XAMPP

XAMPP (cross-platform Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl) is a free, open-source local development server stack that installs a complete web server environment on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What XAMPP Does and When to Use It

XAMPP provides a single-installer bundle that sets up Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB (MySQL-compatible database), PHP, and Perl on a local machine. The XAMPP Control Panel starts and stops each service independently. Developers use XAMPP to build and test PHP-based web applications — such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal — without deploying to a remote server.

XAMPP stores all website files in the htdocs folder inside its installation directory. Apache HTTP Server serves those files at http://localhost on port 80 by default. MariaDB listens on port 3306 and provides database services through phpMyAdmin, a web-based database management interface included in XAMPP.

XAMPP is not designed for production servers. The default configuration has no database root password, exposes phpMyAdmin to the network, and disables several Apache HTTP Server security modules. For production environments, use a dedicated Apache HTTP Server or Nginx installation with hardened MariaDB settings.

How to Install XAMPP

XAMPP installs through a graphical installer on Windows and macOS. Download the installer from the Apache Friends website. The installer bundles all components — no separate downloads are required.

For a detailed walkthrough on Windows, see How to install XAMPP on Windows.

Core Concepts of XAMPP

XAMPP Control Panel

The XAMPP Control Panel is the central management interface for all XAMPP services. It displays the running status of Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB (MySQL), FileZilla FTP Server, Mercury Mail, and Tomcat. Each service has Start, Stop, Admin, Config, and Logs buttons. The Config button provides direct access to configuration files such as httpd.conf, php.ini, and my.ini.

Apache HTTP Server in XAMPP

Apache HTTP Server handles all HTTP requests in XAMPP. It serves files from the htdocs directory and processes PHP scripts through the PHP module. The main Apache configuration file is httpd.conf, located at C:\xampp\apache\conf\httpd.conf on Windows. Apache HTTP Server listens on port 80 (HTTP) and port 443 (HTTPS) by default.

MariaDB (MySQL) in XAMPP

XAMPP bundles MariaDB as its database server. MariaDB is a drop-in replacement for MySQL and uses the same command-line tools, including mysql and mysqladmin. The default MariaDB configuration file is my.ini, located at C:\xampp\mysql\bin\my.ini on Windows. MariaDB listens on port 3306 by default and ships with no root password in XAMPP.

PHP Configuration in XAMPP

XAMPP includes PHP as the server-side scripting language. The PHP configuration file php.ini controls settings such as upload_max_filesize, max_execution_time, error_reporting, and extension loading. On Windows, the default path is C:\xampp\php\php.ini. Changes to php.ini require an Apache HTTP Server restart to take effect.

The htdocs Document Root in XAMPP

The htdocs folder is the default document root for Apache HTTP Server in XAMPP. Every file placed in htdocs becomes accessible at http://localhost/{filename}. On Windows, the default path is C:\xampp\htdocs\. Subdirectories within htdocs map to URL paths — a folder named mysite is accessible at http://localhost/mysite/.

Common Tasks with XAMPP

How to Start Apache and MariaDB in XAMPP

Open the XAMPP Control Panel. Click the Startbutton next to Apache. Click the Startbutton next to MySQL (MariaDB). Both services show green status indicators when running. Access http://localhost in a web browser to confirm Apache HTTP Server is serving pages.

How to Access phpMyAdmin in XAMPP

Start Apache HTTP Server and MariaDB from the XAMPP Control Panel. Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/. phpMyAdmin provides a web interface to create databases, manage tables, run SQL queries, and import or export data.

How to Create a New Database in XAMPP

Open phpMyAdmin at http://localhost/phpmyadmin/. Click the Databasestab. Enter a database name in the "Create database" field. Select the utf8mb4_general_ci collation. Click Create. The new database appears in the left sidebar and is ready for use by PHP applications.

XAMPP Troubleshooting

Related Tools and Guides

WordPress is the most common PHP application installed on XAMPP for local development. See How to install WordPress with XAMPPfor a step-by-step guide.