Using XAMPP on Mac OSX

Once you have installed XAMPP on your local PC you will have a full featured local development environment where you can create static webpages, install WordPress or other CMS’s like OpenCart just like an online host.

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One benefit of using a local host is faster WordPress development by allowing you to work offline and you can work on new parts of the website without it being live.

 

XAMPP Control Panel

• The XAMPP Control panel software is located at: /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/manager-osx.app (pin this to your dock)
• The XAMPP Control panel allows you to view the main documents page for WordPress, open the physical folder and start and stop services.

  

 

XAMPP Services

• The first thing you will want to do is open the XAMPP Control Panel and goto the Manager Server tab and start MySQL Database and the Apache Web Server.
  

  

• Starting Apache will start a web server on your local pc that you can access via one of these paths. http:/yourpcname.home.gateway/ (your computer name will be in the place of simon) or http://localhost/. As long as the Apache server is running your can access the web server.  Use localhost to access your website, it is shorter and easier to remember.
• The XAMMP tools can be accessed from here http://localhost/xampp/

 

XAMPP support pages

• You can check the status of MySQL, PHP and Perl here http://localhost/xampp/status.php.
• An overview of all XAMPP software components can be found here http://simonslaptop.home.gateway/xampp/components.php
• The only tool you will use in the XAMPP is the phpMyAdmin ( http://localhost/phpmyadmin/ ) tool that allows you to create databases etc

 

Cleaning up your local website root folder

• If you want a clean root web folder (like you do with an online web host) I would suggest you rename the “/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs” folder to  “/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs.yy-mm-dd” (where yy-mm-dd is the date) and recreate a new folder called “/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs“
• Any web files you place in the htdocs folder will be accessible in your web browser (if the Apache web server is started in the XAMPP Control Panel).

  

• You can place any file type in here like *.html, *.php, *.shtml, *.pl */jpg etc.
• If you need to change any website settings (port number or default file etc) click the configure button in the XAMPP Control Panel.

  

• Don’t forget to back up your “/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles every now and again (after stopping the services in the control panel.”
• If you don’t plan on using the services stop the Apache and MySQL services to free up resources.
• You are now ready to Install WordPress

 

Using XAMPP on Windows

Windows guide TBA.

 

Using XAMPP on Linux

Linux Guide TBA.

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