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A historical RaQ 3 community guide describes installing MySQL from source first, then building PHP 4 with MySQL and Apache apxs support, and finally adjusting Apache’s configuration. It is useful as an account of the old setup sequence, not as a tested recipe for every RaQ 3 revision—or a way to install current PHP and database releases.
What to know before attempting this on a RaQ 3
The Cobalt RaQ 3 is a Linux-based web-hosting appliance, not simply a generic Linux server. Its official RaQ 3 manual describes a preconfigured system with Apache and services including Sendmail, FTP, DNS, and FrontPage extensions. It also documents browser-based Server Management and Cobalt’s virtual-site model, in which the appliance manages hosted sites through its own administration environment.
That matters because Apache configuration and paths may reflect the appliance’s management model. The manual establishes platform context; it does not document the PHP 4 and MySQL installation described below. The specific procedure comes instead from an anonymous historical PHPBuilder forum post and should be treated as that author’s experience.
The instructions concern PHP 4 and early MySQL-era tools and filenames. They do not establish compatibility with current releases, present-day security suitability, or support for every RaQ 3 or RaQ 3i software revision.
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Historical sequence at a glance
| Stage | What the forum guide describes | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 1. MySQL | Build from source under /usr/local/mysql, initialize the grant tables, start the server, and check it with client and administration commands. |
The author preferred source installation after reporting instability with an RPM. That is one user’s observation, not evidence that all RPM packages are unsafe. |
| 2. PHP 4 | Configure PHP with --with-mysql --with-apxs, then run make and make install. |
The options and build steps are historical; they do not demonstrate that a modern PHP release can be built on the original appliance software. |
| 3. Apache | Locate libphp4.so, enable PHP module directives in httpd.conf, and add a PHP MIME type in srm.conf. |
Check the actual paths and Apache layout on the particular appliance before changing configuration. |
| 4. Check | The author says to reboot and use a phpinfo script to check PHP. |
This is reported procedure, not a result validated on RaQ 3 hardware. |
1. Install MySQL before PHP
The forum author’s sequence begins with MySQL so that PHP can be built with MySQL support available. The post recommends obtaining a MySQL source archive, creating a dedicated mysql user and group, unpacking and compiling the source under /usr/local/mysql, initializing the grant tables, and changing ownership to the MySQL user. It then describes starting the database daemon and checking it with mysqladmin and the MySQL client.
The post also describes configuring a startup script. It does not establish that a particular script, archive version, command output, or filesystem layout applies to every RaQ 3 installation. Its sample command output is illustrative rather than a reliability or performance statistic.
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2. Build PHP 4 with MySQL and Apache support
Once MySQL is in place, the author describes configuring PHP 4 with --with-mysql --with-apxs, followed by make and make install. In plain terms, the first option requests MySQL support, while apxs is used to integrate PHP with Apache as a module.
These are historical build instructions tied to the PHP and Apache environment of the post. They do not establish current-release compatibility, and a reader should not assume the same configure options or build dependencies apply to later PHP generations.
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3. Connect PHP to the appliance’s Apache configuration
The post describes locating the installed libphp4.so module, enabling the PHP module directives in httpd.conf, and defining a PHP MIME type in srm.conf. It specifically warns that an older PHP 3 MIME-type label should be corrected for PHP 4.
Before editing, identify the actual Apache configuration files and module path on the machine in question. A generic path or directive copied from the post may not match a specific appliance revision, and changes to Apache configuration can affect the RaQ’s managed virtual sites.
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Do not substitute instructions for another Cobalt model
A separate archived Cobalt Developers mailing-list post discusses an XTR, including RPMs, extension configuration, and a socket link. It is about a different model; it is not evidence that those steps are correct for a RaQ 3. Match instructions to the exact appliance rather than treating Cobalt models as interchangeable.
What this guide can—and cannot—tell you
The available model-specific account gives a historical order of operations: MySQL first, PHP 4 second, then Apache integration and a basic check. It is neither an official Cobalt procedure nor a controlled test. The official manual documents the RaQ 3’s platform and administration model, but does not validate this installation sequence.
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- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
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If the goal is to preserve or understand a legacy system, use this account as historical context and verify every version, path, and configuration detail against the exact hardware and software revision. It is not a recommendation to expose a PHP 4-era server to current workloads or the public internet.
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