Setting up a web server with PHP, MySQL and Apache on Windows XP

This tutorial is designed to help newbies get a web server setup and running. This tutorial will take you from no web server, to a fully working WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL and PHP) web server installation including “Hello World” in PHP for the hell of it.

Usually any software bundle for web development has a few key characteristics that make it stand out

  • Platform – Windows XP
  • Database – MySQL
  • Web server – Apache
  • Programming language(s) – PHP
  • …more on this.

This is called a WAMP configuration as we’ve already discussed. I’m just trying to beat it into your brain.

If you use Windows IIS web server you get WIMP. Do you see what I’m saying? We’re going to use Apache. Windows IIS is the redheaded step child of the HTTP server world.

(This post is not to be confused with setting up a development server on Linux which is often referred to as a LAMP setup.)

This tutorial is for you if

  • You want a local web server and you’re not sure how to set it up
  • You’re new to the concept of web development
  • You chose PHP as your primary language
  • You want to use MySQL as your relational database
  • You want to use Apache as your web server
  • You run Windows XP or a Windows based operating system
  • …and you’re a little new on the scene.
Video tutorial (6:15 runtime)

Things not covered in this tutorial:

  • phpMyAdmin
  • Editing hosts file and “localhost”
  • Setting up FileZilla FTP
  • Setting up MySQL
  • Making your web server viewable to the internet

There you go, if you have any questions leave them in the comments I’ll be more than happy to help. Enjoy!

This is the first of many so stay tuned!

Bryan