First PHP File

Make Apache and PHP run YOUR code, served over the network. The "I built this" moment.

Connect VS Code to Lubuntu over SSH → drop a PHP file in your project folder → hit it in a browser → celebrate.

The setup you'll use forever

Picture the cast:

Windows = your cockpit (where your hands are)
VS Code on Windows = the editor
VS Code Remote-SSH = the bridge to Lubuntu
Files actually live on Lubuntu's disk
Apache reads those files when a browser asks

Like Google Docs but for code — you edit "in" VS Code, file lives on the server. Exact pattern the pros use with AWS, just with a laptop instead of a datacenter.

Connect VS Code to Lubuntu

In VS Code: open Extensions, search "Remote - SSH", install
Hit F1 → "Remote-SSH: Connect to Host..."
Add new host: ssh erictey@192.168.0.19
Pick where to save SSH config (default is fine)
VS Code reopens connected to Lubuntu — check bottom-left, should say "SSH: 192.168.0.19"
File → Open Folder → /home/erictey/server

The disk-to-URL map

Apache is configured to serve from /home/erictey/server/. The mapping:

File /home/erictey/server/index.php → URL http://192.168.0.19/
File /home/erictey/server/hello.php → URL http://192.168.0.19/hello.php

Path on the left, URL on the right. They mirror each other.

Write your first PHP file

In VS Code (connected to Lubuntu), create new file: hello.php
Type this:
```
<?php
echo "Hello, network.";
?>
```
Save (Ctrl+S)
From Windows browser: hit http://192.168.0.19/hello.php

Browser shows "Hello, network." — that's PHP running on Lubuntu, output sent over your WiFi, displayed on Windows. That round-trip is exactly what every website does. You just built one.

If something went wrong

Browser shows the raw PHP code: Apache's PHP module not loaded. sudo a2enmod php8.3 && sudo systemctl restart apache2
404 Not Found: wrong path/filename. Linux is case-sensitive: Hello.php ≠ hello.php. Stick to lowercase.
403 Forbidden: chmod 644 /home/erictey/server/hello.php
Blank page: PHP error with display off (we fix this in the PHP tab). Check sudo tail /var/log/apache2/error.log
Connection refused: Apache stopped. sudo systemctl start apache2

Folder convention

One folder per project — even if there's only one project right now.

/home/erictey/server/
├── medtrack/
│   ├── index.php
│   └── assets/
├── another-project/
│   └── index.php
└── tools/
    └── db-backup.php

Then http://192.168.0.19/medtrack/ serves MedTrack, the other URL serves the other project. A single Apache can host like a dozen apps without breaking a sweat.

Build: Greeter Page

Goal: take a name from the URL and greet that specific person. First taste of dynamic web pages.

Create /home/erictey/server/greet.php

Drop this in:

<?php
$name = $_GET['name'] ?? 'stranger';
echo "<h1>Hey there, " . htmlspecialchars($name) . "!</h1>";
echo "<p>Welcome to my server. The time here is " . date('H:i') . ".</p>";
?>

Hit http://192.168.0.19/greet.php — should say "Hey there, stranger!"
Now hit http://192.168.0.19/greet.php?name=Eric
Should say "Hey there, Eric!" with the current time

Stretch: add another query param like ?name=Eric&age=25 and have the page say "you're 25 years old."

What you just learned: reading URL params ($_GET), null coalescing (??), output escaping (htmlspecialchars), date formatting. We'll go deep on all of these.

Curious how /home/erictey/server/ ends up served by Apache? Peek at the APACHE tab — it's a one-line Alias in /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf.