willing to learn php basics

[Bernard <bdebreil@teaser.fr>]

Hi to Everyone !

How can I learn how to make first steps in PHP ?

I run Debian Lenny, and I lately got acquainted with MySQL : I installed 
a server on my system, built a few databases there, using basic SQL 
scripts. I also learnt to manage those MySQL databases with 
OpenOffice.org_base.

Now, I wish to try managing those MySQL bases from a web page that would 
contain PHP scripts. I have found a short document, a kind of a FAQ, 
that explains a few PHP basics, still I miss some down-to-Earth knowledges :

Have I got to install one or more Debian packages for PHP ?  '$apt-cache 
search PHP' gives too many results for a choice. If the MySQL server and 
databases end up to the webspace that my Internet Provider allows to me, 
I suppose that the PHP interpreter and/or compiler will have to be 
there, not on my system ?   Still, I suppose that I must install 
something locally so as to be able to send meaningfull commands using 
appropriate scripts ?  Prior to run tests on distant web space, I first 
wish to carry trials with connexions to my local mysql server.

Thanks in advance for your help