Local php and mysql servers. Local server for running php
A modern website is not just a set of HTML documents, but also includes many technologies, including server ones, such as: SSI (Server-Side Includes), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, PHP: preprocessor hypertext), databases and much more. To familiarize yourself with and study these technologies, it would be a mistake to use a visited work site on the Internet, so it makes sense to install the necessary set of programs on your local computer and test everything on it.
The most popular combination of such programs is the Apache web server, the PHP programming language, the MySQL database management system, the PhpMyAdmin database administration shell, and the Smarty template engine.
These programs work primarily under Linux-like systems, but there are also versions for Windows. The main advantage of this bundle of programs is its versatility. A site created and tested on a local Windows computer can easily be transferred to a server running FreeBSD. In addition, this set is supported by the vast majority of hosters.
In the future, we will consider programs for a home computer with the Windows operating system.
Let us briefly describe what the technologies that will be used to create the site are.
Web server
A web server is a program that analyzes incoming requests and generates ready-made documents sent to the user. Apache is often used as a web server, as it is the most established and popular on the Internet. According to various estimates, its share is almost 50% of the total number of web servers in use.
PHP
A popular programming language used in website development.
MySQL
Database management system.
PhpMyAdmin
Web interface for creating and managing MySQL databases. Allows you to view tables, change their contents, modify the structure, select data, and sort information. All actions are carried out directly in the browser, in a user-friendly interface specially designed for it.
Smarty
Powerful template system for PHP. Uses its own language that combines HTML and special Smarty tags. Templates are needed to separate program code and document presentation or, in other words, to separate logic from content.
All of these programs and technologies are open source, can be downloaded and used freely.
You can install the necessary programs by downloading them from the manufacturer’s website and customizing them to suit your needs. However, this sometimes requires familiarity with the program and possession of the necessary qualifications, which beginners do not have. Since we are not talking about a full-fledged working server, but about a computer for testing and debugging, it makes sense to use ready-made kits. This kit contains all the programs necessary for a web developer and is easy to configure and manage. Next we will talk about some popular web development kits.
Local server - This is a special program that is installed on a local (read home, that’s why it’s called LOCAL) computer that allows web developers (webmasters) to develop websites on a local (home) computer, without the need to access the Internet. This is not even one program, but a complex of programs that perform various functions. A local server is similar to a real real server located on the Internet by the Hoster company.
What is it for? As you already know, regular HTML pages with CSS design are processed by browsers without problems. Those. If your site is created from simple web pages built on HTML and CSS, then such a site can be perfectly developed on a local computer without any servers. Just click on the html file as usual with the left mouse button and the web page opens in the browser. You have worked with the code, design, added or removed something, save, update (F5) and see the result.
But if you are developing a dynamic website created using, for example, PHP, Perl, MySQL databases, some ready-made scripts, That To test and debug such sites, you definitely need to install a local server on your computer.
For what? The fact is that such sites (web pages of sites) before being sent to the visitor in the browser, pre-processed by the server, and only then in the form of regular HTML code are given to the browser. This happens very quickly on the server side, i.e. on the Internet and visitors do not even notice such pre-processing.
For example, sites made using PHP are assembled as if from separate pieces, separate files. Let's look at a simplified diagram of such a site. As a rule, any such site (any web page) contains several main components:
Site header;
Site footer;
Menu;
Main page content (content).
When creating a website in PHP, each such piece is a separate file with the extension .php
A simplified site diagram in PHP, presented at Figure 1 below:
Figure 1. Simplified site diagram in PHP.
Of course, this is not a complete list of components (pieces); sometimes there are a lot of such pieces (files). But the operating principle is always the same. On the server, a web page is assembled from separate files (in this case, header.php, footer.php, menu.php, content.php) and the site visitor is given the finished result in the form of html code. You have already noticed that all files here have the extension .php
What is PHP?
PHP is a programming language specifically designed for writing web applications (scripts) that run on a Web server.
The acronym PHP stands for “Hypertext Preprocessor”. The language's syntax comes from C, Java, and Perl. PHP is quite easy to learn. The advantage of PHP is that it allows web developers to quickly create dynamically generated web pages. My website was created using PHP language.
So, if you want to view the code of such a PHP page (right button, view HTML code), then you will not notice the difference with a regular web page created in HTML. But know that all web pages with the .php extension work this way (they are assembled piece by piece from separate files).
In addition, PHP has another great feature: the PHP code script can be easily integrated into any HTML code.
On the local computer, to “assemble” and process PHP files, a local server is installed, which in this case acts as a processor.
Currently, most of the dynamic web pages: forums, blogs, guest books, most feedback forms, and just PHP scripts, will work on a home computer only if there is a local server.
In my practice, I use a local server called Denver (denwer). You can download and view detailed installation instructions on the official website http://www.denwer.ru/. Or on our website in the section.
With us you can do it for free. What is Zend Optimizer?
Zend Optimizer is a special utility that is used to encode and optimize scripts (PHP programs) encrypted using Zend Guard (scripts are encrypted in order to protect the program code from plagiarism and unauthorized use). This utility allows you to optimize your code for even faster execution of scripts (PHP applications) and increases site loading speed by 40%.
To put it in “simple” language, then Without the Zend Optimizer utility installed on your computer near Denver, many scripts simply will not work, since most developers protect their software products (scripts, programs, etc.) from unauthorized intervention and theft.
Zend Optimizer is installed after installing Denver to your home computer by simply replacing the folders: denwer, home, tmp and usr, which come with this assembly.
Local server "Denver" is the original project of Russian programmer Dmitry Koterov. Therefore, everything here is in Russian, there are very detailed instructions and recommendations. Moreover, everything is absolutely free. There are educational video lessons. More Denver is called - Gentleman's Web Developer Kit.
If you plan to create dynamic websites, download, install and use.
Read also our other materials.
From the author: You have a PSD layout of the site in your hands, and you need to start laying it out. If you have to create a “business card”, then nothing complicated awaits you - just layout it and post it online. But if the back-end promises to be difficult, then the site will have to be tested on a server outside the Internet - on your computer. This is precisely why applications have been created that allow you to emulate the operation of a server. We decided to make a detailed review of local servers for web development and show what tools are used in modern development.
In this article we will try not to forget a single hero: to recall every assembly for creating a local server that was or is popular today. This way you can decide which one suits you best and which one is completely contraindicated.
Battle of the luminaries: Denver vs Open Server
This discussion has been ongoing since both applications were introduced on the Internet. Moreover, each side has its own arguments. Today we will analyze the strengths of each of them and show who is still worthy of becoming a tool for the work of a modern developer.
Denver forever and ever
In 2002, the first version of the toolkit was released, which had the abbreviation DNVR - Gentleman's Set of Web Developers. Almost immediately the solution gained great popularity because:
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was easy to install. The only thing that was required from the user was to unpack the files, and the program configured everything itself;
the set had at its disposal an Apache server, a MySQL DBMS, PHP, Perl, sendmail and many other “chips”, which were supplemented from version to version;
it was popular among beginners and their teachers: it was the easiest way to illustrate the work of the server part.
For more than ten years it dominated the local server arena and even now finds its fans. Tutorials on website design continue to recommend it for those who are just starting out in the field of web development. Denver does not overload the system at all. It works unnoticed by the user. The only reminder is the additional local disk, which by default is named "Z".
Also, Denver is easy to remove once you decide to do so (how modern programs lack this). This is done by simply disconnecting and moving the file folder to the trash.
But, some shortcomings were very quickly identified. Along with the rapid development of the Internet, web products began to gain hype, on which entire teams of developers worked. And when it was necessary to transfer all the configurations of one local server to another, significant time and labor resources were required.
The lack of a graphical interface was also disappointing. Computers became highly efficient, and their resources did not need to be saved. The innovation approach that made Denver famous left it behind in 2013.
New solutions began to appear on the horizon, which in terms of convenience and functionality were significantly ahead of the “gentleman’s set”. Therefore, the release of the 2013 version of Denver was the last. An attempt was made to create a more powerful version called Endels - New Denwer Local Server, but, as luck would have it, it did not gain the same notoriety as its predecessor. The package had a significant advantage - Endels could already run from portable media, switch between PHP versions on the fly and, most importantly, pleased its users with a good graphical interface.
Open Server: a step towards change
When this WAMP/WNMP was released, it became a kind of messiah for web development. First, like Denver, it was easy to install and remove. Working with it was much easier thanks to the friendly interface, and the functionality impressed even those geeks who like to install and configure everything manually. Of course, even sites and applications from Denver were somehow “stretched” onto the then existing CMS. But the interaction between Open Server and WordPress, which had already gained momentum, was impressive.
Open Server includes the Nginx web server in its package - it is a lighter counterpart to Apache. At the time of writing, most web products in the world operate on a symbiosis of these two servers. The first one is good for the frontend: it works with user requests and produces the necessary static content, while Apache deals with dynamic content. Nginx is used by leading pages around the world: your cozy vk.com and even Facebook among them. But you shouldn’t consider Nginx and Apache as an alternative to each other - they work best when used simultaneously.
In general, a notable feature of Open Server is the variety of its tools. It offers two HTTP modules, three DBMSs and many PHP modules. At the same time, switching between them does not cause difficulties for the operator.
Also, despite its “heaviness,” it remains quite fast. Unlike Denver, which even for its time weighed a little more than nothing, Open Server requires an impressive gigabyte of disk memory and 200 megabytes of RAM. Of course, for the modern reader this seems like a small thing. Moreover, the heavy weight is fully compensated by portability.
The developers position the OS as completely portable. It does not clog system files like its predecessors. Also, running from removable media completely solves the problem with a large circle of developers that we mentioned above. The developer can simply carry his “server” on a flash drive and run it on any suitable device.
A big advantage that beginners appreciate is the ease of installation. Most of the system files that are necessary for the OS to function correctly are installed either on the system itself or attached to the installer. If the latter does not find the required element on the user’s machine, it independently installs it. This is the approach most other programs use today.
XAMPP is better than many
This is another web server build that was moderately popular during the days of Denver and Open Server dominance, and is exactly the same now. If the abbreviation WAMP for such packages meant “Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP,” then the developers of this platform decided to offer their own alternative. In their name, the “X” symbolizes the cross-platform nature of the build - the server will work equally well on all operating systems, including Apple ones.
"M", which was intended for MySQL, is responsible for one of the branches of this system - MariaDB. It is believed that this is a very promising development, which even Google has started supporting, and the lead developer is the author of the idea My. The additional “P” is responsible for supporting the Perl language, the ancestor of the popular PHP today.
In fact, XAMPP is such a good system that you are sometimes surprised by its mediocre use among web developers. The package has a very decent interface, is easy to install by unpacking files and allows you to quickly operate. It is definitely better than Denver (like almost all modern platforms), and is not inferior to OS in many respects. To understand how easy it is to use, it is enough to mention that it is commonly called “lazy man's build” - an excellent characteristic of friendliness.
Some developers refuse XAMPP simply because Windows UAC must be disabled before starting work. They are filled with fear that the program is intended to cause some harm to their computers. But all such conclusions, of course, are lies. The catch is that XAMPP was developed before UAC was born, and, for some reason, was not included in the list of trusted applications. The program code has been thoroughly inspected - it does not pose a threat.
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And if someone in your circle calls XAMPP “overloaded Denver,” then don’t pay attention - that’s how it was a long time ago. Today the platform is very modern, and its latest version was released quite recently. And although society has not yet made this system a favorite, it will remain in the heart of the author of these lines forever.
The choice of the brave - VertigoServ
In addition to the hackneyed Open Server and Denver, at one time this software package for simulating server operation was quite user-friendly. The developers' approach seems to have been to create a better option by combining the strengths of two of its most famous competitors.
Vertigo was distinguished by its speed and stability, as well as a pretty good interface. In addition, the creators decided to include Zend Optimizer, which slightly speeds up PHP scripts. But, most likely, this was just a marketing ploy: this application is the only product distributed by Zend for free. They also came up with the legend that the script with Optimizer becomes 40% faster (in fact, no).
This is where its advantages end: today you are unlikely to meet Vertigo apologists (but there is still a possibility). The same UI, which was supposed to be the advantage of the server, did not have full support for the Russian language: only English and Polish. At that time, it supported only the fifth version of PHP, one web server and one DBMS. Perhaps that is why he lost the arms race. As a result, Vertigo became slightly better than Denver (which still needs to be proven!) and significantly worse than OpenServer.
Is OS a winner?
At the beginning of the 10s, this could be stated with confidence. Yes, it surpassed Denver in functionality and became much more comfortable than other WAMP/WNMP with a graphical interface. In addition, he is well armed even for a modern developer.
Open Server continues to evolve as a web development platform, with a new version released a few months ago. Interaction with WordPress, which is heavy but familiar to the average user, continues to please: it’s as if they were made for each other. This also does not interfere with working with other CMS - the local server has good contact with them.
But if we talk about the current state of things, progressive developers are moving away from OS testing, preferring more professional solutions. Why? More on this in the next section!
A galaxy of fresh solutions
Despite the dominant position of Open Server, we decided to talk a little about the “new blood” that has burst into the stream of existing builds. In the days when the main products have taken their place, it already seems impossible to do anything breakthrough. But some solutions are at least worth looking at.
Apple server
We all remember the time when we could only see Apple products on TV, and even then infrequently. Today it has filled our environment: from players to full-fledged machines. The same applies to web development: making an application on macOS is now even cool.
Along with Apple’s products, their solution to create a local server called MAMP PRO was also expected to become widespread. It is, of course, paid, but it also has an option for the budget-conscious - without the prefix symbolizing the pros. Among the advantages of both versions is the interface - of course, it is excellent (Apple does not skimp on this). The program is easy to install and operate, and ongoing support keeps you up to date with current trends in technology development.
Also, many of the resources in MAMP are focused on security. You can significantly restrict access to your databases. This is necessary if the computer uses a permanent network connection. Overall, this solution is considered the easiest to use (even easier than Denver, yes!). As always, Apple also included detailed instructions, so even a child can create his own local server and host his first website on it.
The disadvantage is the limited number of devices that can run this package. If you decide to work with MAMP, then your entire team should also work in MAMP from their Macs. This is not a problem for large companies, but a significant disadvantage for those teams that are assembled for a specific project.
By the way, if you think that the free version from Apple has significantly limited capabilities, then you are wrong. It is enough for you to be a developer for any project - Pro only adds some functionality.
The most trendy and progressive
This can be said about only one solution, which is abbreviated as VVV. The expanded title sounds like Varying Vagrant Vagrants and translated means something like “vagrant vagabonds” - the author did not find a connection between the name and the essence.
Unlike the builds we discussed, VVV is in no way suitable for a novice user. It's not even similar to Open Server and its analogues. To develop such a solution, the creators had to look at the root of the demand for old solutions: creating an environment to run the necessary services. To do this, they created a set of configurations that you can freely take from GitHub and run on your machine. However, you will need more applications to do this.
Essentially, VVV is an instruction for a computer to use to run a local server. To perform it, you need the VirtualBox program, which is freely available. It runs a virtual machine and is absolutely not tied to a specific platform, be it Windows, MacOS or Linux OS.
Vagrant is required to manage the system. This is something like a virtual machine manager, with the help of which you will get the necessary environment. Overall, the approach is very good and is in demand among advanced web developers. But, unfortunately, even the most “toothed” note this approach as too abstruse, despite the fact that it can completely satisfy a WordPress developer.
Conclusions instead of conclusions
As ironic as it may sound, even some advanced developers still use Denver and do not want to come to terms with 2018. The simplicity and stability of work attracts them, and they prefer to correct some shortcomings themselves. Some even adapted it to CMS “switches” in one click and support all modern solutions for web development.
In general, we can confidently say that all platforms find their users well. It's like the situation with CMS: WordPress is the most famous, but web developers find better tools. Each person uses what is convenient for him. And it’s not always a matter of tastes and preferences. The task he performs plays a big role.
For example, to create landing pages that are leaders among the pages being developed, Denver, OpenServer, and all other platforms will be equally good. When the tasks facing a developer change, he adapts and changes the tools that he used previously.
OS does not always cope with system portability issues, while VVV easily solves this problem. Also, no program will be so good for a beginner in terms of illustrating the operation of a real web server. Well, if you have assembled a large team from all over the world, some of whom are convinced Unix-heads, and others who cannot see life without the cozy windows of Windows OS, then feel free to give them the command to use XAMPP.
Also, the “working” option so far is to manually configure the local server. The most advanced users install all the necessary components themselves. They do not want to overload the system with ballast, and therefore form their own package. As a rule, the average developer kit is “Apache + PHP + MySQL”. All other utilities are completed according to the requirements of the web application or site being developed.
We should also not forget that there are still fans of such builds as WampServer, EasyPHP, AppServ and others on the Internet. Their existence is as difficult to prove as it is to refute, but the facts speak for themselves: updated versions date back to 2017–2018.
We conclude: there is no ideal solution. There are those that suit the specific situation, capabilities and goals of the performer. This is where we end our review. Use what is convenient for you in each specific case and follow the news of web development!
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Today we will look at installing MaxSite CMS on a local server. I understand perfectly well that not only professionals, but also beginners visit, so, first of all, I will answer the question:
- What is a local server?
- this is a program, even a whole complex of programs, by installing it on your computer, you can develop your websites directly on it, and this is “brutally” convenient, you know
Of course, if you limit yourself to developing pages + , then you don’t really need it - you can immediately view the results in the browser. But those who work with CMS () cannot do without a local server!
Because you simply won’t be able to run this “thing” on your computer. For it to work, you need a server, which is usually hosted. And even if you have your own website, developing the same one will be wildly inconvenient, since each time the changed file must be uploaded to the server in order to look at the changes and see if there are any mistakes somewhere. And usually it’s just the opposite.
Agree - this is terribly inconvenient.
It was for these purposes that it was invented local server. Install it on your computer, put a website there - and slowly develop new features / templates / and all sorts of other stupid crap. This is exactly how I develop new templates, lessons, etc. (including crap)
I think we've sorted this out. This means that now we will poke around in a different direction, namely:
- How to install a local server?
I'll give you some wise advice right away. local server- this is a program, which means first we need to “honestly pioneer” it somewhere. And in order to “pioneer”, you must first decide which server you want to work with.
Suspecting that those who already know how to work with a local server don’t need this article (oh woe is me), and those who don’t have no idea what they are, I will offer only one option - THE BEST(well, I so modestly called the server with which I work).
In general, all “web-starpers”, including me, are allowed to defend, even foaming at the mouth, their version in the comments, so you can leave your opinion about the local server. And we drove on.
I downloaded the standard version of the local server.
Have you downloaded it? Well, now the hardest part - the terribly difficult installation. Be well stocked with tea and cookies, as this thing will require 27 minutes of installation and 9 reboots of your computer. The only thing that saves you from boredom is that they show cartoons during installation. So tea won't hurt.
Installing a local server.
It starts with the fact that we need to decide in which folder we will extract it from the archive. I'm on my disk E, created a folder called open_server, and unzipped everything there.
I recommend doing exactly the same, or at least try not to use Russian characters on the path to your local network. Those. there is no need to place it in a folder with Russian letters and spaces. Otherwise harmful glitches may creep out.
Well? Extracted? Fuuuhh... Congratulations, the installation is complete! (don’t trust anyone all April)
Setting up a local server.
Now run the file in the folder OpenServer.exe, and a red flag will appear in the taskbar (usually located in the lower right corner of the desktop).
Click on it and a context menu with several items will appear:
It's time to start setting up a local server. We won’t configure much there, we’ll just configure everything to suit our needs.
And so, select the item " Settings", and a corresponding window will appear in front of us. Select the tab " Server"and there we indicate letter for the virtual disk, and database server name. However, you can leave everything as default. (that's exactly what I did)
If you have changed your parameters, do not forget to click on the " button Save".
That’s it, now click on the checkbox again and select “Run”. In a few seconds, our server should start, the checkbox will turn green and a new virtual disk with the letter you specified in the settings will appear on your computer.
Installing MaxSite on a local server.
Now, we finally got to the most important thing, I want to immediately say thank you for enduring all my nonsense and bullying that I posted above.
Installing MaxSite on a local server is no different from installing on a regular one, you need to create a database, specify a password and user, and go through the same installation steps as when installing on a real one.
Here I decided to record a video tutorial for clarity. Since I would have to write even more than I already wrote, and it would be advisable not to mess up the database:
That's all. As you can see, it couldn’t be simpler.
Now you have your own working website on your computer, on which you can safely conduct your inhumane experiments.
Thank you for your attention.
PS: Don’t forget to share the article with your “friends” by clicking on various buttons on social networks.
PS: I'm willing to bet about the BEST local server in the comments. In general, it would be interesting to know what you use.
Open Server is a free and open source program for web developers that includes a package of server software components. Open Server is needed to create and debug full-fledged websites on a local computer. Simply put, with the help of this program you can make an analogue of Linux servers under Windows, and without any problems launch sites, for example, written in PHP.
Open Server is very easy to use. To run the program you do not need to be able to configure Apache and Nginx servers or configure MySQL. The program does this automatically. Moreover, Open Server is implemented as a portable application that does not require installation. The program can work from a flash drive, HDD and CD/DVD disk. In the latter case, the program will create a temporary directory with data on the disk or virtual device. It is possible to control via the console and create your own program assemblies.
If necessary, the program can work as a server in local or global networks. If you work as an Internet server, you need a static IP address, and you should also remember about possible threats and protect your computer from malicious scripts.
Basic set of components:
- Apache server;
- DNS server Bind;
- HTTP server Nginx;
- MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, PostgreSQL databases;
- Redis journaling data store;
- Memcached data caching system;
- FTP server FTP FileZilla;
- environment for executing PHP scripts PHP 5.x;
- PostScript language interpreter Ghostscript;
- service for working with email Sendmail;
- a large number of other auxiliary utilities, such as HeidiSQL, Adminer, RockMongo PHPMyAdmin and others.
If necessary, you can install additional Pear and Composer components.
The program is presented in three versions: Basic, Premium, Ultimate. The difference between them is the number of additional utilities for work. The basic version contains only the basic set for starting the server. The Premium version includes core server programs and additional utilities Git, ImageMagick, MongoDB, Rockmongo, PostgreSQL and PhpPgAdmin. The Ultimate version includes a large number of additional freely distributed programs for working with graphics, various text and HTML editors, programs for working with the Internet, download managers, SCP clients, and so on.
Open Server can operate in limited mode in a situation where it is not possible to make changes to the HOSTS file due to restricted access rights or blocking by a firewall. In this case, only one address, localhost 127.0.0.1, will be available for sites.
Key Features and Functions
- very simple controls;
- a large number of different versions of the main modules;
- three program options to choose from: Basic, Premium, Ultimate;
- the program is implemented as a portable application;
- the ability to work in local networks and the Internet as a server;
- SSL support;
- Cyrillic support in domain names;
- the ability to configure a DNS server;
- support for domain pointers;
- the ability to use scripts to start/stop the server;
- the ability to emulate different connection speeds to test website accessibility at different speeds;
- the ability to connect additional components;
- the ability to create your own assemblies.
Complex. This is, as you may have guessed, good old Denwer. It became firmly established on my computer back in 2003. Other alternatives, if they existed at that time, were known in narrow circles and were not so popular.
Let's look at what we can use today, after all these years. I suggest reviewing, testing and comparing 14! software packages designed for developing websites for Windows.
1.AMPS
Latest version: 1.7Russian language: yes (partially)
Portable version: No
Homepage: http://www.ampps.com/
Basic kit:
- Softaculous AMPPS 1.7
- Apache 2.2.22
- MySQL 5.5.22
- PHP 5.3.10 and 5.2.17
- PERL 5.10.1
- Python 2.7.2
- MongoDB 2.0.4
An undoubted advantage of this assembly is the support for many common CMS, blog platforms, web forums, message boards, photo galleries, etc. There are more than 200 available applications! The set of components included in the package also keeps up with life, all the modules are quite fresh and, notably, here we can find such exotic things as Python and MongoDB.
Of the minuses, I would like to note the partial Russian translation, which is present only in the script catalog, and even then not everywhere. After restarting Apache, the tray menu refused to work, restarting Windows did not help. Another disadvantage is the lack of portability. In my opinion, AMPPS is more useful for beginners to learn scripts than for serious developers. I wasn’t very comfortable working with this software package; there are better options.
Latest version: 2.5.10Russian language: No
Portable version: No
Homepage: http://www.appservnetwork.com/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.8
- PHP 5.2.6
- MySQL 5.0.51b
- phpMyAdmin-2.10.3
Is there Russian language
Portable version: Yes
Home page: http://www.denwer.ru/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2
- PHP 5.3.3
- MySQL 5.1.40
- phpMyAdmin 3.2.3
Denwer is extremely simple and understandable, and therefore has the largest army of fans among “dummies”. The most complete description of this platform will be the following phrase said by one of the users: “Denver performs the main tasks and okay, but the more bells and whistles, the more problems (no one uses them 100 percent).”
Latest version: 5.3.9Russian language: Yes
Portable version: Yes
Homepage: http://www.easyphp.org/
Basic kit:
- PHP 5.3.9
- PhpMyAdmin 3.4.9
- Apache 2.2.21
- MySQL 5.5.20
I note that EasyPHP manages the server independently, no scary black windows pop up, and starting and stopping the server is quite fast.
Latest version: 2.0.2.0Is there Russian language
Portable version: Yes
Home page: http://eleanor-cms.ru/server
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.19
- PHP 5.3.6
- MySQL: MariaDB 5.2.6
- PhpMyAdmin 3.4.2
- SlimFTPd 3.1.81
- DNS Unbound 1.4.10
In this build, I liked the design of the menu, which turned out to be quite attractive, which is very rare among this kind of programs. I also liked the control panel, or rather the start page, which has a rather unusual design.
After creating a new domain, the control panel simply disappeared. It turned out that there was an error in the domain manager and it was opening an incorrect address, but these were minor things. Another disappointment was the inability to open the folder with domains from the tray menu, I had to look for where I installed EleanorServ...
Overall, I liked EleanorServ, especially the ability to start/stop the server directly from the browser.
6. Nimp
Latest version: 1.5.0Is there Russian language
Portable version: Yes
Home page: http://nimpbox.ru/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.17
- Nginx 0.9.3
- MySQL 5.5.8
- PHP 5.3.5
- Sendmail 31
- phpMyAdmin 3.3.9
- Sypex Dumper 2.0.8
- FileZilla 0.9.37 beta
- Memcached 1.2.4
While using this build, something constantly crashed, FileZilla never stopped itself (I had to kill it through the task manager), and Memcached did not start at all. Some confusion was caused by the words of the program’s author that “this assembly is perfect for highly loaded sites in corporate and city networks.” The program is clearly far from suitable for use in a corporate environment.
The “trick” of this platform is that Nginx works as a frontend and is designed to serve static content, and Apache works as a backend to generate dynamic content. In general, my impression of this assembly remained twofold; it gradually changed from sharply negative at the beginning to normal and acceptable while working with the program.
Latest version: 4.5.2Is there Russian language
Portable version: Yes
Home page: http://open-server.ru/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.22;
- Apache 2.4.2;
- Nginx 1.2.0;
- MySQL 5.1.63;
- MySQL 5.5.24;
- PostgreSQL 9.1.2;
- PHP 5.2.17 (IMagick 2.2.1, Zend Optimizer 3.3.3, IonCube Loader 4.0.7, Memcache 2.2.4);
- PHP 5.3.13 (IMagick 2.3.0, Xdebug 2.2.0, IonCube Loader 4.0.14, Memcache 2.2.6);
- PHP 5.4.3 (Xdebug 2.2.0);
- SlimFTPd 3.181;
- Fake Sendmail 32;
- NNCron Lite 1.17;
- Memcached 1.2.6;
- Adminer 3.3.4;
- HeidiSQL 7.0;
- Webgrind 1.0;
- PHPMyAdmin 3.5.1;
- PHPPgAdmin 5.0.4;
- PHPMemcachedAdmin 1.2.1;
A nice feature of Open Server is the ability to use the program as a portable personal start menu. You can install the server on a USB drive, transfer your portable programs there, create bookmarks for frequently visited sites, and wherever you are, you will have a convenient quick access menu to your favorite sites and programs.
Latest version: 1.8.2Russian language: No
Portable version: Yes
Homepage: http://www.server2go-web.de/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2
- PHP 5.3.2
- SQLITE
- MYSQL 5.1.46
- PERL 5.8
The impression is extremely negative, although it would seem: the server starts, PhpMyadmin opens, and what else is needed? No, a server that cannot be stopped is not for me. Burn in hell!
Latest version: 8.5.4Russian language: Yes
Portable version: No
Homepage: http://www.uniformserver.com/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.4.2
- PHP 5.4.0
- MySQL 5.5.24
- phpMyAdmin 3.5.1
Russian language: No
Portable version: Yes
Homepage: http://www.usbwebserver.net/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.21
- MySQL 5.5
- PHP 5.3.9
- PhpMyAdmin 3.4.9.0
In its functionality, USBWebserver resembles Denwer, except that Perl is missing. In the control panel you can start/stop modules, open logs, there are a couple of useful functions and settings, that’s all. I would recommend this assembly as a GUI replacement for Denwer for those who need similar functionality, but want to have a control panel with buttons and little things.
Latest version: 2.27Russian language: No
Portable version: No
Homepage:
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.22
- PHP 5.3.10
- MySQL 5.5.20
- SQLite 3.7.10
- Smarty 3.1.7
- PhpMyAdmin 3.4.9
- Xdebug 2.1.3
- SQLiteManager 1.2.4
But not everything is so rosy in our kingdom; of course, there are also disadvantages. The most important and significant disadvantage is that Vertrigo is not portable, it cannot be installed on a flash drive and used on different machines. Among other problems, I would like to note the difficulties with creating a domain or alias, as well as the lack of Russian language.
Latest version: 2.2dRussian language: Yes
Portable version: No
Homepage: http://www.wampserver.com/
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.21
- Php 5.3.10
- Mysql 5.5.20
- XDebug 2.1.2
- XDC 1.5
- PhpMyadmin 3.4.10.1
- SQLBuddy 1.3.3
- webGrind 1.0
The assembly works well, has a scary, but quite understandable menu. There is nothing in it that makes this local web server stand out from the crowd. To be honest, I was very surprised to see such squalor in the design of the program after visiting the stylish and colorful home page.
Latest version: 0.4.0.4Is there Russian language
Portable version: Yes
Home page: http://winginx.ru/
Basic kit:
- Nginx 1.2.0;
- PHP 5.3.13;
- PHP 5.4.3;
- Node.js 0.6.17;
- MySQL 5.1.62;
- MongoDB 2.0.5;
- memcached 1.2.6;
- phpMyAdmin 3.5.0;
- Adminer 3.3.3;
- RockMongo 1.1.1;
- phpMemcachedAdmin 1.2.1;
- Xdebug 2.2.0.5, Zend Guard Loader 5.5, ionCube 4.0.14
Working with logs in Winginx looks rather strange. To view them, we are offered a menu for selecting files like error.log, access.log, and so on, but it is impossible to understand which module these logs belong to: Nginx, PHP, or maybe Node.js?
Although Winginx has a control program, command of the web server itself, just like in Denwer, is carried out through .BAT files. I made this conclusion based on black windows popping up out of nowhere when starting or stopping the server.
It is possible that someone (primarily beginners) will find the function of automatically installing scripts (PhpBB, WordPress, Joomla, etc.) very useful when creating a domain, especially considering that the scripts are configured to work with Nginx (rewrite the rewriting rules yourself pretty hard). However, I personally never use such functions and prefer to perform the installation myself, since you never know what and how it is installed there and what surprises may await you in the future.
14. Xampp USB Lite
Latest version: 1.7.7Russian language: No
Portable version: Yes
Homepage: http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html
Basic kit:
- Apache 2.2.21
- MySQL 5.5.16
- PHP 5.3.8
- phpMyAdmin 3.4.5
The start and stop of modules happens quite quickly, the welcome page is not confusing and understandable, even though it is in English. Overall, a pretty good software package (with a bunch of goodies in the desktop version) in which there is nothing superfluous or repulsive. Black windows do not attack from around the corner, the control panel is quite ordinary, but of little use.
Among the disadvantages of this software package, I can note precisely this control panel, or rather the lack of this control itself; there is nothing in it except starting and stopping the server. There is no convenient menu with a list of sites, no web server settings section, and no useful tools. You will have to configure the working environment in this build manually.
Comparison
| Portable | Russian language | Availability of GUI | Useful GUI | Viewing logs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMPPS | - | + | + | - | + |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| + | + | - | - | - | |
| + | + | + | + | + | |
| + | + | + | + | + | |
| Nimp | + | + | + | + | - |
| + | + | + | + | + | |
| + | - | - | - | - | |
| - | + | + | - | + | |
| + | - | + | - | - | |
| - | - | + | + | + | |
| - | + | + | + | + | |
| + | + | + | + | + | |
| Xampp USB Lite | + | - | + | - | - |
Testing
Test #1 - False startThe essence of the test is to deliberately corrupt the Apache configuration in order to check whether we will receive any warning or all the indicators will be green and nothing will work. Agree that you have little desire to use a build that misleadingly reports a successful launch and makes you look like an idiot. If the server does not give any signals or works secretly, then the test will also be considered failed.
Test #2 - Difficult paths
The essence of the test is to deliberately install the server in a folder with a complex name; in our test we will use a folder named “C:\test\Mys$ka!._-()zlo()+~%&2% Files”. If PhpMyAdmin (it is taken simply for convenience, since it is in every assembly) does not open, then the test will accordingly fail. Each person is an individual; folders are sometimes called by the most unexpected names. The folder name chosen for the test is correct for Windows and should be processed correctly.
Test #3 - SSL out of the box
The test is extremely simple - we start the server and try to open PhpMyAdmin via the SSL protocol.
Designations:"+" means the test was successful, "-" means the test failed.
| False start | Difficult paths | SSL out of the box | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMPPS | + | + | + |
| - | + | - | |
| - | + | + | |
| + | + | - | |
| + | + | - | |
| Nimp | + | - | - |
| + | + | + | |
| - | + | - | |
| + | - | - | |
| + | - | - | |
| + | + | - | |
| + | + | - | |
| - | - | - | |
| Xampp USB Lite | + | - | + |
Conclusion
Having examined and tested so many software systems, the question arises - what should you ultimately choose for everyday work? The answer to this question is not so simple; each build will be good for a certain type of task.For beginners, I suggest using Denwer as the simplest and most time-tested WAMP kit. To all other web developers, as well as those beginners who do not have enough Denwer functionality, I recommend using Open Server.
If you need to quickly familiarize yourself with any well-known script, forum, photo gallery or guest book and don’t want to bother installing it and finding a suitable platform, then you can try AMPPS. Of course, provided that the script you are interested in is supported by this development.
If someone needs to use such rare modules as a local mail server, Node.js, MongoDB, etc., then I think everyone will be able to choose a suitable option among other participants in our review.
P.P.S I would like to warn commentators who advocate a virtual machine with Linux on board and do not recognize anything else as an alternative. I partly agree with you, when transferring a site to a real hosting, some problems may arise: streams, fs rights, symlinks, console, etc.
However, look at it this way. Such problems are special cases and they arise quite rarely. In reality, the opposite is true - a template designer using the Smarty engine does not need to know anything about streams, symlinks and the console, and CMS developers have learned to set the correct write permissions on downloaded files for 100 years.
As a result, I want to say that WAMP platforms have a right to exist and the use of virtual machines in most cases is completely unjustified.
Local server– a web developer tool for creating, debugging and testing various scripts and web applications. In other words, a local web server is an emulator of a real server from a hosting provider located on your computer. The operation of a local server is no different from the real one, and we can create and test our websites on it.
I won't go too deep into how a local server works and what it consists of. We'll talk about this in another article. In this article we will analyze installation and configuration of a local server to your computer, but first we’ll figure out which local server to choose.
Today there are many local servers, but which one to choose?
For a long time I used the Denver gentleman's kit, which includes php, MySql and PhpMyAdmin databases. You can find out more about this package on the official website of the developer. Denver is one of the popular local server packages for web developers.
But I had to give up Denver when I discovered Open Server. In my opinion, this application is much more convenient to work with, especially since in the latest versions the developer has included in its distribution a large number of necessary programs needed by a webmaster: browsers, a code editor, a file manager, and others.
Open Server is distributed absolutely free of charge. The only thing you can do is thank the author for such a super useful product for webmasters by transferring an arbitrary amount to an electronic wallet. As the author says, donations are very important, because the project is not commercial. Well, that’s understandable, you can’t live without money today... In general, I personally transferred as much as I didn’t mind.
Benefits of Open Server
What can I highlight in favor of this server? In general, I can say a lot of good things about Open Server, but I’m afraid the article will be too long. Therefore, I will highlight the important points.
The product comes in 3 versions: Ultimate, Premium, Basic. In general, you can see the differences on the developer’s website, but I took a screenshot and attached it to the article.
I consider the presence of several versions to be a plus, because... You can download exactly what you need. Pay attention to the Ultimate version in unpacked form - more than 5 GB. I personally constantly have problems with free space on my hard drive. If you don’t have any problems with this and need additional modules and programs, you can safely download Ultimate.
Availability of free programs, as already noted. What programs exactly? I took a screenshot again.
The list, as we see, is impressive.
Private program update. In fact, this is also very important. With each new version, bugs are fixed and new features appear.
Portable version of the program. The program essentially works without installation. You can carry it on a flash drive and, if necessary, work on another computer.
Rich program capabilities. Below I have inserted a screenshot of the Open Server settings window. Looking at this screen, you will understand that this server contains everything that a webmaster might need when developing a website. FTP server, working with mail (php mail, smtp mail), aliases (for), domains (creating an additional domain alias), task scheduler (though I haven’t used it yet).
Excellent documentation + support forum. The manual was written by the developer and is quite comprehensive. Moreover, you can ask any questions you have on the support forum. In general, there is everything to get started. You just need to pay a little attention to understand all this.
I’ll finish with the advantages for now, but this is not the entire list. You can find out more about Open Server on the official website of the developer - http://open-server.ru.
Installing a local Open Server
First, we need to download the distribution from the developer’s website. It's up to you to decide which version to download. This does not affect the operation of the local server in any way. The distribution is a self-extracting archive. Double-click to unpack the archive somewhere on the computer’s hard drive, and generally preferably to the root of the hard drive. That's it, you can start the program. Now go to the folder where you unpacked open-server and immediately create a shortcut on your desktop for the main boot file. You will find two versions of the boot file - one is designed for a 32-bit operating system (Open Server x86.exe), the second for a 64-bit (Open Server x64.exe). We create a shortcut according to your system. For example, I chose "Open Server x64.exe" because... I have a 64-bit OS. To create a shortcut, right-click on the file, then Send -> Desktop (create shortcut).
When you first launch the program, you will be asked to select a language and then a dialog box will pop up in which you will be asked to install Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime & Patches if you are running Open Server on this computer for the first time.
To be honest, I don’t even know why this needs to be installed; this was not the case in previous versions of Open Server. But I installed it and advise you.
You can launch Open Server by double-clicking the shortcut we sent to your desktop. After launch, a red flag will appear in your tray (next to the clock), this will mean that the local server program is running, but the server itself is not activated. Before activating, let's first look at the settings.
The first thing we need to do is to ensure that the local server starts when the application starts (in principle, this is at your discretion). To do this, in the settings, in the “Basic” tab, check the “Server autostart” checkbox.
In the " Modules"You can view the installed modules for the local server and, if desired, you can change them. For example, the default php version is 5.5. If you need 5.6.xx or php-7, you can easily change it by selecting the desired version from the drop-down list.
Also in the tab " Server"I advise you to select the option " Always use virtual. disk". This is necessary so that a virtual disk is created when the server starts. You can choose any drive letter.
I recommend leaving the rest of the settings as they are. If you messed something up with the settings, you can always roll them back to factory settings by clicking on the " Reset settings«.
Now you can start the server - click on the red flag icon in the tray (one click with the left mouse button is enough) and select the green flag in the program menu. What do the colors of these flags mean?
- Green - the server is running;
- Orange - the server is starting/stopping;
- Red - the server is stopped.
After startup, you should have a virtual disk - W (unless, of course, you specified a different label in the settings). I would like to note that when you first start, you may be asked for approval by the Windows Firewall if you have it enabled. The approval window may pop up several times and all the time we give the go-ahead to the firewall to perform actions by the Open Server. Otherwise, your server will not start.
Go to the virtual disk W and in the folder " domains» create a folder for your future project and upload all the files of your site there. There is no need to create a “WWW” folder in the site folder, as is done in Denver. After the files are uploaded, restart the server by clicking on the orange flag so that the server defines a new site folder.
To launch the site after installation, in the Open Server menu go to “ My sites" and in the drop-down list of sites, click on the one you need. After this, the browser that is installed by default in Windows will open - if you are using the simplified version, and if you are using the full version, the browser that is installed in the local server settings will open.
In this article I described how to install a local Open Server server. The list of settings that I went through is far from complete... We’ll talk about other features and settings sometime in another article, but for now I’ll probably end on this note.
Good luck and happy website building!
Hello, today we’ll talk about choosing and creating a local server on your computer (localhost), which any webmaster needs to test a dynamic site (its modules, plugins, themes, templates, engine updates, etc.) on a computer, and not on an Internet hosting service, that is, you can test the site even without an Internet connection.
You can download the sources for the article below
Sites on engines (wordpress, joomla, Bitrix, etc.) are dynamic sites, unlike static sites - they cannot be opened on a computer through a regular browser, to edit and view them you need to install a local server (localhost) on your computer - “ program” - which will create hosting on your computer - after which you will be able to view the dynamic site through a regular browser, even without an Internet connection.
Which local server (localhost) should I choose?
1. Denwer (Denver) (“denwer.ru/”)
Denver – free local server for Windows.
Created by Russian programmers!
The site contains a video in Russian on installing and configuring a local server - Denver.
The project accepts donations - so it’s worth supporting the domestic manufacturer!
2. MAMP (“mamp.info/en/”)
MAMP stands for Macintosh, Apache, MySQL and PHP.
MAMP is free, but there is also a paid version that allows you to install multisite mode for WordPress (MultiSite).
MAMP developed for OS X operating system(successor to Apple's Mac OS), but there is also a beta version available for Windows.
3. XAMPP (“apachefriends.org/ru/index.html”)
XAMPP is the most popular PHP development environment, it is free and open source, developed for Windows, OS X and Linux.
Allows you to create WordPress MultiSite sites.
The website and instructions for XAMPP have been translated into many languages, including Russian.
This product has an extension for various engines called – Bitnami is a free all-in-one tool for installing Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, etc.
“bitnami.com/”
What platforms does Bitnami work on:
Operating Systems: Windows, OS X and all Linux distributions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, Amazon, Linux, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, etc.
Virtualization platforms: VMWare, VirtualBox, Xen, KVM, Parallels, others
Cloud platforms: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, VMWare vCloud, OpenStack, CloudStack, others.
Bitnami is amazingly easy to install and use!
For website developers using the WordPress engine, Bitnami can be downloaded here:
“bitnami.com/stack/wordpress”
4. DesktopServer (serverpress.com/”)
An excellent free product that allows you to create a local server in 5 minutes.
The free version allows you to create 3 websites and you cannot use MultiSite for WordPress - all these restrictions are removed in the paid version of the product.
5. WampServer (wampserver.com/ru/)
WampServer is a Windows web development platform for dynamic web applications using Apache2 server, PHP script interpreter and MySQL database.
Website and installation instructions in Russian.
Users of WordPress sites will also be interested in the following information products:
1. Duplicator plugin
Available on “wordpress.org”:
Number of downloads: 745,009 – a lot of downloads!
Plugin website: “wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/”
A free and popular plugin, it allows you to clone a WordPress site for use elsewhere. Needed to create an exact copy of your site to use as a testing environment on your local computer or on your hosting account.
Creating an exact copy of your site will allow you to test plugins, themes, and even WordPress engine updates before making changes to the real website.
Unfortunately, this plugin does not support MultiSite.
2. Sandbox plugin
Available on “wordpress.org”:
Number of downloads: 1,883
Plugin website: “wordpress.org/plugins/sandbox/”
The plugin creates an exact copy of a WordPress site on your existing hosting, allowing you to test changes independently of your real site, the changes will be hidden from visitors and search engines.
Another interesting product:
3. Instant WordPress (“instantwp.com”)
Instant WordPress is a portable WordPress development environment.
A video on how to quickly and easily install and use this product can be viewed here:
“instantwp.com/documentation/video/”
That's all!
It doesn’t matter why you need to create your own website, the main thing is to approach this matter with full responsibility and act step by step. The first thing to do is install a local web server on your computer with which you can practice and start creating your own website even without Internet access.
In order to turn your local computer into a full-fledged (test) web server, you need to download and install a special software package. There are quite a lot of similar complexes, but they usually include a standard set of products - Apache web server, MySQL DBMS, PHP language And so on.
In this article we will look at one of the most popular software packages for web developers called Denwer. And exactly We will install Denwer on your local computer running operating system Windows 7. If you have a different version of the operating system, it's okay Denwer installs without problems on Windows XP and Windows 10.
Where to download Denwer
Before you start the installation, you need to download Denwer (Denver) from the official website of the developer, where you need to fill in your personal data, such as name and email address, after which a link to the distribution kit will be sent to you at the address you specified. Or you can go the other way and download exactly the same distribution from our website.
Installation process
Now let’s begin installing Denver on Windows 7. Let me remind you that for other versions of Windows, be it XP or 10ka, the whole process will be similar.
We launch the newly downloaded Denver distribution and see a security warning that says whether we really want to allow the application to make changes to the computer. We say that we agree by clicking on the “Yes” button and move on to the next step.
In the installer window, when asked “Do you really want to install the base package?” Click “Yes” and wait until the archive is unpacked.
After unpacking the archive, a browser window and console will open in front of you. The browser, as a rule, does not contain any useful information for us; moreover, in most cases it tries to open a non-existent page on your computer, so you can safely close it. You shouldn’t touch the console; we’ll need it to install Denver.
After closing the browser window, although this is not necessary, go to the console and press the Enter key.
Next we read something like “blah blah blah”, and at the very end of the console the directory in which the server will be installed is indicated, by default it is C:\WebServers, but no one forbids specifying another drive, simply entering a new path, as in the screenshot below:
Next, we confirm the installation in the selected location, in my case the folder D:\WebSrv already exists and a warning appears asking whether I really want to install in it, we do not pay attention to all this and click on the “Y” button if we want to continue, or press the “N” button if you change your mind.
The next step is to again confirm that we want to install the web server in this directory by pressing the “Enter” key. Everything is standard in the style of small-soft (Microsoft).
The next step will create a virtual disk, which is necessary for the functioning of all system components. We choose any drive letter you like, by default it is the letter “Z”, we’ll probably leave it.
Press “Enter”, and then again and before moving on to the next step, wait until all the files are unpacked.
Now we have to choose how exactly to load a virtual disk, there are only two options:
- The disk is created and appears immediately when the system boots and is not disconnected when shutting down.
- The disk is created when the web server starts, and after the web server is stopped the disk disappears.
In principle, both options are good in their own way, choose what you like. I usually choose the first option, in this case, even when the server is turned off, you can work with files on the disk (of course, you can do this directly in the folder specified at the beginning of the installation, but it’s more convenient for me).
Press “Enter” and move on to the next step.
At the end of the installation, Denver will ask something like the following - “would you like to place shortcuts on the desktop?” I strongly recommend answering “I want”, in which case it will be more convenient to work with it in the future. Press the “Y” key and press “Enter”. After that, 3 shortcuts are created on the desktop to start, stop and restart the server.
