What will I learn to do?
You are expected to have a basic knowledge on what is a web server and what is a database. However no technical knowledge on these two elements is expected as the Easyphp installer will set them up for you automatically.
You will learn how to install and run SPIP on your machine. Then you will be able to make all your tests on your machine before running your site online.
To run SPIP you first need the Apache web server, the MySQL database, and a PHP interpreter.
You will learn how to install these three components through the Easyphp installer and then how to install SPIP on top of Easyphp.
Why would I do this?
It’s always a good practice to test the changes you’ve made on your site offline before carrying the changes online; it’s the notion of “development server” versus “production server”.
As you become better and better in SPIP, you’ll start to install plugins, to change the templates and so on. Theses operations need a lot of iterative changes and a lot of attempts. If you try everything online instead offline, your changes are going to cost a lot of bandwidth and time uselessly.
Installing the site offline is going to give you a more in-depth point of view on what SPIP needs to work: you’ll be then more capable to face problems as a webmaster.
How do I install Easyphp?
Download the latest version of Easyphp(in this tutorial we will use version 1.8)
Double click on the executable you downloaded and accept all the default values by clicking accept or next
After the installation, Easyphp is automatically launched, which means MySQL and Apache are launched
A security window may show up to ask you to unblock the Apache server and the MySQL server: always choose unblock
Install easyphp
Never close the control panel: it would stop the two servers. Just minimize the control panel: Easyphp is still accessible from the quick launch panel.
When you restart your machine, Easyphp is not launched: you have to go to Start/ Programs/ EasyPHP/ EasyPHP to start it.
The Easyphp control panel should also show up. This panel lets you start/stop Apache and MySQL. Watch the demo to see how to start and stop the servers.
Start and stop easyphp with the control panel
How do I know that MySQL and Apache server are running?
If Easyphp is launched you can see an “e” in the quick launch panel .
If a little red dot under the “e” is blinking, it means the servers are working properly.
Double click on the “e” to open the control panel.
Use the control panel from the quick launch panel
