Failed to execute default Web Browser and Apache2

[emit]

Hi I'm having trouble getting XAMPP 8.0.13-0 started in Debian 10. I get this error message....

Failed to execute default Web Browser
Input/output error

I found this post here...

https://community.apachefriends.org/f/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=76653&hilit=Failed+to+execute+default+Web+Browser

But I don't use Chrome either. I've tried changing to 3 different browsers in Preferred Applications and it makes no difference which is selected.

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Under the Manage Servers tab in XAMPP:

MySQL Database is Running
ProFTPD is Running
Apache Web Server is Stopped and won't start

When I type http://localhost in my web browsers I arrive at Apache2 Debian Default Page and it says "It works!"

If XAMPP is working I should be going to XAMPP control panel as far as I can tell.

But when I test apache2 in Terminal...

$ sudo systemctl status apache2

I get this:

System has not been booted with systemd as init system (PID 1). Can't operate.
Failed to connect to bus: Host is down

Seems my system is using Sysvinit so I've tried this....

$ service apache2 start
[ ok ] Starting Apache httpd web server: apache2.

But apache2 still doesn't run in XAMPP

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When I run lampp in Terminal:

$ sudo /opt/lampp/lampp start

Starting XAMPP for Linux 8.0.13-0...
XAMPP: Starting Apache...fail.
XAMPP: Starting diagnose...
XAMPP: Sorry, I've no idea what's going wrong.
XAMPP: Please contact our forum http://www.apachefriends.org/f/
Last 10 lines of "/opt/lampp/logs/error_log":
tail: cannot open '/opt/lampp/logs/error.log' for reading: No such file or directory
XAMPP: Starting MySQL...already running.
XAMPP: Starting ProFTPD...already running.

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In case another program is blocking apache on port 80 I've changed the ports to 8080 in these files:

httpd.conf
ports.conf
000-default.conf

I've added rules for 80 and 8080 in the firewall.

----

I don't really know what else to try.

Perhaps installing systemd in place of Sysvinit? Is that a straight forward thing or risky or wise or a combination like whisky? I don't wanna have to start drinking again.

What else can I try?

I'm a relative newby to linux, my modus operandi is to copy and paste from random sites presenting possible solutions. I've had many problems so far and most things I've just abandoned halfway through so my system is probably about as efficient and clear as a frankensteinian monster romance poem in Javanese C++ but I have to persist until I have Wordpress running locally at least.

Please help.....

[Nobbie]

When I type http://localhost in my web browsers I arrive at Apache2 Debian Default Page and it says "It works!"

That clearly means: you already have an Apache2 installation up and running! You cannot run Apache2 twice on the same ports, therefore you cannot run Xampp if you already run another Apache.

So, actually, why do you install Xampp, if you already have an Apache2 installation on your PC? That makes no sense at all. Apache is Apache and there is no need to have multiple Apache installations running. Of course you may stop and deinstall your "Debian Apache", but why? Xampp is not "better" than any other Apache, there is only one Apache.

[emit]

Ah thanks for the quick response. That clears things up, I'm certainly naiive with all this. I thought XAMPP allowed me to run WordPress locally. Can I do it without XAMPP? Presumably I'd have to install the other stuff like MySQL etc. separately? Or maybe like you suggest uninstall the Debian Apache would be simpler because XAMPP provides a convenient control panel? It seems like XAMPP and Bitnami are trying to simplify the setup. I can't install WordPress via Bitnami presumably because XAMPP won't work. Sorry for the confusion but you've given me hope. Basically I want WordPress running locally, I don't really care how. Do you have a best practice?

[Nobbie]

I dont have best pratice. I dont like WordPress, i do not use it anymore (i did for some years). My recommendation actually is - dont use WordPress. But i dont think you like that.

Anyway, of course you can install WordPress to Debian Apache and PHP / MySQL. Its on you to go with Xampp or not. I only support Xampp, i do not support WordPress. This forum also only supports Xampp (on Linux), there is no WordPress support.

[emit]

Ok cool, curious to why you don't like WordPress? And what's a better alternative? I'm only trying wordpress because it worked in the past and it's all I know. I know only too well how tech companies get ruined over time, especially the popular ones. If there's a better option I'll try something new. Open source of course

[emit]

Ok so a mysterious update incase it helps someone in the future. On the advice of this video....

https://youtube.076.ne.jp/watch?v=6HWxmadV7lM

I unzipped and copied the wordpress folder into lampp/htdocs folder and followed the instructions. I can now access Wordpress locally. I reverted the ports back to 80 since it didn't seem to be the issue. And now for some unknown reason apache2 seems to be running in XAMPP although I still get the error message...

Failed to execute default Web Browser
Input/output error

...when I try to use XAMPP

I don't think I need the XAMPP control panel anyway to navigate Wordpress so I'll shrug my shoulders and continue fumbling around in linux. Thanks for the help.

[Nobbie]

I used WordPress for my homepage, but my server has been hacked three times within few months. I investigated a lot in order to find out the reason and found out, that the WordPress Plugins were infected very often by server viruses. I found out, that plugins are not maintained by WordPress development, actually there is no controlling and no testing, everybody can apply any plugin to WordPress, there is no quality approvement, nothing.

Actually i couldnt believe the bad truth, but there are a lot of articles in the internet which tell about the weakness and danger of WordPress plugins, which finally is a well known problem. The only recommendation is to "harden" your server, i.e look for folders and files and make them read only or even invisible to WordPress, but that did not satisfy me. I decided to delete WordPress, i built my homepage from scratch, using plain HTML and PHP and now i am fine, my server hasnt been hacked since then and everything works well.

[emit]

Oof, I hear you man. The reason I want to start a website is because my social media accounts were under hack attack. Time for a different approach to the web. Big tech is becoming more invasive and creepy every day. I was hoping for something more personal and secure. It doesn't seem Wordpress is the right approach then. I started looking into Wordpress alternatives and the main downside of wordpress is indeed the security issue by a very large degree. Joomla and Drupal, the next in line for market share are much more secure but come with their own drawbacks, mainly developer knowledge of which I have none. I think the best bet is to build from scratch like you've done, kudos, but I'm a long way off that. Thanks for the tips anyway. I might just use local wordpress as a learning tool and to organise my ideas before going online elsewhere.