A. Getting Started
There are a number of ways to set up a test environment on your own local computer. Numerous applications and tutorials for a variety of operating systems are located in the Setting up a development environment section of the handbook.
Reasons to run a local development server:
- Developing locally allows you to work when not online.
- Getting your local server running, even if it is with a simple installation like WAMP, will help you start thinking in terms of server processes and databases. As you get deeper into Drupal that knowledge will pay off.
- Everything you put on the web is searched, archived and hangs around for a long time. Do you want your inevitable learning mistakes displayed for the world to see on Google?
This tutorial uses the example of building a site on a PC with Windows using the DeveloperSide.net package.
This package has already integrated the following things:
- Apache 2.2 HTTP Server
- MySQL 5.0 Database
- PHP 5.2 and Perl 5.8 Scripting Languages
- GUI WAMP-stack Controller
- Dynamic DNS Client
- Tomcat Servlet/JSP Container
- mod_aspdotnet ASP.NET Host Interface
- OpenSSL Cryptography Toolkit
- mod_security Web Application Firewall
- phpMyAdmin MySQL Administration
- Joomla
- Drupal
- WordPress
- MediaWiki
- phpBB
Do note that any package, like the DeveloperSide one, that includes Drupal for you may not always have the latest secure version of Drupal. It is, therefore, recommended that you check the version immediately and upgrade Drupal if needed when using these packages.
I followed their instructions, which built me a working system! For more instructions see the Web.Developer page in the development environment section. I don't remember if it was automatic or not, but you will find it useful to have the "Web-Developer Controller" icon on your desk top.
The only "fly in the ointment" was that when I went to the Drupal web site to start pulling my modules and themes, there was a big announcement on the front page saying that a new security release for Drupal 5 had been released and was highly recommended.
I downloaded the latest stable release. I then unzipped it (using WinZip).
Of course, that created a directory called "Drupal-5.1," (the latest version at the time this was written) but the other software I had installed was looking for a directory called "Drupal." Well, by getting Apache and its services shut down, I managed to rename the two directories so that 5.1 was now called "Drupal." It worked! I now had a running 5.1 system!
If you have not set up your site using a package that includes Drupal, it is still very easy to install in a few minutes. You can find complete instructions in the handbook Getting Started section under the version number you are installing. Here are the directions for Drupal 5.
Note of caution - check before installing DeveloperSide
I just ran the DeveloperSide.NET community suite software and need to offer a note of caution. If you have previously installed xAmpp because your were following a joomla tutorial or if you've ever attempted a development server install in the past or downloaded php or mysql in any form, you need to uninstall before you do the DeveloperSide.NET installation. Otherwise, things won't work.
Now in the event that you do make this mistake, solutions to the most common problems can be found on their community suite forum on a sticky. And you will find a summary there also of my own blunder and how I uninstalled everything so I could reinstall it again at http://forums.devside.net/index.php?topic=384.msg8251#msg8251
James
Newbie here. Really all I want is to make fast web sites mostly, but with some power features and have the ability to customize, not just design, but processes, such as eCommerce features, and subscription based user levels.