Question about correct PHP/MySQL configuration

Hello. I'm in the process of setting up a RH Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP configuration. Prior to attempting this setup, I've never installed Apache, MySQL, or PHP. So, please bear with me. Also, My RH Linux setup had PHP and Apache on it already (via the orginal RH install). So, here's my situation; as part of a MySQL book review I'm working on, I installed the MySQL binaries via RPM (fyi: the MySQL-Max RPM doesn't work..when it attempts to start, the daemon fails because of missing files. Regular MySQL works flawlessly). I also installed a sample PHP app from the book and, at the point it attempts to access the database, it generates a blank page (some source is present... just beginning and ending HTML doc tags). I suspect that the failure may be related to an improper PHP config. My PHPINFO script reveals the following --with statement: --with-mysql=shared,/usr. Meanwhile, mysql lives in /usr/bin. So, is this the problem? Is it because PHP is improperly configured t! o find mysql? If so, I'm also trying to figure out the fastest path to correcting the problem. I must confess that I've never run configure-make-install. If that's the easiest way to correct this, do I need to reinstall PHP so that I have the source code on my system? Not knowing much about PHP and seeing it show up in a bunch of directories on my Linux box, I'm not sure if I have the source, or what directory it's in (where I'd need to run configure-make-install). So, if the source isn't on this box, does it need to be and do I need to remove the current PHP installation first? If I need to remove the PHP installation and reinstall from the source, will that break the now functioning Apache-PHP connection and how would I correct that? Also, what's the "shared" part of the "with" statement? Why do I need or not need that? Thanks in advance for any help. David * * * * * * * Hackers. Thieves. Cyberterrorists. Are you prepared? Take the Digital Defense Test! A ZDNet Special Report. Coming Sept. 25. http://Defense.zdnet.com <http://Defense.zdnet.com>