How to install XenForo locally to your PC using XAMPP

[Bi0S Emerald Member Posts:12,183 Threads:12,128 Reputation 31]

Compatible XF Versions:

• 1.0
  
• 1.1
  
• 1.2
  
• 1.3
  
• 1.4
  
• 1.5
  

This resource is not affiliated with XenForo Ltd.

This is a simple guide for installing XenForo to your PC using XAMPP.
This is very useful for testing out add-ons, making changes, etc. without affecting your live site.
You can even swap the MySQL database between your live site and PC using phpMyAdmin.
You can also up/download any files between your installation directories.

You can even build your site completely on your PC then upload the forum directory to your server, import the database and have a fully working site. All you need to change is the Board URL in the ACP.

This guide assumes you have Windows 7 (64) and are installing XAMPP. Other OS and XAMPP versions may have slightly different steps, or require different software.
Note it will not be necessary to chmod any directories.

The first thing you need to do is download XAMPP, which you can get from here:
Download XAMPP

Install the XAMPP software
Click on the .exe file
Leave the destination folder as C:\
Select Y or N to add shortcuts to the Start Menu and Desktop
Select Y to proceed
Select N to make a portable XAMPP without drive letters (unless required)
Press X to exit

Start the XAMPP Control Panel
Start the Apache service and allow Firewall access
Start the MySQL service and allow Firewall access

Set up security
Click on the Apache service Admin button on the XAMPP Control Panel
Click Security
Click, or browse to http://localhost/security/xamppsecurity.php
Set the password for the MySQL section
Password: root (choose your own password)
Set the password for XAMPP directory protection
User: root (choose your own user name)
Password: root (choose your own password)
Restart the MySQL service

Create the local database
Click the MySQL Admin button on the XAMPP Control Panel or browse to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/index.php
Create a new database
Name: my_db (or give it the same name as your live install if you want to use the same database locally)

Install XenForo
Download the XenForo software and unzip it
Create the C:\xampp\htdocs\community directory
Copy the contents of the unzipped XenForo /upload directory to the /community directory
Browse to the install directory: http://localhost/community/install/
Click on Begin Installation
Enter the server details
MySQL Server: localhost
MySQL Port: 3306
MySQL User Name: root (or whatever you used in the step above)
MySQL Password: root (or whatever you used in the step above)
MySQL Database Name: my_db (or whatever you used in the step above)
Then just set up the ACP options as per a normal installation except for the Board URL which will be http://localhost/community

Increasing Limits
You may need to increase some of the php or SQL limits, depending on the size and configuration of the database you are importing.
You can do that by editing the xampp/php/php.ini file as follows:
memory_limit = 512M
post_max_size = 512M
upload_max_filesize = 512M

Also, the xampp/mysql/bin/my.ini file as follows:
[mysqld]
max_allowed_packet = 512M
[mysqldump]
max_allowed_packet = 512M

And that's it.
Your local install will now be available from your browser at http://localhost/community/

Each time you want to access it, all you have to do is run XAMPP and start the Apache and MySQL services.

[simoclick DF Member Posts:16 Threads:1 Reputation 0]

thanks for this very useful guide

[Smoulougde DF Member Posts:47 Threads:2 Reputation 0]

Thanks for this useful tutorial :)