Update just php (using DesktopServer)

[Nobbie]

See the "P.S." from my previous posting - we will find out.

Before we try to install a new Xampp, we should export some (or all?) WordPress databases. Which ones do you want to import/export?

[Valkrider]

Wordpress is latest version in all of these from memory, I will check and update now. So don't worry about the Wordpress side I can sort that regardless and I will backup the db's now.

[Nobbie]

You know how to backup databases? You either can use PhpMyAdmin (which i dont like), or you can use "mysqldump" tool from XAMPP installation.

[Valkrider]

Yes I know how to backup and all done

[sideburn]

Initially the point of this thread was to figure out a way to keep using the “one-click” WP install feature offered by DesktopServer.

With that said, it looks like that path is derailing so If you are going to abort that mission and just migrate out, then my suggestion for the easiest solution would be to install MAMP (https://www.mamp.info) on your Mac (no need for the pro version, the free one should be fine for your needs) and export your databases (you can use phpmyadmin in DesktopServer / xampp installation) and then import them into the MAMP database instead. Then change the ip’s in your hosts file to point to the MAMP IP and port if needed but might not need to unless it’s at a port. localhost ip should work fine for you since you do not have multiple servers.

From that point you can toss DesktopServer altogether a carry on with MAMP instead.

You’ll lose the one-click Wordpress site setup convenience of course, so to spin up your WP sites in the future you’ll have to add your new domain names manually on your hosts file and then create the new directory in MAMP and download Wordpress.zip, extract into new directory, create a new database (you can use phpmyadmin again for this but within MAMP) setup WP-config.php to point to the new database and the visit your domain in a browser and Wordpress will kick in and take you through the setup.

** be sure to match the $table_prefix in your wp-config.php to match the prefix set in your original database you are migrating!

*** php 8 should not be a problem with your Wordpress installation(s).

I wouldn’t bother with XAMPP anymore.
Just my 2 cents.

Good luck!

[Nobbie]

Ok, at next shutdown Xampp. Download a new Xampp Installation (do NOT choose the VM Version, we need the normal OSX Version).

Then rename the existing Xampp installation (for example rename to /Applications/XAMPP.old or similar) and finally install the new Xampp version.

At next we will try to overtake the whole data folder of the old installation. As I dont have macOS here, i dont know the structure of Xampp on macOS. Which is the data(?) folder, where MySQL/MariaDB stores all data?

[Valkrider]

As I dont have macOS here, i dont know the structure of Xampp on macOS. Which is the data(?) folder, where MySQL/MariaDB stores all data?

I have no idea what file should I search for? The rest I can do.

[Nobbie]

Its not a file, its a folder. As well on Linux as on Windows it is named "data" and it is a subfolder somewhere in Xampp.

As i can see, you have /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles as subfolder, i think, somewhere there is the data folder. We are looking for the folder which is used by MySQL/MariaDB to save all databases. You can also go for the mysqld.cnf file (if there is any), the entry "datadir=...." shows the location of MySQL databases.

If you cannot find it, do a recursive printout of /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles, we will find the folder.

[Valkrider]

No data directory that has anything about MySQL in it in the Xampfiles likewise no mysqld.cnf file anywhere on the hdd.

[Nobbie]

Due to Xampp FAQ the Mysql Configuration file is /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/etc/my.cnf

Look for entry "datadir". If you still cannot find it, do a recursive listing of xamppfiles and show here.

[Nobbie]

Closed? Ok.

[Valkrider]

Had a quick look without success travelling home back tomorrow.

[just_passing_by]

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.

Found this thread when googling "DesktopServer new PHP version", it's the first hit: https://www.google.com/search?q=desktopserver+new+php+version

I had also been using DesktopServer so as to have a local testing site to test changes before I rolled them out on the live site.
Which was now cut short by the old PHP version used by DesktopServer.

Went down the rabbit hole, found a solution, and came back here and registered just to pass it on, to help others in my situation.

--> the solution I found to again have a "test" site, i.e. a staging site version of my live site, was the free version of the "WP Staging" plugin: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-staging/
I don't need the "for pay" version of the "WP Staging" plugin, since I do not intend to "push" changes from the staging site to the live site, I intend to keep the two sites completely separate.

I found the instructions in English by the (German) creator of the "WP Staging" plugin a bit lacking: https://wp-staging.com/docs/create-a-staging-site-clone-wordpress/
--> so I followed the instructions in this really useful German language article with screenshots to install the "WP Staging" plugin in the dashboard of my live site and to then clone the live site to the staging site: https://wp-ninjas.de/wp-staging
Here's a GoogleTranslate translation into English of the above really useful German article: https://1-wp--ninjas-de.translate.goog/wp-staging?_x_tr_enc=1&_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

After that, there were two hurdles I faced:

1. at first, the new staging site always redirected to the live site.
   The solution here was, instead of going to https://example.com/stagingsite/ like the plugin suggested, to enter as the URL into the browser:
   https://example.com/stagingsite/wp-admin
   as described in here: https://wp-staging.com/docs/activate-permalinks-staging-site
2. then, the Elementor editor wouldn't load.
   The solution to that was to deactivate the "All-in-One WP Migration" and "All-in-One WP Migration File Extension" plugins, they had apparently been the ones interfering: https://elementor.com/help/cant-edit-with-elementor/

--> now I have a working replacement for my former local Desktop Server testing site.
It's not local but on the server, but it's a working testing site nevertheless, and with a nifty orange band at the top to boot, to differentiate it from the live site

Don't worry, search engines can't see it, robots are automatically blocked on the staging website, so search engines won't index it. Otherwise, since it is duplicated content, you would be ruining the SEO ranking of your live website.
It says so on the dashboard, in the section "Huge SEO Issue": https://imgur.com/a/24j3L0Z

*************************************************************************************

For people who are RunCloud customers, there is also this solution to get a staging site: https://runcloud.io/blog/one-click-wordpress-staging