The joys of AMP...

For the last few years, I've been interested in learning more about web development. However, I am looking for relatively simple-to-use solutions, so that I can recommend whatever I used to other people (who may not be tech wizards either). In particular, at the moment, I am trying to set up a simple website for English quizzes so that my students can practice certain elements of the English language on their own more easily.

In my research on the various possible solutions, I came across Moodle, which seems to be pretty much what I need. However, Moodle requires AMP - Apache, MySQL and PHP -, and that is where the going gets tough. I first tried the Moodle OS X package, which includes all of these components, but even after configuring my firewall to allow traffic on the relevant ports, Moodle cannot run Apache properly. I then trashed everything and tried to install the AMP components separately before re-installing Moodle, thinking that the Moodle install would look for AMP and only install the missing stuff (if any). OS X comes with Apache built in, so I thought that part was more or less taken care of. I then installed MySQL and PHP, and then Moodle again. Still no luck. I also looked into the Moodle install for Windows since I have XP on my Mac too, but I gave up quickly when I realized that it wasn't any easier than the OS X install. (I was hoping the Windows install might be more user-friendly simply due to the fact that so many more people use it, so I assumed it might have been a bit more polished.)

All of this is really tough for someone like me who has no computing background whatsoever. I do not have any programming skills beyond the most basic stuff, and those skills are related to outdated programmes. I have never taken any course in webserver administration or databases, yet most of the documentation that I can find online is targeted to a much more computer-literate audience, i.e. people with some kind of computer-related degree.

The situation is extremely frustrating as I can usually learn new tricks relatively easily if given proper directions. I do take the time to read the manuals whenever there are some, but I need directions that do not assume an in-depth knowledge of computer science to start with. And that is where my biggest problem is. I thought that, over the years - and I've been looking into this stuff for a few years already -, AMP would become more user-friendly and more accessible to people like me who do not have a computer science degree but can nevertheless get by with computer stuff in general. It probably did get somewhat easier. However, there sure as hell still is a long way to go.

EDIT: Wikis and Readme files can be adequate when you only have a question or two, but they aren't when you need to learn everything from a to z. The latter requires an actual manual with all the information the target audience will need. I'm a beginner, so I need beginner's guides. After losing most of my sanity, I searched for an "Apache for Dummies" and found a few. However, paper books aren't convenient when you travel a lot, and technical manuals go out of date pretty quickly, so I'd rather give the trees a break. Also, if the book doesn't really suit your needs, you've wasted a lot of time and money for nothing. With ebooks, it's easier to sample a few and find the one that suits your needs best. I therefore looked for ebooks on the subject. I googled "computer ebooks torrent" and my problem was solved: 150 ebooks on everything computer-related. I won't read all of those, of course, but there are more than a few that interest me. I can now start upgrading my status from "amateur geek" to "professional geek". I can't wait to test my soon-to-be-acquired superpowers. ;-)