Apache Friends Support Forum

Greetings All,

My goal is to create a web site using WordPress on my private computer and then at some point move the files to a host. I do not own a Linux computer now but I do have a tiny Unix background. If XAMPP actually installed easily and is made operational easily then I would consider purchasing a Linux computer, so my question is does XAMPP really install Apache, MySql, PHP, and Perl easily? Do they all just work together?

If they do, can someone suggest a path of least resistance given my goal to create a web site with WordPress?

Thanks in advance,
2lakes

Yes, it absolutely does and it's easy and quick to install.

However, before you need to buy a machine already running Linux, just buy a Linux magazine from a shop which includes a "Live CD", it'll then boot you into Linux on a Windows machine without affecting your hard-drive. You can then install XAMPP and play around with it. Remember any changes you make will be lost when you reboot - it's just for testing purposes!

I've installed a good 50-100 XAMPP systems now, generally painlessly.

There will be a learning curve for you to get up, especially with BASH, which is the Linux command line (like DOS on a PC).

Good luck!

aroxo wrote:Remember any changes you make will be lost when you reboot - it's just for testing purposes!

It's more sophisticated to download an ISO image of a popular linux distribution (Ubuntu for example), create a bootable USB stick with the help of the "Universal USB installer", which gives you the opportunity to create a persistant file system (1 to 4GB) on the USB stick, and boot the machine from this USB stick.

This is not only much faster than running from CD, it also gives you the option to store data on the USB stick persistant (the Xampp installation for example, as well as your own test scripts).

The home of the Universal USB Installer is http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal- ... -as-1-2-3/

If they do, can someone suggest a path of least resistance given my goal to create a web site with WordPress?

Nobbie's idea is a tad more realistic particularly if you might ever want to turn your box off without losing your WordPress work.

OR you could just install XAMPP for Windows on your current box (if you don't have a *nix box).

The real question here is 'are you going to used shared hosting or a VPS' when you go live. If you plan to have a like really powerful WP site that's going to get 1000's of unique IP's a day and you use it to make a living or run an organization - you'll need to have a VPS, and thus you really need to learn Linux (try sticking to one flavor/ distribution family) if its going to be a personal site (or two), you proabably don't need to learn a new OS -- just find a reliable host, and know how to use FTP, CHMOD and the mechanics of Cpanel.

This is only 'my opinion', but it is spoken without prejudice as I have XAMPP (XP & W7) boxes, Linux servers, and Windows servers that run both Apache and IIS. BTW, I run WordPress sites (and lotsa other stuff) on each different flavor.

Oops -- one last thing - the steps to move a WP site from one locale to a new server are the same whatever the Host Operating System, so it doesn't matter if your 'local' site runs on Mac, Windoze, or some *nix variant for the local box - you will be able to move it all to a hosting plan.

Good Luck and have fun