Apache Friends Support Forum

Hello Friends,

First of all, thank you very much for making Xampp available! It is a great help.

I apologize, my German is limited so I cannot search the forum efficiently because I don't know the correct words so I might be asking what has already been addressed. I do understand German when reading so please feel free to reply in German.

I have four computers. Two of them are vintage computers with P III processors running XP Professional SP2. They are by no means updated to the latest fixes and patches. I installed Xampp on these machines' hard drives using the exe - file.

I also intalled Xampp on a USB memory stick.

It runs just fine, no problems.

Then I have two laptops, Asus Eee 901 running XP home and the other is an Acer 5738z running Vista Home. They are both fairly updated.

I cannot get Xampp to run on these machines no matter what I do. I have installed in a separate directory and not in the root. It does not work to run Xampp from the very same USB memory stick which works just fine on the vintage machines. - Of course the ports are free.

On the XP machine Apache starts and runs for some 20 seconds and then it just dies. No error messages at all. MySQL starts and runs okay.

On Vista, Apache starts but there is a problem with MySQL. The box to the left is ticked and when I try to start it I get a question if I want to delete MySQL.

I tried running as an administrator in both cases and I also disable the UAC in Vista.

No change.

I did not spend too much time with this. I am happy with the vintage machines but I would like to know if there is anything I could try.

So now I am going to try if Xampp works with Puppy Linux just for the fun of it.

Best wishes
Rolf

Hi Rolf -

For that machine where Apache dies;
look in xampp\apahce\logs\error.log - it'll likely have the cause. (although fixing it may be another matter) but that is the place to look

I'll speculate on another part of your problem - running XAMPP from a USB stick on certain machines. 2 points; some BIOS's can be configured to not allow execution from removable media and/or USB devices - in that case, the OS and its security may give no sign of why something will not execute. Second point - I have had problems in the past with Vista executing from USB devices. My problem was with OperaTOR and Crimson Editor Portable. I think the deal is a default Group permission thing you have to sidestep and the Home version doesn't have Group Policy Editor, so you need a hack. (it was a while ago so my brain is a bit foggy on details)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoRun

Good Luck

This is my own know-how to configure the XAMPP 1.7.3 server on XP SP2 with
Mercury/32 mail server. I am not an experienced developer, so this self-made
know-how may have mistakes. Anyway, I tested it two-three times the last few weeks
and it looks working fine. So use it, if you wish but I cannot
guarantee anything.

The idea of using Mercury/32 v4.61 instead of the original one comes from
Thomas R. Stephenson, you can find the case at :
http://community.pmail.com/forums/thread/17370.aspx

I used this tutorials :
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/ ... users.html
http://laffers.net/howtos/howto-install-apache
http://laffers.net/howtos/howto-install-mysql
http://laffers.net/howtos/howto-install-php



XAMPP : installation (Apache Friends XAMPP (Basis Package) version 1.7.3)
---------------

My PC : PII. 400 MHz Siemens-Fujitsu

OS: Win XP SP2

Directory for installation : C:\xampp

The original configuration files are saved into a folder.
I usually make them write-protected.


MySQL configuration in XAMPP, creating a database
--------------------------------------------------

Database : _database

Name, password : data_user, password


The know-how : readme_en.txt (this is in the folder xampp, only in Windows
version of XAMPP)
Note : The first instruction is the good, so the password has to be configured
on the security page instead of using DOS shell with the command mysqladmin.


1. To give password to a mysql administrator by the usual way may cause mistake :

mysqladmin -u root password 'root'

So I never do this.
I give password as the readme suggests (so on the security page) !
(And not with mysqladmin in a DOS shell !!)

At the case of password-trouble the most simple way to reinstall the xampp.


2.
The phpmyadmin at first time may print that the request refused by the mysql.
In this case the page must be downloaded again. (It always works for me.)


3.
Creating a database named _database in the phpmyadmin. (I usually do it as root.)


4.
In the mysql DOS shell :

mysql> CREATE USER 'data_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password' ;


mysql> GRANT SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE,CREATE,DROP
-> ON _database.*
-> TO 'data_user'@'localhost' ;


XAMPP configuration
--------------------

php.ini : it is not needed to change

httpd.conf :
DirectoryIndex - looks perfect, better than I can do

IfModule : here the name is IfModule mime_module

#date : ... , plus entries
AddType application/x-httpd-php3 .htm
AddType application/x-httpd-php3 .html

AddType application/x-httpd-php .htm
AddType application/x-httpd-php .html
#------------------------------------


mod_php : there is no such file (and all these things are in the httpd.conf)

mime.types :

#date : ... , plus entries
application/x-httpd-php phtml pht php htm html
# ----------------------------------------------------


The modified configuration files (httpd.conf, mime.types) are copied
into a folder, made them write-protected.

------------

!!!!! Only this order for starts worked for me every time :
mysql, apache, mercury

------------


MERCURY/32 configuration
-----------------------

The original Mercury/32 (v4.72) is deleted from the folder MercuryMail.

Installation the v4.61 version (m32-461) into the folder C:\xampp\MercuryMail :

SMTP client module : MercuryE
This machine's internet domain name : localhost
username for postmaster : postmaster
SMTP relaying mode : Normal

Nothing has to be moved /copied/ from the original Mercury/32 settings into
the new configuration !!
The SMTP and POP3 ports : are the same as the original ones, and
it looks unnecessary :
Configuration -> Mercury SMTP Server -> Connection Control menu /window/
IP address 127.0.0.1
(the "localhost" inner mailing works without this)


To make active this line in the file php.ini also looks unnecessary :
; sendmail_from = postmaster@localhost


Adding new users
Configuration -> Manage local users .. -> Add
Username : postmaster
Mail password : wampp

Username: newuser
Mail password : wampp



Outlook Express 6 configuration
-------------------------------

I use Hungarian version, so I cannot know the original English menu texts.
I try to translate from Hungarian.


Existing post office box /~account/ :

Eszközök /~tools/ -> Fiókok /~ post office boxes/ -> Levelezés /mailing/: localhost

-> Tulajdonságok /~properties/ -> Általános /~general/
Postafiók neve /name of the box/ : localhost
Felhasználói információ /user info/:
Név /name/: newuser
e-mail cím /e-mail address/: newuser@localhost

-> Tulajdonságok /~properties/ -> Kiszolgálók /~servers/
A beérkező levelek kiszolgálója /server for incoming mails/ :
POP3 kiszolgáló.

Beérkező levelek /incoming mails/ (POP3) : localhost
Kimenő levelek /outgoing mails/ (SMTP) : localhost
Fióknév /~box name = account name !/ : newuser
Jelszó /password/ : wampp

Creating a new post box /~account/ :

Neve /Name of the user/: newuser
E-mail cím /mail address of the user/: newuser@localhost
A beérkező levelek kiszolgálója /server for incoming mails/ : POP3 kiszolgáló.
Beérkező levelek kiszolgálója /incoming mails/ : localhost
Kimenő levelek kiszolgálója /outgoing mails/ : localhost
Fióknév /~box name = account name !/ : newuser
Jelszó /password/ : wampp



Note that this setting only useful for development (so for testing
php mailing functions on a computer, not on a real network). The sender
is the postmaster@localhost, the reciever is the newuser@localhost.

Friends,

Thank you very much for taking time to reply to my post, I really appreciate it!

However, I gave up poking around in this incredible Windows system.

I created a bootable CD/DVD and a USB stick with PuppyLinux 4.3.1.

Then I installed or rather unzipped XAMPP unto it and then also Wordpress.

It works like a charm and started right away and has been running ever since!

I am very happy now!

So in this respect mr Gates and Microsoft: Thank you and goodbye!

I am quite impressed with the speed of Puppy and the ease of installation. I am by no means a Linux expert and still I was up in no time at all.

Best wishes

Rolf