Install Drupal on Microsoft Server

Install Drupal on Microsoft Server Organic Design procedure

Installing Drupal on a Linux server is catered for admirably by Drupal's own Installation Page for Developers which will accomplish what follows here. Also, you can install Drupal on Apache2 on Windows.

In this example we have a remote Windows Server 2003 SP2 with IIS6 being accessed from an Ubuntu Linux local machine. Drupal 6 is being installed.

Install rdesktop

Download rdesktop from http://www.rdesktop.org/ (in the case that you are using a remote server).

Install rdesktop in a terminal as root:

• Extract to any dir and copy as root to /usr/local
• cd to the rdesktop dir
• Install as follows

  % ./configure

% make % make install

• Navigate to the server using rdesktop servername (or IP), then logon using the username and password that the server owner will have provided you with.

If you get an ERROR: Could not find X Window System headers/libraries, apt-get install libx11-dev

Note you can use the -g n% switch to make the remote desktop bigger, n being a percentage of your own screen size.

You may need to transfer files from one Microsoft server to another, it has its own RDP. In a terminal type mstsc.exe /admin (for Windows Server 2008) or mstsc.exe /console (earlier Windows servers). You can attach drives in Options:

• Click Local Resources
• Click More
• Click Drives

You can then copy and paste files from one server to the other without the need for FTP.

32 bit

There is still not a feasible 64 bit for PHP so that mandates 32 bit all round for IIS. The IIS 6 tools need to be installed then this procedure followed to make it possible to install 32 bit of everything, at least until there is a official 64 bit PHP.

Install Mysql

• If you are using Drupal 6, you need to use mysql. Drupal 7 can be run on MSSQL.

• Go to http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/#downloads and download the community edition for Windows 32 bit depending on the Windows install.

• FTP or otherwise transfer the mysql MSI to any folder on the remote server. Nautilus is not much use for this so install Filezilla via the Ubuntu Software Center.

• Install the MSI into C:\mysql, then run MySQLInstanceConfig.exe

• Go through the install procedure, remembering to allow root access remotely.

• Test by using the MySQL command utility to check for databases, there should be a test database that you can access.

Install PHP

First download and install Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package.

Then download and install FastCGI.

Then download and install the msi version PHP non-thread safe 32 bit into C:\PHP. Note there is officially only the 32 bit available.

For IIS 6, install with the FastCGI option checked and also the mysql extension. Then follow these instructions from No. 7 on, using the php.ini file in C:\PHP, when you are done with the ini file copy it into C:\WINDOWS. Test as per the article. The install procedure will have registered the .php extension for you as well as adding c:\PHP to the Path.

For IIS 7, follow instructions in this video. Other details can be found here.

Install Drupal

Download the zipped version of Drupal 6.

Extract it into a subfolder of C:\inetpub\wwwroot, e.g. C:\inetpub\wwwroot\drupal.

Follow these instructions to install Drupal.

You will then be able to access the Drupal using the server's IP, e.g. http://XX.XX.XX.XX/drupal, or via http://localhost/drupal using the RDP.

Set Up Drupal

See the Drupal Page to set up a Drupal from here.