Test XAMPP, phpMyAdmin, and Apache Modules - Administration

Let’s conduct a test to see if everything has been installed properly by running a PHP script on your XAMPP local server.

1. Open a notepad text editor (or any PHP editor).

2. Copy and paste the PHP script below to your editor:

<?php
$number1= 5;
$number2= 10;
$sum= $number1 + $number2;
echo 'The sum of two numbers:'. $sum;
?>

3. Save the file as sum.php to the htdocs folder inside your XAMPP directory. This is how the htdocs folder will look with the sum.php script inside it:

4. To test it in a web browser, navigate to http://localhost.sum.php. This will run the sum.php script in your XAMPP local server.

Once the PHP script executes, you should see the following output:

 
If you see the output without any errors, you can start running PHP scripts in your XAMPP localhost. Note that if you do not save the PHP script inside the htdocs folder, the web browser will not be able to access it.

5. To access your MySQL database (as well as create databases and tables), go to: http://localhost/phpmyadmin/

Log in using your MySQL root credentials: username= root and password (the MySQL root password you configured earlier).

6. You will then see the phpMyAdmin panel (screenshot below):

To connect to your XAMPP MySQL database in your PHP web applications, use the following credentials:

Username: root
Password: your_mysql_root_password
Hostname: localhost

When you are installing and testing a CMS (such as Joomla), you can use the above MySQL credentials.

7. The following are important paths for Apache configuration files, modules and PHP configuration which you might be tweaking for your applications:

• XAMPP Apache modules path: C:\xampp\apache\modules\ 
  
  Most important modules are enabled by default in XAMPP (such as mod_rewrite). If you add modules, you can use this tutorial as a benchmark: http://mewbies.com/how_to_install_mod_security_for_apache_tutorial.htm
  
  
• Apache configuration file (httpd.conf): C:\xampp\apache\conf\ httpd.conf
  
  You can open this file with Notepad. In most cases you will not need to tweak this configuration file.
  
  
•  PHP configuration file (php.ini) path: C:\xampp\php\php.ini
  
This is used to tweak some of your PHP settings (such as turning safe mode ON). Bear in mind that to finally implement any changes to the Apache settings (adding new modules, httpd.conf changes, as well as changes in your php.ini), Apache needs to be restarted in your XAMPP Control Panel (click “Stop” for Apache then click “Start” again).

Troubleshooting the XAMPP Install

MD5 checksum does not match.

Solution: Download the installer again and check the MD5 checksum until it matches exactly. Do not proceed to the installation process until it matches.

Apache server won’t start conflict at Port 80. (Port 80 in use)

Solution: Make sure you do not have any local host servers running on your Windows computer. This will ensure those ports are used solely by XAMPP.

If you need to run another local host server (such as Visual Web Developer), make sure they are running at different port numbers. Usually Port 80 is recommended for XAMPP as the default port for Apache.

My installation still does not work.

Solution: Make sure you comply with the system requirements and that no other conflicting services are running on your computer. For example, are anti-virus programs running? Make sure to turn these or any other applications that may be blocking your installation off.

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