I'm not sure I understand how filemaker server works at all. I was hoping it could convert my databases into php files and I could just ftp them to a website.

When I click 'edit server deployment' and get to step 5, 'configure machines' the 'Web server:' drop down list has no values. It appears that unless I can select a value, Filemaker Server will be useless.

Can anyone advise me?

You need to have either IIS on Windows or Apache on MAcintosh selected as a webs erver. The Web Publishing Engine communicates with the web server and with the database server portion of FIleMaker Server to broadcast FileMaker Pro files to the web. There is also a PHP Site Assistant that helps you construct PHP files.

Steven

I might be a little ignorant here. I installed this - http://www.iis.net/downloads/default.aspx?tabid=34&g=6&i=1289 - and this - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=56fc92ee-a71a-4c73-b628-ade629c89499&displaylang=en

then i restarted my computer, and still no values in the 'web server' field.

Ideally, i'd like to be able to convert a database into php files that i could just upload somewhere.

i really feel stuck. I'm not sure how to actually get filemaker server 9 to serve any purpose at all. I really just wanted to use it for a website for a political campaign. Two specific ideas were an excellent internet application for preparing people's voter registration forms that they could just print out and drop in the mail; and an internet application that would provide volunteers with voters' phone #s (like 10 random ones at a time) to call and give information to about the election and the campaign (similar to what obama used to have tens of millions of phone calls made for his campaign, for free). I have a good amount of experience using filemaker but no real experience making internet applications, so i thought filemaker server would be useful for this purpose, but i'm wondering if i should just hire a php expert. I don't have a lot of time to get this stuff done.

I'm also wondering if something like this - http://www.triple8.net/hosting_filemaker.htm - might be a good way to go.

Do It in PHP and SQL.

Ideally, i'd like to be able to convert a database into php files that i could just upload somewhere.

One of the PHP experts might comment further, but I do not believe that there is any process for "converting" file to PHP.

FileMaker Server hosts the files. The Web Publishing Engine, the PHP API, and a web server (IIS or Apache) are required to access the files from web browsers using PHP.

Steven

I do have the same problem, did someone found the solution?

Is it possible to use Apache for windows instead of IIS?

From the tech specs., it seems that Apache isn't supported on a Windows-based FMS. You don't see any choices for a Web Server in the setup?

Is it possible to use Apache for windows instead of IIS?

Not at this time, no.

Steven

I really don't get why everyone is so anti IIS - the only reason people generally try to avoid it is because it requires windows and so hosting plans for it are more expensive. Given that you're already running windows it wouldn't seem to be a massive issue.

If you don't want to use it to host your sites fine - set up a Linux box as your webserver and shove Apache on it.

I prefer IIS to Apache. It's easy to administer, and I have had almost no problems with it at all at client sites or my own. Apache on the other hand.....

Steven