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Introduction
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If you are a webmaster, a web developer, or a company that is interested in running your own web server, look no further: LAMP is here. LAMP, which stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, is a robust combination of applications driven on the powerful Linux operating system. This combination of technologies has a proven track record of being efficient, secure, and always on the leading edge of the ever so popular Internet.
What is LAMP?
L—Linux Operating System
Linux is the operating system that runs the applications. It is specifically noted for its speed, minimal hardware requirements, security, and remote administration. Another great key point about Linux is that it's free! Linux is a fully featured operating system that doesn't cost you anything to use. You can download it directly from the Internet, install it, and use it without ever spending a dime (except for your own hardware of course).
Another major advantage of Linux is its ability to run with or without a graphical user interface (GUI), depending on your needs. (The non-GUI interface could almost be related to DOS mode for those Windows users who are not yet familiar with Linux.)
Linux is a project that began as a hobby by mastermind Linus Torvalds while he was a student at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Torvalds, originally working with Minix (a small Unix system), decided to create an operating system that would exceed the Minix standards. He began his development in 1991, and his first public release was version 0.02. Development of Linux continues even now with updates released as enough major changes are made to justify a new version release. Now that Torvalds has gained a much larger development team, releases are becoming more and more frequent. He is also the one who chose Tux (the penguin) to be the mascot of Linux.
Because Linux is published under the GNU (GNU stands for GNU's Not Unix) General Public License (GPL), many companies and individuals have taken the source code and adapted it to their needs. Some (most notably Red Hat) have turned huge profits by offering support for their releases and are now closing their source to commercialize their distributions.
A—Apache Web Server
Developed by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), Apache is an open source web server solution that is packed with features, is extremely fast, and works well with the Linux operating system. With the Apache web server, you can create virtual hosts that enable you to run multiple websites on a single server, and it has many more awesome features. The Apache web server is available for the Windows environment as well; however, your system will suffer from decreased performance because of Microsoft's memory management (a.k.a. leaks) and architectural differences. Therefore it is highly recommended that you use Linux for all your web serving needs.
A quick overview of Apache's features would include items such as enhanced logging, bandwidth throttling, directory access protection, Common Gateway Interface (CGI) support, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support, and a handful of other built-in modules that enable you to do all sorts of neat things with your website.
M—MySQL Database Server
MySQL is a powerful, robust database manager that enables you to store and retrieve data with a scripting language such as PHP. You can store various types of data, such as Boolean operators, text, integers, images, binary digits, and BLOBs (binary large objects) quickly and efficiently with minimal effort. Using a database is important for creating dynamic sites. The term "dynamic site" is derived from being able to utilize a single page of code to display different information based on a user's interaction. This would be virtually impossible without the use of a database and a scripting language such as PHP to manipulate the data.
ySQL is packed full of features such as data replication, table locking, query limiting, user accounts, multiple databases, persistent connections, stored procedures, triggers, and views.
P—PHP Scripting Language and Engine
PHP is a recursive acronym that stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. This widely used general-purpose scripting language is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. What this means to you is that it's a simple scripting language that can greatly enhance your website. You simply learn the code, apply the logic, and create a dynamic website that can interact with your users on many levels greater than the traditional "flat file" HTML methods of the Internet.
Why LAMP?
If you are wondering, "Why choose LAMP?" then the answer is something you must consider for yourself. The combination has been proven on many popular websites, and the technology is free to use. These factors are why many people and businesses have chosen this combination for launching their production-based websites.
With LAMP, you have full control over your server. Most important, you have remote access, which enables you to easily administer your Linux server from anywhere in the world. Linux enables you to run the services required without running a GUI, and therefore it uses less system resources—resources that could be used to speed up the process of delivering web pages to your audience.
Why LAMP is free?
The core of the Linux operating system (the kernel) is under the GNU General Public License (GPL). The reason Linux is licensed under the GPL is simple: you are authorized to make modifications of the software, and in turn, release your version to the public, as long as you release the source code along with it. This keeps everything under the GPL "open source" and allows other people to modify the work that you have done, and so on.
Although it is not necessary to license any open source software under GPL, the GPL does prevent the code from becoming closed to the public. Others cannot capitalize on an open source code foundation by improving upon it and then close the source, thereby making it difficult if not impossible for the open source community to develop the same functionality. This is a "remember your roots" type license and it is how great operating systems such as Linux and most of the open source software evolve. This type of peer review is the basis for what's called the Open Source Movement.
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