linux 7 problems

i installed php4 on my linux 7 system. when i try to access a .php file, it tries to save it to disk. i changed the httpd.conf file already. here is another quirk that i don't know is related..... when i use a command line window to path to /usr/local/ i do 'ls' and i can see my apache and mysql directories that i installed. i cannot see the php directory. when i use the gnome/windows-like environment, the php directory shows up. i can do cd /usr/local/php* and it will put me in it, but i won't show up on a 'ls' command. any solutions?