What is XAMPP?
- XAMPP is a software package that makes it easy to run a local web server on your computer.
- It includes:
- X → Cross-Platform (Windows/Linux/Mac)
- A → Apache (Web Server)
- M → MySQL/MariaDB (Database)
- P → PHP (Server-side language)
- P → Perl (rarely used)
- With XAMPP, you don’t need to install Apache, PHP, and MySQL separately. Everything comes bundled together.
- You can build and test your PHP projects locally before uploading to a real server.
👉 Example: After installing XAMPP, open http://localhost in your browser to see the XAMPP dashboard.
Install XAMPP Steps
To install XAMPP on a Windows system, follow these steps:
Step 1: Download XAMPP
Step 2: Run the Installer
Step 3: Select Components
Step 4: Choose Installation Folder
Step 5: Install
Step 6: Start XAMPP Control Panel
Step 7: Test Installation
Step 1: Download XAMPP
- Go to the official apachefriends.org
- Choose the Windows version (e.g., XAMPP for Windows 8.2.x / 8.1.x / 7.4.x depending on your PHP need).
- Download the
.exeinstaller.
Step 2: Run the Installer
- Locate the downloaded file (e.g.,
xampp-windows-x64-8.2.12-0-VS16-installer.exe). - Right-click → Run as Administrator.
Step 3: Select Components
You will see checkboxes for:
- Apache
- MySQL
- PHP
- phpMyAdmin
- Others (Perl, Tomcat, etc.)
Step 4: Choose Installation Folder
Default path: C:\xampp\
👉 Recommended: Keep it default.
- Click Next.
Step 5: Install
- Click Next → installation will begin.
- Wait until the installation is complete.
Step 6: Start XAMPP Control Panel
- After installation, XAMPP Control Panel will open.
- You will see services:
- Apache (for PHP web server)
- MySQL (for database)
👉 Click Start next to both.
Step 7: Test Installation
Open browser → type:
http://localhost/
If XAMPP dashboard opens → ✅ Success!
For MySQL/phpMyAdmin:
http://localhost/phpmyadmin/
Now you can place your Laravel/PHP projects inside:
C:\xampp\htdocs\
Example:
C:\xampp\htdocs\myproject\index.php
Access via
http://localhost/myproject/
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