes a “great” one over time.
Why Open Source Rocks
Open source programs are very cool because:
❑ They are free. The greatest thing about open source software is that it is free and available to the
general public. Software developers and programmers volunteer their time to improve existing
software and create new programs. Open source software cannot, by definition, require any sort
of licensing or sales fees.
❑ They are cross-platform and “technology-neutral.” By requiring open source software to be
non–platform specific, the open source community has ensured that the programs are usable by vir-
tually everyone. According to the Open Source Definition provided by the Open Source Initiative at
http://opensource.org/docs/definition.php, open source programs must not be depen-
dent on any “individual technology or style of interface” and must be “technology-neutral.” As
long as the software can run on more than one operating system, then it meets the criteria.
❑ They must not restrict other software. This basically means that if an open source program is
distributed along with other programs, those other programs may be open source or commer-
cial in nature. This gives software developers maximum control and flexibility.
❑ They embrace diversity. Diversity of minds and cultures simply produces a better result. For
this reason, open source programs cannot, by definition, discriminate against any person or
group of persons, nor against any “field of endeavor.” (For example, a program designed for
use in the medical profession cannot be limited to that field if someone in another field wants to
take the program and modify it to fit his or her needs.)
For a complete list of the criteria a piece of software must meet before it can be considered “open
source,” or for more information about the OSI or the open source community, visit the OSI Web site
at www.opensource.org
In this scenario, we can attribute the three components of the AMP module as follows:
❑ Apache: This is your highly trained master of culinary arts, the chef. Whatever people ask for,
she prepares it without complaint. She is quick, flexible, and able to prepare a multitude of dif-
ferent types of foods. Apache acts in much the same way as your HTTP server, parsing files and
passing on the results.
❑ PHP: This is the waiter. He gets requests from the patron and carries them back to the kitchen
with specific instructions about how the meal should be prepared.
❑ MySQL: This is your stockroom of ingredients (or in this case, information).
# Fixme swf files
