CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpfirefoxubuntudocumentroot
Keelx
Keelx

Reputation: 917

php only works from the document root?

I am using ubuntu 11.04 with an apache-mysql server (I think that is called LAMP) on a firefox web browser. If I put a php file in my document root, and then type http://localhost/myfile.php, it runs fine. But if I simply click it, it opens up firefox and prompts me to save or download the file. If I put it, say, on my desktop, and doubleclick it, it does the save or download thing. Why is this, and can I configure it so that I can just click and display like a normal html file would?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 630

Answers (2)

deceze
deceze

Reputation: 522165

A PHP file needs to be interpreted server-side before it reaches the browser. If you just open it using file:///foo/bar/myfile.php, Firefox won't know what to do with it, because Firefox doesn't interpret PHP. Conversely, how would Firefox know that /foo/bar/myfile.php should be opened using the completely unrelated address http://localhost/myfile.php?

Bottom line: it just doesn't work that way.

Upvotes: 0

Hamish
Hamish

Reputation: 23316

PHP is a scripting language. The output you see from the address is the generated output of the executed PHP file. When you double click it you (correctly) get the file source.

Upvotes: 2

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