Download Xampp 2018
Errolan Price
How to Download and Install XAMPP 2018 on Windows
If you are looking for a simple and reliable way to set up a local web server on your Windows computer, you might want to consider using XAMPP. XAMPP is a popular and free Apache distribution that comes with many useful features and components. In this article, we will show you how to download and install XAMPP 2018 on Windows in a few easy steps.
What is XAMPP and why do you need it?
XAMPP is a free and easy-to-use Apache distribution
XAMPP stands for Cross-Platform (X), Apache (A), MariaDB (M), PHP (P) and Perl (P). It is an open-source software package that allows you to install and run a web server on your own computer. You can use it to create and test web applications, websites, blogs, forums, and more.
XAMPP includes MariaDB, PHP, Perl, and other components
XAMPP not only includes the Apache web server, but also other essential components for web development, such as MariaDB (a fork of MySQL), PHP (a scripting language), Perl (a programming language), phpMyAdmin (a tool for managing databases), OpenSSL (a library for encryption), and many others. You can choose which components you want to install and use with XAMPP.
XAMPP is useful for web development and testing
One of the main advantages of using XAMPP is that it allows you to develop and test your web projects locally, without having to upload them to a remote server. This way, you can save time, bandwidth, and money. You can also experiment with different settings, configurations, and features without affecting your live site. XAMPP is also compatible with various frameworks, CMSs, and platforms, such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Laravel, CodeIgniter, etc.
How to download XAMPP 2018 for Windows
Choose the right version of XAMPP for your system
Before you download XAMPP, you need to make sure that you have a compatible system. XAMPP supports Windows 2008, 2012, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. However, it does not support Windows XP or 2003. You also need to check if your system is 64-bit or 32-bit. To do this, you can right-click on My Computer or This PC and select Properties. You will see the System Type under System.
XAMPP offers different versions of PHP for Windows. For example, you can choose between PHP 8.0.28, PHP 8.1.17, or PHP 8.2.4. You can also choose between different versions of XAMPP itself. For example, you can download XAMPP 7.1.18 from SourceForge if you want an older version of PHP.
Go to the official website of Apache Friends or SourceForge
The easiest way to download XAMPP is to go to the official website of Apache Friends at https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html. There you will see the latest versions of XAMPP for Windows with different PHP versions. You can click on the download button next to the version you want and save the installer file on your computer.
Alternatively, you can go to SourceForge at https://sourceforge.net/projects/xampp/files/XAMPP%20Windows/ and browse through the different versions of XAMPP for Windows. You can select the version you want and click on the download link to get the installer file.
Click on the download link and save the installer file
Once you have chosen the version of XAMPP you want, you need to click on the download link and save the installer file on your computer. The installer file will have a name like xampp-windows-x64-8.0.28-0-VS16-installer.exe or xampp-win32-7.1.18-0-VC14-installer.exe, depending on the version and system type. The file size will be around 150 MB to 200 MB.
You can save the installer file in any location you want, but make sure you remember where you saved it. You will need to run it later to install XAMPP on your computer.
How to install XAMPP 2018 on Windows
Run the installer file as administrator
After you have downloaded the installer file, you need to run it as administrator to install XAMPP on your computer. To do this, you can right-click on the installer file and select Run as administrator. Alternatively, you can double-click on the installer file and click Yes when prompted by User Account Control.
Follow the installation wizard steps
When you run the installer file, you will see a welcome screen that introduces you to XAMPP. You can click Next to continue with the installation process. You will then see a screen that shows you the license agreement for XAMPP. You can read it and click I agree to accept it.
The next screen will ask you to choose a language for XAMPP. You can select English, German, or Spanish from the drop-down menu and click Next. The next screen will show you some information about Bitnami, which is a service that allows you to install web applications on top of XAMPP. You can skip this step by unchecking the box that says Learn more about Bitnami for XAMPP and clicking Next.
Select the components you want to install
The next screen will allow you to select the components you want to install with XAMPP. By default, all components are checked, but you can uncheck any component that you don't need or want. For example, if you don't plan to use Perl or Tomcat, you can uncheck them from the list.
The components that are available for installation are:
- Apache: The web server that handles HTTP requests and serves web pages.
- MySQL: The database server that stores and manages data for web applications.
- FileZilla FTP Server: The FTP server that allows you to transfer files between your computer and your web server.
- Mercury Mail Server: The mail server that allows you to send and receive emails from your web server.
- Tomcat: The Java servlet container that runs Java web applications.
- PHP: The scripting language that executes dynamic web pages.
- Perl: The programming language that runs CGI scripts.
- phpMyAdmin: The tool that allows you to manage your MySQL databases through a web interface.
- Webalizer: The tool that analyzes your web server logs and generates statistics and reports.
- Fake Sendmail: The tool that simulates a mail server for testing purposes.
You can click Next after selecting the components you want to install.
Choose the installation directory and port settings
The next screen will ask you to choose the installation directory for XAMPP. By default, it will be C:\xampp, but you can change it to any location you want. However, it is recommended to avoid spaces and special characters in the path name. You can also choose to install XAMPP as a service, which means that it will start automatically when you boot your computer. You can check or uncheck the boxes for Apache, MySQL, FileZilla, and Mercury if you want to install them as services.
The next screen will show you the port settings for XAMPP. These are the ports that XAMPP will use to communicate with your web browser and other applications. By default, they are 80 and 443 for Apache, 3306 for MySQL, 21 for FileZilla, and 25 for Mercury. You can change them if you want, but make sure they are not used by other programs on your computer. You can also check the box that says Use port 8080 for Apache if you want to avoid conflicts with other web servers.
You can click Next after choosing the installation directory and port settings.
Start the XAMPP Control Panel and test the services
The next screen will show you the installation progress of XAMPP. It may take a few minutes to complete, depending on your system and the components you selected. When it is done, you will see a screen that says Setup has finished installing XAMPP on your computer. You can click Finish to exit the installation wizard.
After exiting the installation wizard, you will see the XAMPP Control Panel on your screen. This is where you can start and stop the services of XAMPP, such as Apache, MySQL, FileZilla, etc. You can also access the configuration files, logs, and help documents of each service from here.
To test if XAMPP is working properly, you can start Apache and MySQL by clicking on the Start buttons next to them. You should see green indicators that show they are running. Then, you can open your web browser and type http://localhost or http://127.0.0.1 in the address bar. You should see a welcome page that says Congratulations: You have successfully installed XAMPP on this system!. You can also click on the links on the left side to access phpMyAdmin, Webalizer, etc.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download and install XAMPP 2018 on Windows in a few easy steps. XAMPP is a free and easy-to-use Apache distribution that includes MariaDB, PHP, Perl, and other components for web development and testing. You can use it to create and test web applications locally without having to upload them to a remote server. You can also customize it according to your needs and preferences.
We hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
FAQs
- Q: How do I uninstall XAMPP from my computer?
- A: To uninstall XAMPP from your computer, you need to stop all the services of XAMPP from the Control Panel and exit it. Then, you need to go to the installation directory of XAMPP (usually C:\xampp) and run the uninstall.exe file as administrator. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the uninstallation process.
- Q: How do I update XAMPP to a newer version?
- A: To update XAMPP to a newer version, you need to backup your data and configuration files from the old version first. Then, you need to uninstall the old version of XAMPP from your computer using the uninstall.exe file in the installation directory. After that, you need to download and install the new version of XAMPP following the same steps as above.
- Q: How do I secure XAMPP from unauthorized access?
- A: To secure XAMPP from unauthorized access, you need to change the default passwords for MySQL root user, phpMyAdmin user (pma), Mercury Mail Server user (postmaster), and FileZilla FTP Server user (newuser). You can do this by clicking on the Security link on the welcome page of XAMPP or by going to http://localhost/security/index.php in your web browser. Follow the instructions on the screen to change the passwords.
- Q: How do I install WordPress or other web applications on XAMPP?
- A: To install WordPress or other web applications on XAMPP, you need to download the installation files from the official websites of the web applications and extract them to the htdocs folder of XAMPP (usually C:\xampp\htdocs). Then, you need to create a database and a user for the web application using phpMyAdmin. After that, you need to run the installation script of the web application by going to http://localhost//install.php in your web browser. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation process.
- Q: How do I access XAMPP from another computer on the same network?
- A: To access XAMPP from another computer on the same network, you need to know the IP address of the computer that runs XAMPP. You can find it by typing ipconfig in the command prompt of that computer. Then, you need to type http:// in the web browser of the other computer. You should see the welcome page of XAMPP. You can also access the web applications that are installed on XAMPP by typing http:/// in the web browser.