Xampp new version free download for windows Archives

XAMPP is the most famous PHP and Perl development environment. It helps developers to setup a local server which is fully equipped with all necessary tools and helps them to work at high speed. It is a totally free, very simple in installing Apache distribution containing Maria DB (MySQL), PHP, and Perl. The set up of the the package is extremely easy for multiple operating systems like Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Solaris.

XAMPP stands for:

X: Cross-Platform

A: Apache

M: Maria DB (MySQL formerly)

P: PHP

P: Perl

• The above expansion elaborates that it is a cross-platform application developed by Apache Friends, which works perfectly on different operating systems like Windows, Linux and Mac. 
• Maria DB (updated version of MySQL) is the database system used to store content and data of the website.
• PHP is scripting language used on server side for web development.
• Perl is also a scripting language used to develop web application (especially large projects are written in Perl).

Why XAMPP?

XAMPP has been set up to be the simplest and easiest method to install and run a development server. It is a complete open source package very easy to use, on the contrary to the other WAMP packages. There is a start button on XAMPP which initiates the web server and other processes. As mentioned above Apache, Maria DB (MySQL), PHP and Perl are its most popular tools. It also includes some very useful tools such as the phpMyAdmin database administration tool, Mercury mail server, FileZilla FTP server, programming language, and JSP server Tomcat.

Easily you can configure the above services in the XAMPP control panel. Tasks such as checking the server status and security launch tools like phpMyAdmin and Webalizer analytics can be carried out from the control panel with ease. For the beginners there are demos for everything which can be of great use. Lets compare it with WAMP. Which one wins the battle regarding features. In the end you will be able to decide which package is suitable for you.

XAMPP Vs WAMP

This concludes that XAMPP is a complete package for anyone looking to get a full development server up and running within no time. Unlike WAMP it does not have advanced security, so it can’t be used as production server. If you want to make the server Web accessible, then you can do so, by not following the rules of Apache Friends development team.

Prerequisites & Features

Prerequisites for XAMPP are as follows:

• Only executable file needs to be downloaded and installed.
• Few or no web server components are required (components that are required for servers).
• Microsoft Visula C++ 2017 Redistributable is required for Windows Users.

Features of XAMPP are listed below:

• It is updated to the latest versions of Apache, Maria DB (MySQL), PHP and Perl.
• It comes with other modules including OpenSSL, phpMyAdmin, MediaWiki, Joomla, WordPress etc.
• It comes in full and standard version.
• Single computer can have multiple instances of XAMPP independently, and any of them can be copied to other computer.

How to Use?

The attribute which makes XAMPP popular is the simplicity at which WAMP webserver stack can be deployed and instantiated. Then Bitnami offers some package applications are installed.

Initially, XAMPP was designed as a development tool, for designers and programers  to test their work offline. Therefore there were no security features. Many important security features were disabled by its designers. The latest version of it has the ability to serve pages on Web. Like other administrative tools important and private parts of the package are password protected. It also has a great feature for creating and manipulating databases in Maria DB.

Connecting to MySQL Using PHP

MySQL database server is used to store Websites’ information or content. How you connect to MySQL using PHP in XAMPP is the real task?
For this purpose you need to follow these simple steps:

1. Go to Admin button in the row next to MySQL.
   
2. New database creation tab will open after clicking on admin.
   
   Name new database like ‘newdb’.
3. By-default user is ‘root’ with no password. Next step is to write a connect script which will be used to connect MySQL.
   
4. This is how your are going to connect to MySQL using PHP, just run the above code. If the user does not know password or other variables then it will generate a warning. This way you may create different users and passwords to connect to XAMMP MySQL.

Download XAMPP

Both full and standard versions of XAMPP are available for the 64-bit as well as 32-bit architectures. Official website of XAMPP has just 64 bit installer download available. For the beginners trying to install 64 bit installer on 32 bit architecture system may face an error i.e. 216. Since there is no direct download link available for 32 bit architecture on Apache friends official website.

For users with operating system with 64 bit architecture there is a direct download link: just click here or visit their official website. For those using Operating system with 32 bit architecture getting above error, you can download XAMPP 32 bit architecture installer: just click here

XAMPP For Windows

Before installation keep in mind that download the installer from a trusted publisher or official website.  As you have downloaded the installer from above link, now it’s time to install it properly. You may download XAMPP updated version from the link below. If you want other versions to download visit For Windows page.

How to Install XAMPP on Windows

1. First of all open Web browser.
2. You can use Google chrome or Safari.
3. Download XAMPP installation file from the above link or any trusted publisher.
4. Save this file in any location of your computer.
5. After when the download is complete, before starting the installation process disable your firewall and disable Antivirus (if already installed in your system) to complete the installation.
6. Now double click on the .exe file to run installation process.
7. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen until the process is finished.
8. Go to your desktop and click on the XAMPP icon to run the application.
9. This is it, enjoy the fabulous app!

XAMPP for Mac

XAMPP is free for any OS similarly it is completely free for Mac. Also it is very easy to install and run Apache distribution containing MySQL, PHP, and Perl. For Mac OS The package has been set up to be very easy to install and to use like Windows OS.  To install and run it on Mac OS download offline installer setup.

It is an easy to install Apache distribution for Mac OS X. The package for Mac is similar to windows. It includes the Apache web server, MySQL, PHP, Perl, an FTP server and phpMyAdmin.

XAMPP is no doubt a complete package with an easy and simple method to install and run on Mac OS X, unlike other WAMP packages. Apart from tools like Apache, Maria DB (MySQL), PHP and Perl  it also includes some very useful tools such as the phpMyAdmin database administration tool, Mercury mail server, FileZilla FTP server, programming language, and JSP server Tomcat.

As world is going towards very simple and easy steps when it comes to operation. The operation may include installation configuration and running of a software. These all steps are very easy and simple in case of XAMPP. Easily you can configure the above services in the XAMPP control panel. Tasks such as checking the server status and security launch tools like phpMyAdmin and Webalizer analytics can be carried out from the control panel with ease. For the beginners there are demos for everything which can be of great use.

Simply saying, XAMPP is a complete package for Mac users as well. Simple steps and easy GUI of the software makes it perfect choice for the beginners as well for experts. Download XAMPP updated, that has latest Apache, PHP and MySQL versions.

How to Install XAMPP on Mac

• First of all download XAMPP DMG file for Mac from above link or any trusted publisher.
• Secondly open the file that you have downloaded.
• Thirdly put this file into your Applications folder
• To start it on Mac go to /Applications/XAMPP/manager-osx.app to open XAMPP Control. Then open Manage Servers tab to start Apache and MySQL.
• To test installation on Mac OS X open browser and type http://localhost.  XAMPP start pager will be seen.  Enjoy !

XAMPP for Ubuntu

XAMPP is well known to Windows users, as most of the Windows users use it to server development. But it also offers a great package for Ubuntu/Linux as well. Here we will explain how to install and uninstall XAMPP in Ubuntu. These simple steps will help you to accomplish the task smoothly.  Also you can verify the installation ‘done’ bye simply using few URLs. There is a privilege for Ubuntu users that you can uninstall the whole package by just few commands.

We have performed downloading, installation, running and uninstallation in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS system. The method and commands are described below:

How to Install XAMPP on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS System

• First step is to download the installation file for Ubuntu. You may download XAMPP latest version for Ubuntu click here or use any other trusted publisher for downloading the package.
•  Open terminal to execute the file. Use shortcut key to open terminal by typing on your keypad ‘Ctrl+Alt+T’. Once the terminal is open, access the downloaded file in the location of your computer. Now it is executable. You can use these commands for accomplishing the process:

•  Now, you have to confirm execute permission by typing

in terminal.

• Step 4 will be to launch the Setup Wizard. For this

•  Then to launch Setup Wizard go through the graphical setup wizard by following the steps appear in the Bitnami GUI.
• Now, Launch XAMPP through the Terminal. In the CLI type to launch it through terminal.

• Step 7 is to Verify Installation. After when installation is finished you need verify it by typing http://localhost in the browser. In the response you will get a welcome note with the Linux version on screen. Hurrah! You have successfully completed the installation and ready to use.

XAMPP Portable

 Like other portable application XAMPP portable setup also works perfectly. Before running its Portable setup you need to use XAMPP Launcher. Then download the Portable version and install it in the root directory of your portable device or in the subdirectory within the Launcher. Also to open the zip/7z archive of the XAMPP Portable version with 7 –Zip Portable.  

XAMPP Portable is a full package. The complete portable package is equipped with web, database and FTP server for Windows. Like full package, Portable package also has all the necessary tools. It includes:

• Apache,
• MySQL,
• PHP + PEAR,
• MiniPerl,
• phpMyAdmin,  
• OpenSSL,
• Webalizer,
• XAMPP Control Panel,
• FileZilla FTP Server,
• XAMPP Security,
• Tomcat
• Mercury Mail Transport System,
• ADODB,
• SQLite,
• Zend Optimizer,

About Apache Friends

Apache Friends’ ultimate goal is to promote the Apache web server by developing completely free tools like XAMPP. It is a non-profit project just to help developers and programmers. The pacakage is very simple and easy to download, install and run Apache distribution containing Maria DB, PHP, and Perl.

Community

XAMPP has a huge community base as they have been working for 10 years. You may contact them and share your ideas and get involved in discussions by following their facebook page, twitter account, and Google plus. The Apache Friends community is very helping.

https://www.facebook.com/we.are.xampp
https://twitter.com/apachefriends
https://plus.google.com/+xampp/posts

For more information and updates hop on to

https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html

What is the use of XAMPP?

XAMPP offers an impressive stack that rivals WAMP and LAMP packages. It comes with all the essential parts of a web server—mainly the Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB database, and interpreters for scripts written in PHP and Perl programming languages. The components of this software are actually similar to actual web server deployments; this makes it easier to transition from a local test server to a live server.

The stack also offers Mercury Mail server, FileZilla, FTP server, and even the Tomcat JSP server. You will find an overview of your server’s security and status, which will be reported to you via a launch log analysis program like Webalize and phpMyAdmin. As a hard-hitting piece of server, it also delivers quick installation speeds. The download process takes only five to ten minutes.

This shows how seriously Apache Friends values the time and convenience of its users. It does not need further configuration or add-ons, as this is simply a full-fledged server that runs quickly and effortlessly. To customize the program, head to the program's control panel. You will see its straightforward and minimalist interface. Here, you can interact with all kinds of modules, view different PID numbers, and edit configuration files. 

How do I start XAMPP?

You can always locate your files through the XAMPP directory. It requires you to input commands in order to find the file you need. This may be a tedious task for beginners, so Apache Friends offers a platform for its users to communicate and instruct one another. This program's active community is currently working on enhancing the program for users of all skill levels to understand.

While it is a complete development server, this program is easy to install; you now have more programs in your device through one installation. It’s easier compared to downloading the different programs separately. You can head to the server’s home page to check the server’s security settings and the overall status of launch applications like PHP demos. 

This software takes away the tedious process of configuration and condenses the run time to a few minutes. This makes it ideal for users that need a full-fledged, holistic development server that runs quickly and effortlessly. The program’s control panel is easy to use so you can interact with different kinds of modules in one platform. 

All-in-one development server

The user-friendly interface and seamless user experience of XAMPP show that this was designed with the developer’s requirements in mind. It also offers a bustling community of developers who can provide solutions to your concerns, and are constantly updating the program. With this program, you get more out of one installation than running several different applications. 

Complete install packages are available from Moodle.org's Windows download page and also from Bitnami stacks. The packages are designed for new installations on a standalone computer. All them use the popular XAMPP Apache Friends packages. The complete install package can be used on a server, but it is not recommended that it be used as a production site. Please note Moodle.org's Standard install packages only contain the Moodle code.

This document provides instructions for using the Windows packages. Separate instructions are available for Mac OS X packages.

The complete install packages allow Moodle to be installed, along with the prerequisites that includes a web server, Apache, database, MySQL, scripting language, PHP and Moodle all wrapped in the Xampp-lite shell. Several versions of the complete install package are available. The instructions on the download page provide guidance on which version is likely to be most suitable.

In short, complete install packages are designed to create a matched webserver and Moodle site on a standalone computer with minimal effort.

System requirements

• 256 MB RAM (minimum), 1GB RAM (recommended)
• 500 MB free Fixed Disk (more space will be needed depending on user uploads)
• For old versions of Moodle:
  • Windows 98/ME (minimum)
  • Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 (recommended)
• For Moodle 3.1 and later versions:
  • Windows Vista/7/8/10/2008/2012
  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable package is required for PHP (download link). This must be the vc_redist.x86.exe download as the PHP build is 32-bit.

Port 80 Conflict if Skype is already installed

As the Moodle Windows package uses the same port (80) as Skype does, it will not work if the computer has Skype already installed.

The fix is very simple: Exit Skype (don't just close the window), then start the Moodle Windows package. Once Moodle for Windows is running, it should be safe to start Skype again. If the local Moodle is using the port 80, Skype will automatically select a different port when it is run.

Vista and Windows 7/8/10

Packages generated for Moodle 3.1 and later versions should work with Vista/7/8/10 out of the box. They include PHP 7 and MariaDB instead of MySQL, resulting in a smoother experience than previous versions of the packages.

If you have Windows 7, you must check if you need to increase Apache default stack size.

People facing problems with the new packages are advised to:

• Check the PC with a good antivirus. Be very cautious when choosing a free/paid Windows antivirus. Good places to look for are old, reliable, solid PC magazines and old, reliable, solid PC blogs. Beware of many malicious malware programs posing as antivirus solutions! Google for any chosen solution before installing it.
• Check the problem text: If it says that the connection was reset, read this documentation page for diagnosis and fix.
• Read the Requirements and Troubleshooting information, both here and in the package's README.txt file.
• Report any consistent problem in the Moodle Tracker, so it can be investigated and, hopefully, fixed.
• Consider installing a virtual machine (eg, VirtualBox) with a windows or linux LAMP stack and then install Moodle there.
• Switch to:

• Use other Moodle-ready alternatives out there.

Install complete package process

The complete install package is a zip file that contains a webserver called Apache, plus Moodle and Moodle's required MySQL database and PHP program.

There are three basic parts to the this install process.

1. Download and unpack the complete install package.
2. Start the webserver.
3. Install Moodle using a web browser.

First create file structure

Download the package

Download Windows packed-zip file from Moodle.

Unpack the package

Unpack (extract files by clicking on) the zip file you downloaded to a drive or partition of your choice. The extract process will create three files ("Start Moodle", "Stop Moodle", and "README") and a subfolder called "server".

• Do NOT rename the "server" subfolder

Note: There will also be a folder under this server subfolder, called \moodle that holds the Moodle program.

TIP: Create a folder and extract the files there. For example, you might have one folder called Moodle254 and another one called Moodle281 for different versions or purposes.

TIP: Make path to "server" subfolder simple. Best way if it will be in drive root. Like "D:\moodle281\server". A long path, especially with any strange symbols, can prevent XAMPP from working properly.

NOTE: If you will be installing a server with a language other than English, the install process will need to download the corresponding language pack, which will take some time, and you will likely get a script timeout error. To prevent this, you will need to edit the server/php/php.ini file and change the line that has 'max_execution_time = 30' into 'max_execution_time = 600'.

Second - start the webserver

Now you are ready to start the webserver. Use the "Start Moodle.exe" file which you should find in the top directory. Once the "Start Moodle.exe" program is open, don't close it; use "Stop Moodle.exe" for that purpose.

Note: These programs control both Apache and MySQL programs that operate the webserver. Some sites will individually start and stop Apache and MySQL with the Xampp bat files found in the "server" subfolder.

Tip: Alternatively, on a standalone computer with several potential webservers that might be running, you can use the "xampp_restart.exe" file in the "server" subfolder.

Tip: You can also add shortcuts to the commands that start and stop the site in your Windows "start" menu.

Now you are ready to start the Moodle installation.

Warning: Windows XP requires the msvcr71.dll library file in order to run Xampp. Installing the .Net 1.1 framework (not .Net 2.0 and upper) could resolve it. You can also search for the file on Google, download it and copy it into the server/apache/bin folder.

Third - start Moodle installation

Start your web browser and type localhost, or http://127.0.0.1 or http://localhost in the address bar. You will either start your first time Moodle installation or if it is already installed you will enter the Moodle site's Front Page or Login screen.

A browser's addressbar showing "localhost". Click on the green Goto arrow will go to the installed Moodle site.

Tip: After Moodle installs, put the site in your "favorites" or as a "bookmark" in you browser.

Set language

The initial install page will be displayed after you type "localhost".

• Choose your preferred language (English is used in this example) and click the “Next” button.

Diagnostic results

A diagnostic report is displayed – hopefully it will look like this, if not you may need to address some issues.

Moodle liked and gave a Pass

• Click the “Next” button to continue.

Moodle paths

The paths for your Moodle installation are shown – if you are only using this as a local testing server, accept the ones that are shown on your screen.

What you enter in the "Web Address" field depends on what you intend to use the new Moodle installation for. If you are just going to use it for local testing, then use 'http://localhost'. If you are going to test the new installation on a LAN, and will be accessing it from other machines on that LAN, then put the private IP address or network name of the serving machine, followed by a forward slash and moodle: Web Address - http://192.168.1.1/moodle If you are going to test the installation on the internet, then you will need to put the public ip address followed by a forward slash and moodle: http://your_ip_address/moodle or you can put your domain name here instead.

• Click the “Next” button to continue.

Database configuration

• In the next fields, we enter the database settings. The fields are populated with some suggested values.

• We strongly recommend you place a user name and password in this screen. (Don't forget them).

• DO NOT USE THE “ROOT” USER WITHOUT A PASSWORD FOR PRODUCTION INSTALLATIONS AS THIS CREATES A SECURITY VULNERABILITY

Installation's database settings

• When the fields have been populated, click the “Next” button to continue.

Check server

The install process checks the server is installed. All the checks should pass as far as the system requirements have been fulfilled.

Check server environment screen

• Click the “Next” button to continue.

Confirm initial language pack

Moodle will now check to see if the language pack is available for the language you selected at the first step. If it is not, Moodle will continue with the install in English.

Confirm config.php

Provided the Moodle folder is writable, a message confirming the configuration has been completed will be displayed.

Confirmation that config.php has been created

• Click the “ Continue” button to proceed.

Moodle copyright & agreement

The Moodle copyright / license notices are displayed.

Copyright notice and agreement

• Click the “Yes” button to continue.

Current release and unattended option

The current release information is shown. Check off the unattended operations box. This will automatically advance through many screens. If you would like to watch the install screen by screen, do not check this box and be prepared to press the "continute button" many times.

• Click the "Continue" button and wait.

Current release and "unattended" check box

Installation modules and blocks screens

In most cases this will be followed by a series of screens that have a continue button on the bottom. This process stops with Admin user profile settings which needs to be filled out.

Administrator user profile

The administrator's users profile screen

Fill out the required fields.

• Click on "Save" to continue

Front page settings

The next screen is the Front Page settings page. There are two parts to it. The first part will ask for your Full site name and a short name for the navigation bar. There is also a place for a description. You can change these later.

The second part on the bottom instructs Moodle if you will disable the new user self authentication through email process. The default is to disable. This can be changed later in the site administration block.

Determine if users can create their own profiles when they log onto the side via email self authentication

• Click on "Save changes" button to go to Moodle sites home page.

Moodle on

Now you are ready to Moodle !

Blank Front page of your new site

The Site Administration block is on the left, the "Turn edit on" button in the upper right corner, withe the site description block just below it.

Congratulations - Moodle has been installed

This finishes the installation of a complete package. Type http://localhost (or what ever you set for web address earlier in the setup!) in your browser and Moodle will open.

Your next task will be to configure Moodle to meet your needs. Don't worry, it is easy to change any of the settings now that Moodle is up and running.

• Check Settings > Site administration for further links.

More tips and cautions

• For installation on a Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 production server it is good practice to perform a manual install (see the manual installation section in Windows Installation).

• After installing the Windows package, you may wish to add additional contributed modules and plugins. These may involve more customization of configuration files.

• The latest complete install package version components, may not be backwardly compatible. Always check version compatibility of each component if you intend to develop materials on a later version of Moodle than the version installed on your "main" Moodle site. In short, complete install packages are designed for first time install on a "clean" machine.

Security matters (A MUST READ!)

As mentioned before, XAMPP is not meant for production use but only for developers in a development environment. The way XAMPP is configured is to be open as possible and allowing the developer anything he/she wants. For development environments this is great but in a production environment it could be fatal. Here a list of missing security in XAMPP:

The MySQL administrator (root) has no password. The MySQL daemon is accessible via network. Examples are accessible via network.

To fix most of the security weaknesses simply call the following URL:

http://localhost/security/

The root password for MySQL and also a XAMPP directory protection can be established here.

Note that on the Windows installer package, some (all?) of these issues have been fixed already by default and the above link does not work.

If in doubt, more info is here

Apache and MySQL tweaks

Most of the time it is not necessary to tweak Apache or MySQL after completing the complete install package. Nor is it necessary to individually start and stop them because that is what the Xampp_start, Xampp_restart and Xammp_stop files are for.

Installing Apache and MySQL as services

(This is only for NT4 | Windows 2000 | Windows XP operating systems)

\xampplite\apache\apache_installservice.bat = ==> Install Apache 2 as service

\xampplite\apache\apache_uninstallservice.bat = ==> Uninstall Apache 2 as service

\xampplite\mysql\mysql_installservice.bat = ==> Install MySQL as service

\xampplite\mysql\mysql_uninstallservice.bat = ==> Uninstall MySQL as service

==> After all Service (un)installations, please restart your system!

Apache Notes

You can use the apache_start and apache_stop bat files to start and stop apache from running. However the Xampp_start or Xampp_restart and Xampp_stop is recommended to turn on/off both Apache and MySQL.

Troubleshooting

If you find that Apache is very flaky, with the page often not loading properly or even at all (especially on localhost), try adding these lines to the end of C:\your_moodle_installer_directory\apache\conf\httpd.conf

If You edit some .php files but browser still show old state of them, try to disable eAccelerator extension in \server\php\php.ini

MySQL notes

Again, the recommendation to start and stop the entire webserver is to use the xampp_start or Xampp_restart and the Xampp_stop. The following maybe useful if you wish to tweak the system further. Please be careful.

(1) The MySQL server can be started by double-clicking (executing) mysql_start.bat. This file can be found in the same folder you installed xampp in, most likely this will be C:\xampplite\. The exact path to this file is X:\xampplite\mysql_start.bat, where "X" indicates the letter of the drive you unpacked xampp into.This batch file starts the MySQL server in console mode. The first intialization might take a few minutes.

Do not close the DOS window or you'll crash the server! To stop the server, please use mysql_shutdown.bat, which is located in the same directory.

(2) To use the MySQL Daemon with "innodb" for better performance, please edit the "my" (or "my.cnf") file in the /xampplite/mysql/bin directory or for services the c:\my.cnf for windows NT/2000/XP. In that director, activate the

statement. Attention, "innodb" is not recommended for 95/98/ME.

To use MySQL as Service for NT/2000/XP, simply copy the "my" / "my.cnf" file to C:\my, or C:\my.cnf. Please note that this file has to be placed in C:\ (root), other locations are not permitted. Then execute the "mysql_installservice.bat" in the mysql folder.

(3) MySQL starts with standard values for the user id and the password. The preset user id is "root", the password is "" (= no password). To access MySQL via PHP with the preset values, you'll have to use the following syntax:

If you want to set a password for MySQL access, please use of mysqladmin. To set the password "secret" for the user "root", type the following:

Have a lot of fun! Viel Spaß! Bonne Chance!

If you are installing Moodle complete install package under Windows 7

See also