We're going to start with a simple acroynm: LAMP.
No, not the illuminating gizmo. The acronym stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, ergo LAMP. It is a simple and, more importantly, free package that comes with a Linux environment and gives you everything needed to set up a basic web server to host pages, data, forms and produce reports with. Wut? How?
Start with the Operating System
Now the first part, Linux, is simple enough. Just find an old computer that someone thinks is outdate, gut the OS, and replace it with Linux. Any distribution will do. Personally, right now, I like Mint. It's very much like Windows 11 but it comes with all the nice features of a complete Linux package, and it interacts better on a GUI basis that Ubuntu. Plus, there's no complicated aspects that you need to be an expert in, like Arch Linux. Save that for another time. Instead, get your old resurrected laptop or tower suited with Mint, and you're ready for the next step.
Server Time
With your Linux OS in place, go to the terminal feature, and install Apache. This is a free Linux software you can download via the terminal with a command line command and install. It provides a robust and stable server tool which you will need to host your web pages and similar as well as Interact with the Internet as a web host.
Now, I need to digress a bit here. Ideally, your computer has a static IP address. Why? Because then your address on the Internet is always the same. However, in most cases the average person doesn't have this. So, keep in mind, when you want to run your website with your computer, it will only work while the PC is on and connected to the Internet. Once turned off or disconnect, the addressing breaks. It's not a big deal if you're not trying to stand up an e-commerce site, but it can be a problem if you have regular traffic who want to find you consistently. Otherwise, just enjoy your site when your PC is turned on and connected.
Okay, back to regular programming.
Database and Forms
The next step is to install MySQL and PHP. You need the first one to run a database on your computer that can interact with the Internet, and the PHP part is needed to make your forms work, capture information, deposit it where needed, and put output where you want it.
So, both softwares install just like Apache through a Linux command in terminal. Once all installed, your Linux machine is ready to start tweaking.
Thinking Ahead
It's a good idea about this point to think about structure. Wut? How you organize things for your web pages and server. Here's a good, basic approach if you're not the creative type.
/my-website
/entry.html <-- Data entry page
/submit.php <-- Backend for storing data
/report.php <-- Report page
This provides a basic directory and web pages you create in Linux in your PC. If you're not sure how to create files in Linux, start with a text editor and code the associated pages. Then, with some basic Linux commands you can look up on Google, you place them into the directory.
With your first pages set up for a simple presence, now you can test and play with a form for data entry, storage into your new database, and output onto new web pages. It sounds complicated but it's not. You just need to practice setting everything up. This page here provides a really good guide how to do all the above and get started.
https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/95-799/LAMP-Howto/lamp-linux-apache-mysql-php.html
And, before you know it, you've set up a LAMP and you're unlocking the bigger potential of your Linux computer. Make some mistakes and try it with practice. Doing is one of the best ways to learn and get beyond the basic Windows view of computers.
LAMP takes up very little space too, so once you get the hang of it, you can evolve and try NGINX instead as a server tool. Instead of using GoDaddy and not knowing how your web domain works, you can build it yourself and run the whole show without the cost. Neat!
