Update just php (using DesktopServer)

[Valkrider]

I am running DeskTopServer on my Mac. This is no longer supported / available BUT I have too many development sites in it to throw it all away and go to the latest version of XAMPP.

Desktopserver uses XAMP v 7.3.0. The PHP version is 7.3.1. My OSx is Monterey v12.6.1

I would just like to update PHP to v8.x Is there a way to just do this I had a go and screwed everything up and had to revert to a backup.

Alternatively is there a way to go to native XAMPP without losing all my DeskTopServer sites as they don't seem to be in htdocs.

[JDLH]

I do not know about DeskTopServer. Maybe some other forum readers do not know it either. You might help encourage answers if you describe what DeskTopServer is, what it does, and give a URL with more information about it.

[Valkrider]

DesktopServer is a user friendly front end on top if XAMPP geared towards the Wordpress development market. There is a one button click to set up a new Wordpress website running on your local computer. Underneath there is the usual XAMPP. The attached image shows the folder structure on my Mac. As I said in my original post Serverpress have discontinued support and left paying users high and dry. This link shows how DesktopServer worked. https://wpmudev.com/blog/set-up-wordpress-locally-with-desktopserver/

Image of folder structure https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sf-7cHaLBf_FRwObRnjrkYuM5rtuZpQ_/view?usp=share_link (as I can't get the img tag to work)

[sideburn]

I'm in the same boat. Any resolution to this issue?

[Valkrider]

No, no one has come up with any suggestions and I have been unable to do it having had to restore Desktopserver from the backup 3 times with the different things that I tried.

[sideburn]

UHHHHG! its the only good Wordpress development solution out there too. otherwise have to use MAMP and do everything manually and like you I have a ton of websites in the DesktopServer world... Guess we just keep going til the thing go caput!

[Valkrider]

I am seeing my son this weekend and he is in IT support I will get him to give it a try. If successful I will let you know.

[sideburn]

cool

[Nobbie]

As DeskTopServer finally is runnig on a Xampp infrastructure, it must be possible to run the projects (i.e. WordPress installations) in a plain Xampp environment.

Probably you have only have to adapt the changes in the Xampp configuration files, i.e. in the VirtualHosts Section (httpd-vhosts.conf). There is no need to have all projects running in htdocs, they did probably run in the DesktopServer folder. Actually its not so hard to install multiple WordPress Projects under Xampp without using DesktopServer.

That is one of the huge disadvantages of using tools like DesktopServer: you dont see and learm how to configure an Apache and MySQL server in order to run multiple on a server. Now you are completely lost as you never tried to install WordPress manually in a self created VirtualHost environment. The latter is not as difficult as it seems to be to you, but you have to do go for it at least once.

If you want we can try to analyze your local installation step by step in order to find out, which changes have been applied to your Xampp installation by DesktopServer.

[Valkrider]

@Nobble

Thank you for the offer. The advantage of DeskTopServer is that it is ideal for Wordpress developers who don't understand the intricacies of setting up XAMPP. It is just plug and play.

However, if you can help with getting it up and running for me with PHP v8.x that would be great. Let me know what you need.

[Nobbie]

The advantage of DeskTopServer is that it is ideal for Wordpress developers who don't understand the intricacies of setting up XAMPP.

Actually, none of us understands the intricacies of Xampp as a beginner. Thats the way it is. Everybody has to learn everything from the very beginning. But using configuration tools like DesktopServer is coming with the HUGE(!) disadvantage, that you are stuck when the support ends. Just as now. If you have learned how to setup Xampp / WordPress projects manually, you wont have this problem now. I wonder, how do you transfer your DesktopServer environment to a public server, which does not have DeskTop Server installed? You have to install it manually anyway?!

Ok, now it is as it is, lets start:

1) Do you have more than one WordPress Project installed?
2) Do you use your own Domainnames for each project? If yes: please list all names. As i already found out, DesktopServer preferred names like *.dev (as mywp.dev or similar).
3) Show us the contents of httpd.conf and extra/httpd-vhosts.conf
4) Did you (or DesktopServer) create SQL Databases for your WordPress projects (Probably!)? Tell us the names and the corresponding WordPress Project.
5) Did you create MySQL Users one for each WordPress Project? If yes, tell us the names, the password and the corresponding WordPress Project
6) Show us the contents of the DesktopServer folder
7) Show us the contents of /private/etc/hosts file

The goal of this actions is NOT only to upgrade PHP in Xampp (that is not recommended and does not work properly), we will try to export/import the existing WordPress projects into a brandnew Xampp installation. After we finished, you should be able to manage your WordPress projects manually without the need of DeskTop Server.

[sideburn]

DesktopServer is a one click wordpress setup tool.
You enter a virtual domain name (www.yoursote.dev.cc) and click go and you have a Wordpress base website ready for development.

Yea we have many domain names. DesktopServers main thing is managing all the domain names and mysql databases for you to make it less hastle setting up a development site environment for clients.

It’s good for programmer even like myself. I have several LAMP stack server setups and could just use MAMP which I do for all non Wordpress stuff.the issue is that the php version on desktop server environment is outdated and would be nice to keep everything intact as is and simply update php.

Otherwise, yes we either migrate all the websites (which will suck because of the MySQL database and domain names) to MAMP and XAAMP etc and stop using DTS. The wordoress database is strictly tied to the domain names.

DesktopServer uses some trickery to deal with SSL and creates domain.dev.cc domains

[Nobbie]

DesktopServer is a one click wordpress setup tool.
You enter a virtual domain name (http://www.yoursote.dev.cc) and click go and you have a Wordpress base website ready for development.

I know and i find it a very poor demand. It takes me less than 5 minutes to setup a WordPress project including a virtualhost and all necessary configuration. And i can do this on every server in every environment.

the issue is that the php version on desktop server environment is outdated and would be nice to keep everything intact as is and simply update php

And the other issue is that DesktopServer has finished and you wont get any updates anymore. And you dont have any support for migrating from DesktopServer to native Apache Server / MySQL. You are stuck. Thats the high price you paid for the little convenience you had by using DesktopServer.

Otherwise, yes we either migrate all the websites (which will suck because of the MySQL database and domain names) to MAMP and XAAMP etc and stop using DTS. The wordoress database is strictly tied to the domain names.

Why "suck"? Its not very difficult to export / import databases. We will do this here.

DesktopServer uses some trickery to deal with SSL and creates domain.dev.cc domains

No, it probably does not use "trickery". There is no trickery with SSL. You have to create certificates and apply them to Apache as documented. This is not magic or trickery. It is simply basic knowledge of Apache. Which you usually acquire automatically if you don't use tools like DesktopServer, but read a bit the Apache documentation. "All beginnings are hard", but the more often you do it, the easier it gets in the long run.

[Valkrider]

I am away at the moment so only have a subset of sites on my laptop but I am sure sufficient to answer your questions.

1 Yes 7 on laptop more on desktop at home
2 Yes all are .dev.cc sites so awgb.dev.cc and awgb1, khugkb, gentest, mccinspain, mh-blog and svg.
3 httpd.conf file in the apache2/conf folder
Alias /bitnami/ "/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/apache2/htdocs/"
Alias /bitnami "/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/apache2/htdocs"

<Directory "/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/apache2/htdocs">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>
The other one is attached
4 Yes DTS created one database per site Screenshot attached
5 DB user name and password is stored in the wordpress files. User name is the same as the database name.
6 See screenshot attached
7 No /private folder No hosts file in the /etc folder

I have just found that this forum does not allow attachments!

[Valkrider]

Loaded the screenshots etc onto Google drive at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1L27YVzvQRUE-wm2lZTwPFNHXf2oy1L84?usp=sharing