What is FULL WampServer2.1b-x32 and Why You Should Use It for Your Web Projects
FULL WampServer2.1b-x32: A Complete Guide
If you are a web developer or a web enthusiast who wants to create dynamic web applications on Windows, you might have heard of WampServer. But what is WampServer exactly? And what is WampServer2.1b-x32? Why should you use it? How can you download and install it? And how can you use it effectively? In this article, we will answer all these questions and more. We will provide you with a complete guide on how to use FULL WampServer2.1b-x32 to develop your web projects with ease.
FULL WampServer2.1b-x32
What is WampServer?
WampServer is a web development platform on Windows that allows you to create dynamic web applications with Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB. WampServer stands for Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB.
Apache is a web server software that handles HTTP requests from clients and serves web pages or files in response.
MySQL and MariaDB are relational database management systems that store and manipulate data for your web applications.
PHP is a scripting language that runs on the server side and generates dynamic web pages or files.
MariaDB is a fork of MySQL that offers more features and better performance.
WampServer automatically installs everything you need to intuitively develop web applications. You will be able to tune your server without even touching its setting files. You will also be able to install and switch different versions of Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB according to your needs.
What is WampServer2.1b-x32?
WampServer2.1b-x32 is one of the versions of WampServer that you can download and install on your Windows system. It is compatible with Windows XP SP3 or higher (but not with Windows Server 2003). It includes the following components:
Apache 2.2.17
MySQL 5.5.8
PHP 5.3.5
PHPMyAdmin 3.4.0
SqlBuddy 1.3.2
XDebug 2.1.0
You can also install additional addons for Apache, MySQL, PHP, or MariaDB if you want Why use WampServer2.1b-x32?
There are many reasons why you might want to use WampServer2.1b-x32 for your web development projects. Here are some of them:
It is free and open source. You can download and use it without any cost or license restrictions.
It is easy and fast to install and configure. You don't need to manually install and set up each component separately. You just need to run the installer and follow the instructions.
It is flexible and customizable. You can choose which components and versions you want to install and use. You can also add or remove addons as you wish.
It is portable and secure. You can run it from a USB drive or a local folder without affecting your system settings. You can also enable or disable online access to your server with a single click.
It is powerful and reliable. You can develop and test your web applications with the same environment as the production server. You can also debug your code with the integrated XDebug tool.
Of course, WampServer2.1b-x32 is not the only version of WampServer available. You can also download and install other versions that suit your needs better. For example, you can use WampServer3.x if you want to use the latest versions of Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB, or if you want to use 64-bit components. However, WampServer2.1b-x32 is still a great choice if you want to use a stable and compatible version of WampServer on your Windows system.
How to download and install WampServer2.1b-x32?
Now that you know what WampServer2.1b-x32 is and why you should use it, let's see how you can download and install it on your Windows system. It is very simple and straightforward, but you need to follow some steps carefully.
Downloading WampServer2.1b-x32
The first step is to download the installer file for WampServer2.1b-x32 from the official website: http://www.wampserver.com/en/download-wampserver-32bits/. You will see a list of available downloads, including the main installer file and some addons for Apache, MySQL, PHP, or MariaDB. You need to download the main installer file, which is named "WampServer2.1b-x32.exe". The file size is about 25 MB.
You can also download the addons if you want to install additional components or versions for your WampServer. For example, you can download the addon for Apache 2.4.4 if you want to use a newer version of Apache than the one included in the main installer file. However, this is optional and not necessary for the basic installation of WampServer2.1b-x32.
Installing WampServer2.1b-x32
The second step is to install WampServer2.1b-x32 on your Windows system using the installer file that you downloaded in the previous step. Before you run the installer file, you need to make sure that you have some prerequisites for the installation.
Prerequisites for installation
The prerequisites for installing WampServer2.1b-x32 are:
You need to have administrator rights on your Windows system.
You need to have Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) installed on your Windows system. You can download it from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8328.
You need to have Internet Information Services (IIS) disabled on your Windows system. IIS is another web server software that might conflict with Apache if both are running at the same time. You can disable IIS by going to Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off > Internet Information Services > Uncheck all boxes > OK.
You need to have Skype disabled on your Windows system. Skype might use port 80 or 443, which are also used by Apache for HTTP and HTTPS requests. You can disable Skype by going to Tools > Options > Advanced > Connection > Uncheck "Use port 80 and 443 as alternatives for incoming connections" > Save.
If you have all these prerequisites ready, you can proceed with the installation of WampServer2.1b-x32.
Steps for installation
The steps for installing WampServer2.1b-x32 are as follows:
Double-click on the installer file "WampServer2.1b-x32.exe" to launch it.
Choose your language and click OK.
Read and accept the license agreement and click Next.
Choose the destination folder where you want to install WampServer2.1b-x32 and click Next. The default folder is "C:\wamp".
Choose whether you want to create a desktop icon and a quick launch icon for WampServer2.1b-x32 and click Next.
Click Install to start the installation process.
Wait for the installation to finish. You might see some pop-up windows asking you to choose some settings for Apache, MySQL, or PHP. You can leave them as default or change them according to your preferences.
Click Finish to complete the installation.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed WampServer2.1b-x32 on your Windows system. You should see a new icon in your system tray, which is a green "W" logo. This means that your WampServer is running and ready to use.
How to use WampServer2.1b-x32?
Now that you have installed WampServer2.1b-x32 on your Windows system, you might wonder how to use it effectively for your web development projects. In this section, we will show you some of the basic and advanced features of WampServer2.1b-x32 that you can use to manage your web server and your web applications.
Managing your Apache, MySQL, and PHP services
The first thing you need to know how to do is how to manage your Apache, MySQL, and PHP services. These are the core components of your web server that handle the web requests, the database operations, and the dynamic web pages or files. You can start, stop, restart, or test these services using the WampServer icon in your system tray.
To access the WampServer menu, simply left-click on the WampServer icon in your system tray. You will see a list of options, such as:
Start All Services: This will start all the services (Apache, MySQL, and PHP) if they are not already running.
Stop All Services: This will stop all the services (Apache, MySQL, and PHP) if they are running.
Restart All Services: This will restart all the services (Apache, MySQL, and PHP) if they are running.
Test Port 80: This will test if port 80 is available for Apache to use. Port 80 is the default port for HTTP requests. If port 80 is already used by another application, such as Skype or IIS, you might need to change it in the Apache configuration file.
Put Online/Offline: This will enable or disable online access to your web server. If you put your web server online, anyone who knows your IP address can access your web applications. If you put your web server offline, only you can access your web applications from your local machine.
You can also access each service individually by expanding the corresponding submenus: Apache, MySQL, and PHP. You will see more options for each service, such as:
Start/Stop/Restart Service: This will start, stop, or restart the selected service.
Service administration: This will open the Windows Service Manager for the selected service. You can use this to change the service settings, such as startup type or logon account.
Service installation: This will install or remove the selected service from Windows Services. You can use this to make the service run automatically when Windows starts or not.
Version: This will show you which version of the selected service you are using. You can also switch to another version if you have installed an addon for it.
You can also right-click on the WampServer icon in your system tray to access some quick actions, such as:
Exit: This will exit WampServer and stop all the services.
Refresh: This will refresh the WampServer menu and update the status of the services.
About: This will show you some information about WampServer, such as version number and website link.
Installing and switching Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB releases
The next thing you need to know how to do is how to install and switch different releases of Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB for your WampServer. A release is a specific version of a component that has its own features and settings. For example, Apache 2.4.4 is a release of Apache that has some differences from Apache 2.2.17, which is another release of Apache.
WampServer allows you to install and switch different releases of Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB for your web server. This way, you can choose the best combination of components for your web applications. You can also test your web applications with different releases to ensure compatibility and performance.
To install and switch different releases of Apache, MySQL, PHP, and MariaDB for your WampServer, you need to follow these steps:
Download the addon file for the release that you want to install from the official website: http://www.wampserver.com/en/addons/. You will see a list of available addons for each component, such as "Apache 2.4.4 Addon - 32 bit". The file size is usually between 10 MB and 50 MB.
Run the addon file as administrator and follow the instructions. The addon file will automatically detect your WampServer installation folder and copy the files for the new release there.
Restart your WampServer by clicking on "Restart All Services" in the WampServer menu.
Switch to the new release by clicking on "Version" in the corresponding submenu (Apache, MySQL, PHP, or MariaDB) in the WampServer menu. You will see a list of installed releases for that component, such as "2.4.4" or "2.2.17". Click on the release that you want to use and wait for a few seconds.
Check if the new release is working properly by accessing your web applications or testing some features of the component.
You can repeat these steps for any release of any component that you want to install and switch for your WampServer. You can also uninstall any release that you don't need anymore by deleting its folder from your WampServer installation folder.
Managing your server settings
Another thing you need to know how to do is how to manage your server settings. These are the configuration options that affect how your web server behaves and how your web applications run. For example, you might want to change the port number that Apache uses, or the maximum file upload size that PHP allows.
WampServer provides you with an easy and intuitive way to manage your server settings without having to edit any configuration files manually. You can access and modify your server settings using the WampServer menu in your system tray.
To access and modify your server settings using the WampServer menu, you need to follow these steps:
Left-click on the WampServer icon in your system tray to open the WampServer menu.
Expand the corresponding submenu (Apache, MySQL, PHP, or MariaDB) for the component that you want to modify its settings.
Click on "httpd.conf" (for Apache), "my.ini" (for MySQL), "php.ini" (for PHP), or "my.ini" (for MariaDB) to open the configuration file for that component in a text editor.
Find and edit the setting that you want to change in the configuration file. You can use the search function (Ctrl+F) to locate the setting quickly. You can also refer to the documentation of each component for more information about each setting and its possible values.
Save and close the configuration file.
Restart your WampServer by clicking on "Restart All Services" in the WampServer menu.
Check if the new setting is working properly by accessing your web applications or testing some features of the component.
You can repeat these steps for any setting of any component that you want to modify for your WampServer. You can also restore the default settings by replacing the configuration file with a backup copy that is stored in your WampServer installation folder.
Accessing your logs and settings files
Sometimes, you might need to access your logs and settings files for troubleshooting or debugging purposes. These are the files that record the errors, warnings, and information messages that occur during the operation of your web server and your web applications. For example, you might want to check the Apache error log to see why your web page is not loading properly, or the PHP settings file to see what extensions are enabled or disabled.
WampServer makes it easy for you to access your logs and settings files without having to navigate through your file system. You can access and view your logs and settings files using the WampServer menu in your system tray.
To access and view your logs and settings files using the WampServer menu, you need to follow these steps:
Left-click on the WampServer icon in your system tray to open the WampServer menu.
Expand the corresponding submenu (Apache, MySQL, PHP, or MariaDB) for the component that you want to access its logs or settings files.
Click on "Apache error log" (for Apache), "MySQL log" (for MySQL), "php_error.log" (for PHP), or "MariaDB log" (for MariaDB) to open the log file for that component in a text editor.
Read and analyze the log file to find any errors, warnings, or information messages that might help you solve your problem.
Click on "phpinfo()" (for PHP) or "php.ini" (for PHP) to open the settings file for PHP in a web browser or a text editor respectively.
Read and analyze the settings file to find any options or extensions that might affect your web application.
You can repeat these steps for any log or settings file of any component that you want to access for your WampServer. You can also clear the log files by deleting their contents if they become too large or cluttered.
Creating aliases and virtual hosts
The last thing you need to know how to do is how to create aliases and virtual hosts for your web server. These are the features that allow you to use different names or domains for your web applications. For example, you might want to use "localhost" as an alias for your local web server, or "example.com" as a virtual host for your online web application.
WampServer provides you with a simple and convenient way to create aliases and virtual hosts for your web server without having to edit any configuration files manually. You can create and manage your aliases and virtual hosts using the WampServer menu in your system tray.
To create and manage your aliases and virtual hosts using the WampServer menu, you need to follow these steps:
Left-click on the WampServer icon in your system tray to open the WampServer menu.
Expand the Apache submenu and click on "Alias directories".
Click on "Add an alias" to create a new alias for your web server. You will see a pop-up window asking you to enter the name of the alias and the path of the folder that contains your web application. For example, you can enter "localhost" as the name of the alias and "C:\wamp\www" as the path of the folder. Click OK to confirm.
Click on "Edit an alias" to modify an existing alias for your web server. You will see a list of available aliases that you have created. Click on the alias that you want to modify and edit its name or path as you wish. Click OK to confirm.
Click on "Delete an alias" to delete an existing alias for your web server. You will see a list of available aliases that you have created. Click on the alias that you want to delete and click OK to confirm.
Expand the Apache submenu and click on "VirtualHost management".
Click on "Add a VirtualHost" to create a new virtual host for your web server. You will see a pop-up window asking you to enter the name of the virtual host and the path of the folder that contains your web application. For example, you can enter "example.com" as the name of the virtual host and "C:\wamp\www\example" as the path of the folder. Click OK to confirm.
Click on "Edit a VirtualHost" to modify an existing virtual host for your web server. You will see a list of available virtual hosts that you have created. Click on the virtual host that you want to modify and edit its name or path as you wish. Click OK to confirm.
Click on "Delete a VirtualHost" to delete an existing virtual host for your web server. You will see a list of available virtual hosts that you have created. Click on the virtual host that you want to delete and click OK to confirm.
You can repeat these steps for any alias or virtual host that you want to create, modify, or delete for your web server. You can also access and edit the configuration files for your aliases and virtual hosts manually by clicking on "httpd-vhosts.conf" in the Apache submenu in the WampServer menu.
Conclusion
In this article, we have provided you with a complete guide on how to use FULL WampServer2.1b-x32 to develop your web projects with ease. We have explained what WampServer is, what WampServer2.1b-x32 is, why you should use it, how to download and install it, and how to use it effectively. We have also shown you some of the basic and advanced features of WampServer2.1b-x32 that you can use to manage your web server and your web applications.
We hope that this article has helped you understand and appreciate the benefits of using WampServer2.1b-x3