PHP4 FUNCTION IN APACHE 1.3 & 2 DOESN'T WORK - Why???

First of I will say I am a newbie to Linux. I have spent this Easter long weekend trying to get a web server using Debian3.1 stable and Apache1.3 & 2.0. reloading Debian several times. I want to have the PHP function which appears a more funtional and user friendly language for creating a Dynamic, Active Website. It took me a while to get Debian to work on my old PC (Intel 300MHz). The main problem was getting the [BIOS] settings correct. Debian is working okay now.

I have loaded Apache 1.3, 2.0 (Apache 2-mpm-prefork and Apache2-mpm-worker) seperately(meaning removing one and trying the others individually) on my Linux only computer and trying to get PHP4 to work. The Apache1.3 & 2 are inisualized/restarted and appears to be working.

The index.html and Apache2-deafault pages located in [/var/www/] show on my XP PC connected on my network which tells me the Apache1.3 & 2.0 servers are working.

When I go to load a PHP page located in [/var/www/] in browsers Mozilla Firefox and MS Internet Explore a popup box shows asking if I want to save the file/page to harddrive. When I click open Adobe Dreamweaver starts and displays the php code in editing mode. Obviously the Apache 1.3 & 2.0 PHP interpreter isn't working.

I bought a book recommended for learning Debian called 'Debian Gnu.Linux 3.1 Bible' and am following its instructions.

I cannot find one of the code lines (Apache1.3) as mentioned in the book located in the [httpd.conf] file opened in [nano - text editor] which may be the problem;

# LoadModule php4_module/usr/lib/apache/1.3/libphp4.so

I have removed the '#' as the book recommended in the [httpd.conf] file.

#AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
#AddType application/x-httpd-source .php

But the php still doesn't work on my browsers. Obviously I am doing something wrong because I have looked on the internet for an answer. One person on this forum said he/she had the same problem and it turned out to be the Permissions. I have no idea what this means.

Eventually I want to have a linux server setup with Apache webserver running php to communicate with a MySQL database along with a bank of Harddrives via RAID for network file saving. This is on a network I have setup at home so that I can learn Systems Administration.

If anyone can help me in solving this problem I would deeply appreciate it.