Having a webserver on your PC can greatly help you, since you can test out stuff on your local PC. Main reason is you don’t need to wait till files are uploaded to a webhost, if you make changes to files you don’t need to reupload them. You have no restrictions and you have full flexibility. Another reason is when you’re installing plugins or making changes on the script, you wouldn’t want your visitors to see the error codes or distorted layout when things doesn’t go right.
Many years ago when I was just started basic web designing, that is exactly what I did. I registered a free Geocities webspace, use Frontpage to design a HTML page and then upload to Geocities. Since I wasn’t experienced in web designing, I had to do a lot of trial and error to get things right. I really wasted a lot of time reuploading and refreshing the page whenever I made any changes.
Most of the PRO web designers and coders that I know usually have a local webserver to do their thing. If you think installing Apache, PHP, MySQL, WordPress, PunBB, Mambo, Joomla, Drupal and other server application on your computer is tough, you’re wrong. I am going to show you how EASY it is for you to install a local webserver with Apache, SQL, PHP and other applications in Windows.
There are a few brands of free software which allows you to easily install local webserver but I am going to share with you my favorite which is WOS because it’s portable. Good thing about portable is if you don’t run it, it doesn’t run any unnecessary services that takes up your memory and CPP resources.
WOS Portable stands for the three letter abbreviation Webserver On Stick Portable and makes it possible, to run a webserver based on Apache, MySQL and PHP from an USB Stick or any other writable media (harddrive, flash cards etc.) without installation under Windows (98 to Vista).
With WOS, you can install the following server software:
- Apache2
- ImageMagick
- MySQL5
- PHP4
- PHP5
There are also optional Application Software which you can install:
- Drupal
- GTD-PHP
- Joomla
- Mambo
- MediaWiki
- Moodle
- OS_Commerce
- OpenDB
- PHPMyAdmin
- PunBB
- TYPO3
- Taskfreak
- WordPress
- knowledgeroot
- xoops
Installation is very easy. WOS Portable can be downloaded using the WOS Mixer (there you can choose which packages you want to have). If you only want to have Apache, MySQL, PHP and WordPress, just check the following and click the Download Now button.
After finished downloading, extract wosportable.zip and run wos.exe from the wosportable directory. I’d advice that you extract wosportable directory to the root of your drive (C:\wosportable) because I encountered error messages when I tried to install from desktop. Choose the language that you want to use, accept the terms of use, and the next screen will show you the packages found and ready to install. Click Install button and it’d start installing the packages.
After completing the installation, WOS Portable status window will appear.
Your default browser will also open with WOS Portable information page. Take note of the URL, it’s your local address! Click on Back on the left to get to the main page. At the main page, it will show you the services that’s running and also packages installed.
Congratulations! You now have a PORTABLE local webserver with Apache, SQL, PHP, and other applications installed in your computer. There is another version of WOS called WOS X. WOS X is the “big brother” of the free WOS Portable. WOS X can do everything WOS Portable can and much more such as easy editing for the PHP, MySQL, htaccess, and Apache settings, remote control WOS X via web browser over a network, integrate more server software with include files and etc… The only requirement of WOS X is you must have a working WOS Portable. Then just extract and copy WOS X contents to the WOS Portable folder.
With WOS, you don’t need to setup a webserver using the tougher way by downloading Apache, PHP, MYSQL, phpMyAdmin and setting up the server manually, defining the php variables and connecting phpMyAdmin with MYSQL. You can also easily install third party application software such as WordPress, PunBB and many more automatically.
Thanks to Frank for sharing this software with me. Frank is a talented GFX guy and he’s the one that made the new forum theme based on this blog.
[ Download WOS Portable II | WOS X ]
Hello!
I pray to Allah to guide you to the right path, God Bless you Raymond.
Great Information
Rating: *****
Regards
Muhammad Qawi
How do I install “wos” onto an external drive (i.e. G:/)? I am running Windows Vista Home Premium (X32).
Dear Ray,
The link you have mentioned is not working….
Hmm i use this simple webserver with PHP integration. It’s enough for me.
mwiede.de/windows-php-webserver/
checkoxes and buttons”Cancel” and “Install” are unclickable…
using ffox 3.0.6
link is broke
Hello. I just wanted to know how I run, let’s sat, a PHP script using this. Should I upload it to the root directory? Then what? How is it run? I already tried that and double clicked the index.php of the script and the notepad text editor opened instead.
I tried with the Web Developer Package and with UsbWebserver and the same happened. What I’m I doing wrong?
Any help will be appreciated.
Rick
Well, I did get it to run after quite some effort. This might help some of you:
I was getting the same old.dir error \”cannot write to old.dir\”, but like Odie said, I deleted the file………another error \”old.dir not found\”……then I created a blank old.dir and the installation proceeded to completion.
Now, I started wos, but both mysql & apache weren\’t working. it turned out that I had previously installed xampp on my pc, which installs its mysql instance as a service. The service was running [even though xampp wasn\'t] and so Wos couldn\’t start its mysql instance. I just stopped the mysql service and then set its startup type to \’manual\’ [in Administrative Tools>Services].
With apache the problem was that IIS was installed and running on my machine, so I had to stop it from Administrative Tools>Internet Information Services. After that Apache ran fine.
Now there is another issue…….Almost all of the apps [wordpress, phpbb, oscommerce, joomla, drupal, etc] that come with Wos are supposed to be installed by default…or they should get installed on first run….But they are NOT installed. Worse, the install folders are renamed so the installation does not start automatically when you access them the first time [eg. taking the example of phpBB3, when you type localhost/wos/phpbb3 in the address bar of the browser, it should start installation...but it gives an error. Here two things need to be done:
1. You need to create a new mysql database named phpbb from within phpmyAdmin [localhost/wos/phpmyadmin].
2. You need to rename the installation folder back to its original name as initially the installation folder will be named something like c:\\wos\\www\\phpBB3\\install.bak, you need to change the name of the folder to c:\\wos\\www\\phpbb3\\install.
Now you can start installation of phpbb3 by going to localhost/wos/phpbb3/install/.
Same goes for most of the other apps that come with wos……..create db first, then rename the install folder, then start installation.
Hope this is helpful.
I had the same problem with old.dir.
The content of the file is “c:\wos\” so I just created a new file and replaced the old one. Installation then carried on.
Apache also doesn’t start on my machine, so I am also of the opinion that wos needs some work.
I can’t download wox ….
this i really amazing i like that . Its growing .
raymond,
i can assure you that i am not a rookie…
i found other people with same problem…
answers from the wos faq are funny, at least!
wos is far from being usable!
bamboula, maybe you did something wrongly, that’s why it did not work for you. Try other alternatives then.
Gosh!
Wos is a piece of s….
Does not install…
old.dir file error on 2 different PC…
then, re launch of wos put it at work but apache drops itself….
Just throw it away…
i switched to portable zazouminiwebserver
works on first launch!
just when i need it (didya read my mind or something? :P)
thanks, used it and love it
dear Raymond, thanks for the posting.
In the first time, I used triadPHP. It was okay.
Then … I tried Wamp. With this, I have problem to run my program. it can not recognize the default username and password (root and ‘ ‘). Then, I followed some suggestion, set up a new username and password in the MySQL. It still does not work.
Do you have idea about my problem? Thank you.
My favourite is xamp. The lite version works best for me:
apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html
Ray, Thanks for the tips.
I would love to see a few more option from readers.
usbwebserver.com/
Another portable WAMP is uniformserver.com,
I use it for years.