my server life - setting up a local server

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

For development of a website I gather that setting up a local server is the proper way to go.  Develop at home, then mirror to the site with FTP. So I started with Xampp and hit a snag in trying to start MySQL.  (Maybe password related, maybe not, can show discussion later.) Rather than hassle too much, I then went with Wamp (my research did not place one above the other) and the servers turned on very nicely (after a little puzzling as to where to put the install).  Whew.

Then, for database development (I have a custom web-research-related app I would like to do, allowing real-time modifications by two or three people) I am playing with Navicat (Free), rather than simply PhpMyAdmin, and I am reasonably pleased.  It looks like it really may allow quick and proper database design, even if does not give a full end-user environment like my semi-beloved Alpha Five and other alternatives. Since it affects my real work, I may be playing with the pricier WinDev and Magic trials as well. (They have good iSeries integration.)  So I was pleased with everybodies fav PhpMyAdmin - but only for limited direct control -  and Navicat for database design.  Although there are good competitors for Navicat it looks like very likely a keeper.  Sweet. (I do not mind the cost when I go to Pro.)

WordPress or CushyCMS  or another .. maybe soon (unless WebsiteBaker cuts all the mustard and I decide against a blog or CMS mentality).  

Then WebsiteBaker, which looks like fun.  However I hit a snag on the install which I placed here.
wb crashes at installation
http://www.websitebaker2.org/forum/index.php/topic,15100.0.html
It may also be password or something. Some of this stuff is a bit squirrelly.

Oh, one other discussion.  Which apps really give a decent front-end look-and-feel without too much learn and burn ?  I have not taken Navicat far enough to see what it looks like yet .. however it does not look like a real front-end, probably expecting you to do that in HTML, PHP etc.  Alpha Five will do it, at a cost, maybe $500 or so..oops. Is there a mid-point ?  A neat looking MYSQL "application" that the enduser almost feels he is at home running an app ? (Again, maybe Navicat does this, maybe Sqlyog, maybe some others, maybe the big boys.) Suggestions which way to go ?  I really like the idea of not developing the front-end look and feel by hand-code and I prefer a one-tool approach.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

[40hz]

Your first very own server? Steven! The Man!

***UPDATE***

Please ignore my earlier recommendation...

I originally suggested (see below) that you might consider MoWeS Portable as an easier way to get your development platform up and running. Although I've never had problems with this product, I've since been informed by a colleague that MoWeS has recently become unstable. Apparently something got broken because problems are being reported with the Wordpress and Elgg packages.

Better off sticking with your original plan of action and use XAMPP.

My apologies.

Murphy Lives!

If your immediate interest in is developing your website, as opposed to mastering all the infrastructure niceties*, you might want to take a look at something called MoWeS put out by CH Software.

Link: http://www.chsoftware.net/en/mowes/mowesportable/main.htm

MoWeS allows you to mix up a preconfigured WAMP "stack" along with optional applications. It's about as easy as it comes. It's also geared towards development rather than production servers, so the security has been relaxed enough that it doesn't get in the way like it would on something exposed to the Internet. (You can always enable these security features if you want/need to - although it's important to note the authors don't recommend using MoWeS as a "live" server.)

MoWeS Portable II is a free software that enables you to quickly set up a WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL and PHP) system on any Windows system.

Additionally, you can download so-called packages. Packages contain application software, such as TYPO3, MediaWiki, Wordpress, Joomla!, etc., and are installed automatically.

Most of the the "biggies" (Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress, MediaWiki, phpBB3, SugarCRM, etc. etc) are available. The basic "portable" version supports about 30 apps. There's an additional 30 packages available for "premium" supporters.

Luck!

[40hz]

[attach]

[JavaJones]

An alternative to MoWeS would be Bitnami Stacks, but if you've already got a more general environment going (XAMPP), then that's probably best.

- Oshyan

[40hz]

+1 with JavaJones on Bitnami. Completely forgot about that excellent alternative. And unlike MoWeS, Bitnami is more geared for deployment in production servers.

Great recommendation J-man.   

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Watching the thread carefully. MoWeS sounded nice to go with WAMP, before Caveat City.  No answer on the WebsiteBaker thread, I may revisit that.  Plan to build up and access my semi-rudimentary MYSQL database using Navicat and Alpha Five V. 10 (british mag 6 month trial) this weekend, see if they play friendly on the same database. (Alpha will not be thinking of it as a server, Navicat will). Also plan to load .. something .. in CMS .. blog .. webdev .. land this weekend or so.

I will look at Bitnami, as well, is it sensible even with my WAMP up and running ?

Shalom,
Steven Avery

[40hz]

If you off your current WAMP setup, and do Bitmani's , in most cases all you'll need to do is download the module for whichever app you want to install afterwards. Works like a snap-on tool. Could be a time saver down the road..


Having software for both stacks on your drive shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't run any apps from both at the same time.

[JavaJones]

Let us know what you think of Alpha 5. I've been really interested in it since I discovered it a year or so back, but haven't had the chance (or necessarily the knowledge) to tinker with it.

- Oshyan

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Have not yet loaded Alpha 5. Probably in the next day.

WordPress installed very easily, I used the instructions here.

Installing WordPress Locally Under Windows XP
http://geeksaresexy.blogspot.com/2006/06/installing-wordpress-locally-under.html

So I think I will start with that as one major aspect, perhaps coordinated with SiteSpinner
for some simple pages for now.  Will install remotely on web host and test out FTP transport.

My earlier difficulties (especially Website Baker) remain. 
More in a bit.

Shalom,
Steven

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

ALPHA 5

Alpha 5 does succeed with an active link to the existing database very nicely through localhost.  And looks very nice, you get the excellent Alpha 5 type of control panel.  Now i have to figure out which features are actually intrinsic to the MySQL database (ie. will show up in Navicat et al .. such as adding fields, etc.) and which are specific to Alpha 5.  The interesting issue is keys and linking, which presumably is built into MySQL. Which then allows for Alpha-specific multi-table browse and updates with popups etc.  Even if I just set that up for myself for now, it is nice to have.

This type of hot link mysql access is available in V. 10, I think not 9. ...  I am using the PC Utilities #23 6-month trial version (normal trial is a month).  If I want to actually put it on the web for external public access I think I would need the server version.  However since V. 10 would have allowed me to enter the IP# etc. rather than local host, I possibly can access my own data on the Net server with V. 10 with the Alpha nice stuff. (Although I would be more likely to work at home and then FTP the new version .. if the database is not shared and there is no sync concern.)  So my sense is that this non-Server version is sufficient for database manipulation, but not actual production end-user visibility (front-end to external users).  Yet the Alpha database manipulation is far slicker than Navicat so it has a purpose for myself even if I do not yet opt for a server version.  

One point of interest.  My historical problem with Alpha (post-DOS Alpha 4) is a windows programming event-driven paradigm that tends to put code snippets here and there and make it very difficult to have a solid code repository where you know where to find everything . (The experts develop their own schemas.) Compared to more integrated tools like Clarion, Magic, WinDev and more. However, ironically, this would be less of a problem in many web devs, which often will be much simpler than a complex inventory - accounting app.  Many web applications would be "code-simple".

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Here is the overall status.
I'll try to have it set up within a week for y'all to see what works production wise.

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SERVER

WAMP works fine.

 XAMPP had a little problem and I would like to try again. theoretically I would like to have 2-3 servers on my disk with a control toggle as to which one is on.  (So I do not have to turn off the services by hand.) I wonder if there is a little control for services-for-server manipulation, I probably could do it with AutoHotKey, batch file, etc.. yet I wonder if there is a tool created.  

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 MYSQL

 Navicat and Alpha V seem to work fine on my local server.   There are other programs to consider as well.  Very pleased.

  The real question is what I will eventually use for the end-user front-end to a shared Database. One of the two tools above, or something else ?  And will I end up using the same tool for read-only as for update shared.

===================================

 BLOGGING

 WordPress loaded excellently.  
 Are there others to consider, or simply stick with 'ol faithful ? 

=================================================

CMS  (Content Manage Systems)

 Cushy and Surreal and others considered, yet for now that is not needed since needs are being covered by the other sections here.  Wouldn't mind an install to get the feel of how it works.

  To a certain extent these seem to have a different purpose, when the developer wants to help the end-user to know how to add to his own website, so it might not be very relevant to my purposes.

=================================================

WEBDEV

 (Remember my goal here is not to muck around too much in coding, although I hope to pick up more skills a little later.)

  SiteSpinner - works fine with publishing to the web. Next I want to use it to publish first to localhost, before going to the web.

  Website Baker is my new tool of choice. Designed to be worked on at the server level, I think, a bit different.  Interesting question, since the server environment is more involved, why doesn't Website Baker allow a simpler publish-and-send alternative.  Why does it need to be installed on a server.

  On the higher level, Dreamweaver of course gets consideration, however I do not think I have a trial period left.

===============================

 OTHER NET - PUBLISHING TOOLS

 Your suggestions here.
===============================

 PUBLISHING to the WEB

  Stay tuned.  I do have the website I most want to use, a little raw at the moment.  Mostly this is planned to be straight FTP.  It seems like that is the proper dual-pane file manager level, using the built-in tools is the alternative , e.g.  SiteSpinner does publish to the web nicely.  However since the idea is to mirror the home system with the remote, straight FTP from local host region to Web is the pure way.

================================

 Your thoughts welcome.

Shalom,
Steven

[40hz]

Re: Website Baker

FWIW, I couldn't get it to install using WAMPP either. The installer kept coming back with an error that said the Apache server had either shut down or timed out. That was annoying enough. But when I went to shut down Apache via the WAMPP control utility, it wouldn't let me. I had to kill Apache via TaskMan.

Life is too short to screw around with troubleshooting a prepackaged web stack. I uninstalled WAMP (which doesn't do a very clean uninstall BTW) and loaded up my "old faithful" XAMPPlite stack.

Website Baker went in smooth as silk under XAMPP. I was up in less than 5 minutes.

[Curt]

Free Download A Day's latest newsletter is about XAMPP, probably because this just was updated (BETA).


http://www.freedownloadaday.com/2010/08/06/apache-mysql-php-and-perl/

http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html