If you haven't been paying any attention to web development in the past 5 years or you're stuck with a legecy software stack, you probably got here by Googling for "Apache PHP Gumstix".

I would certainly advise you to use a programming language such as javascript, python, ruby, go, erlang, or any number of others which are suitable for web use to program. I would also certainly advise you to not use a confused template system run amok (that being PHP). However, I understand that sometimes... ugh... choices are limited or ignorance compels you to go back to the bad habits you're used to...

I'd also advise you to use a web server capable of handling request efficiently such as nginx, Node.JS, lighttpd, or any of a number of other event-driven web servers. I also advise you to not ues an outdated thread-spawning resource hog (that being Apache).

In this tutorial I assume that you have no intention of programming, just templating, so we'll use PHP, against my better judgement (yes, I really really really hate PHP). Since lighttpd does have modules for php and is easy to set up, we'll use that.

Superseding Apache with Lighttpd

You'll notice that there isn't any package for apache2-mod-php (or any other apache modules for that matter) in the Angstrom repository. However, there are plenty of modules for lighttpd. I choose the no-headache option.

opkg list | grep httpd
opkg install lighttpd
opkg install lighttpd-module-fastcgi

Configuring lighttpd for static pages

mkdir -p /srv/www/
vim /etc/lighttpd.conf

You may with to change the document root (note the trailing slash):

server.document-root        = "/srv/www/"

And perhaps the user (if you have created one other than root)

server.username            = "root"
server.groupname           = "root"

Configuring lighttpd with PHP

Just install the php-cgi package

opkg list | grep php
opkg install php php-cgi php-cli php-pear
vim /etc/lighttpd.conf

Just unocmment to enable mod_fastcgi

server.modules              = (
# snip snip
                                "mod_fastcgi",
# snip snip

                              )

And uncomment the PHP server configuration.

#### fastcgi module
## read fastcgi.txt for more info
## for PHP don't forget to set cgi.fix_pathinfo = 1 in the php.ini
fastcgi.server             = ( ".php" =>
                               ( "localhost" =>
                                 (
                                   "socket" => "/tmp/php-fastcgi.socket",
                                   # Default was "bin-path" => "/usr/local/bin/php"
                                   # Gumstix proper:
                                   "bin-path" => "/usr/bin/php-cgi"
                                 )
                               )
                            )

Note the change of the default bin-path to /usr/bin/php-cgi

Test the configuration

Create a test page:

cat - > /srv/www/index.php << EOF
<?php
  phpinfo();
?>
EOF

Restart lighttpd

/etc/init.d/lighttpd restart

Congratulate yourself

Congratulate yourself. Give yourself a slap on the face... er, back...

You are now perpetuating one of the most wretched problems with the web and web-based devices.

What are you going to do next? Install Windows? Rock on with your (literally) bad self.

... I hope you feel dirty.

By AJ ONeal


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(you can learn about the bigger picture I'm working towards on my patreon page )

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