Most distrobutions come with Apache installed, sometimes PHP as well but I haven't seen one with MySQL installed.

I have always been hosted by Linux servers but I have always had cPanel to help me but I am starting to use more command line to do things.

I'm a Linux geek, so setting up LAMP servers is no problem for me. However, pretty much every distro I've installed has had Apache, PHP, and MySQL as options when installing the system. They might not be checked by default, but they are there.

By the way, your commenting "Remember Me" thing tried telling me I was Matt [above]...

I use Ubuntu. LAMP goes easy using Synaptic (GUI for apt-get).

Even on shell is easy. Something like
"apt-get install php5 mysql-server apache2" or something like that.

You should try that.

try XAMPP. Not only is it a preconfigured LAMP stack, it is always the latest one. Great for a developer's home environment, not so great for a production site, as it is not very secure by default.

I'm no linux-geek. not a geek at all actually. It strikes met that there's a tendency to make things appear quasi-simple in the (open source) programming world. Everything is advertised as easy to learn en do. But eventually you have to learn, really learn. And there's nothing wrong with that. What's use of pre-installed if I can't find my way through the .ini? or worse not even to the .ini at all? at some point I'll have to. Let alone the hours to gather programming skills. Installation is the least of my worries, really.

I use Xampp as well, have used phpdev http://www.firepages.com.au/ and even have some sets on usb sticks (http://www.chsoftware.net/en/useware/wos/wos.htm) that's ultimate cool stuff, running a complete AMP setup on a stick :) Even switching between php4 and 5 is a matter of clicking one button.

You know what you're missing.... a cheat cheat-sheet.

Anyway, easyPHP all the way!

I haven't tried it myself, but you might want to look at the SME Server (which used to be at e-smith.org):

http://contribs.org/modules/news/

You manage it through a web interface, and here is the feature list from the site:
* Sharing of a single Internet connection between multiple computers
* A network firewall to protect against Internet intruders
* A robust email server, which includes virus and spam filtering and webmail
* File and print sharing
* Web application server, including support for MySQL, Perl and PHP
* Secure remote access
* Supported languages: Deutsch, English, Español, Français and Italiano, with more on the way
* Complete binary compatibility with the leading Linux server distribution
* and much more

XAMPP is the best I have found to date.

http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html

Apache, MySQL, PHP & PEAR, Perl, ProFTPD, phpMyAdmin, OpenSSL, GD, Freetype2, libjpeg, libpng, gdbm, zlib, expat, Sablotron, libxml, Ming, Webalizer, pdf class, ncurses, mod_perl, FreeTDS, gettext, mcrypt, mhash, eAccelerator, SQLite and IMAP C-Client

And loads of versions, so you can get a configuration that closely matches your 'live' web server.

i am looking at Slampp right now, and really like the way it all come preconfigured/ preinstalled. i'd like to see more of it. minus is that it still runs slackware 10.1 and lacks open vpn.. but otherwise one of the best (home) server solutions i've come across.

Kind Regards, Martijn Beekhuis

p.s. http://slampp.abangadek.com/

Ubuntu if you want something easy. It's pretty simple to install apps...something like this at the command line will get you there:

apt-get apache
apt-get mysql
apt-get php/perl/python


Gentoo is nice, but it had a steep learning curve for me. Good if you really do want to learn linux though. And the merging is nice with config files, so they don't get wiped out or unchanged.

Ubuntu 6.06 is the way to go. The server version installs and configures a LAMP server automatically.

For Linux Users, I'd recommend XAMPP for Linux. http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html

For the control panel, download the add-on at: http://addons.xampp.org/cgi-bin/search.pl?pid=32

The Control Panel works well. Allows you to start services: Apache, MySQL, etc., as well as switch between PHP4 and PHP5.

Its good! keeps out the riff raff.

Or just get any 'server' distro

Red Hat server,
Ubuntu server,
etc
etc

andrew dot holway at gmail dot com

all I can say is Gentoo !!! emerge apache php mysql