title: configuring php with oracle usin tns on mac os x
body: <p>I am new to php but I've got it running (php 5.3.3) on my mac (OS 10.6). However when I try to run this script:</p>
  
  <pre><code>    &lt;?php // Create connection to Oracle
  $conn = oci_connect("user", "pass", "tnsnames.ora");
  if (!$conn) {
     $m = oci_error();
     echo $m['message'], "\n";
     exit;
  }
  else {
     print "Connected to Oracle!";
  }
  // Close the Oracle connection
  oci_close($conn);
  ?&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I get the error: "Fatal error: Call to undefined function oci_connect()..."</p>
  
  <p>Now, I've checked oracle's website and downloaded their instant client, but I'm stuck as to what to do next.  Their instructions are:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>On non-Windows platforms rebuild PHP
    using the following configuration
    option:
    --with-oci8=shared,instantclient,/path/to/instant/client/libs
    Edit your php.ini file and add:
    extension = oci8.so Ensure that your
    extension_dir parameter (in php.ini)
    points to the location where oci8.so
    was installed. Set environment
    variables required by Oracle, such as
    PATH (Windows) or LD_LIBRARY_PATH (on
    Linux) Restart you webserver.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>But could someone explain that to me in simpler language?  I am really confused.  I can't find an oci8.so file in the instant client folder, and I don't know where to put the extention = oci8.so in the file (all I have are php.ini-production and php.ini-development.  And I don't know how "rebuild" PHP with configuration options.</p>
  
  <p>Oh and I don't know how to pull in the tnsnames.org file either.  Is this the right way?  Since I don't even have a connection yet, I don't know if this is failing or not.</p>