Apache Friends Support Forum

I have three windows 10 computers and I tried to download the new version of XAMPP on them. One was successful the other two installations were a disaster.

I wished to keep the older version, so I created a new folder and downloaded the new version into that. On the successful download the new folder was filled with the requisite XAMPP folders and files. On the other two computers the folders were empty. Eventually I had to give up and created a Windows restore point.

I write books on web design and I have been asked by Apress.com to update my book on PHP and MySQL to accommodate PHP7 and MySQL 8.
In the original version of the book I recommended XAMPP but this is in doubt for the new book.

uncertain wrote:In the original version of the book I recommended XAMPP but this is in doubt for the new book.

As long as you are not able to install Xampp, it seems a good idea to not recommend Xampp. It looks strange. Do not recommend Xampp. Thx.

That is stating the obvious. What I need to know is why the new version of XAMPP refuses to install on my computers.

Did you tried the alternative .zip and .7z versions too?

The XAMPP website offers no alternatives other than the installer.exe.

Is my problem caused by installing the new version of XAMPP into a new folder? I wished to keep the older version in its original c:\xampp folder.

uncertain wrote:The XAMPP website offers no alternatives other than the installer.exe.

It does, but you overlooked it for an unknown reason. The website offers a link "More Downloads" (in the same line as "Requirements" and "Add-Ons" - did you overlook that all??) and there you will find ZIP files etc. pp.
If you stlll cannot find it, i will apply direct links for you.

Anyway, i dont think its a good idea if you recommend Xampp, thats weird.

1. Why is a member of the XAMPP community suggesting that I no longer recommend XAMPP?
2. The first edition of my book was based on XAMPP and everything worked fine. For the second edition, I wished to continue with XAMPP but to upgrade the code to PHP 7 and MariaDb. Therefore, version 7.0.1 of XAMPP was a sensible choice. I don't think that was a weird decision.
3. I am having difficulty in finding alternative software that contains PHP 7, PHPMyAdmin and MySQL 8 or equivalent.
4. I found the XAMPP zip file after drilling down through the Sourceforge site, but why is it not listed on the XAMPP site?
5. I am confused by the fact that some downloads are listed as portable, but I can find no information on this.

uncertain wrote:5. I am confused by the fact that some downloads are listed as portable, but I can find no information on this.

Portable versions does have the following differences:

• MercuryMail, FileZilla FTP Server, Webalizer are not part of these versions
• All paths are set without any drive letters
• Windows services to autostart are disabled

These versions are meant to run on an usb pen.

uncertain wrote:3. I am having difficulty in finding alternative software that contains PHP 7, PHPMyAdmin and MySQL 8 or equivalent.

But you know that XAMPP replaced MySQL with MariaDB 1,5 years ago?

uncertain wrote:4. I found the XAMPP zip file after drilling down through the Sourceforge site, but why is it not listed on the XAMPP site?

It is listed on the XAMPP page. You can either click the "Click here for other versions" link on the Main page or the "Download" Tab to directly get to the sourceforge projects page.
Only the main and installer versions can be downloaded directly from the main apachefriends homepage. For older versions, alternative versions like portable versions or the .zip and .7z versions you need to download them from sourceforge where all XAMPP versions are listed.

uncertain wrote:1. Why is a member of the XAMPP community suggesting that I no longer recommend XAMPP?

1) There is no "Xampp Community", whatever is meant by that.
2) I am not a member of any "Xampp Community", i am a registered user of this forum (exactly as you are) and i am a volunteer.
3) You "threatened" not to recommend Xampp in your next book. Thats weird:
a) You cannot threaten Xampp, as Xampp is for free, the support is for free and what would a recommendation be good for? Therefore i encourage you not to recommend Xampp, Xampp does not need your recommendation.
b) It is just vice verse, dont you want to sell your books and earn some money? So, in any way, you may need a recommendation by Xampp.

Do you really believe its a good idea to join a free support forum for a free software with the intention to threaten them? You cannot threaten Xampp. And for all other "hassles" you mentioned here: feel free to join Bitnami (which are responsible for Xampp) and fix all these things, i think they would be glad to get some volunteers for quality management etc.