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.

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

<bash> % ./configure % make % make install </bash>

• 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.

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. 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.

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.