Introduction
XAMPP is a free and open-source cross-platform web server solution stack package developed by Apache Friends. It consists mainly of the Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB database, and interpreters for scripts written in the PHP and Perl programming languages. XAMPP is a simple, lightweight Apache distribution that makes it extremely easy for developers to create a local web server for testing purposes. Everything you need to set up a web server server application (Apache), database (MySQL), and scripting language (PHP) is included in a simple extractable file.
XAMPP is also cross-platform, which means it works equally well on Linux, Mac and Windows. Since most actual web server deployments use the same components as XAMPP, it makes transitioning from a local test server to a live server possible. XAMPP's ease of deployment means a WAMP or LAMP stack can be installed quickly and simply on an operating system by a developer, with the advantage that common add-in applications such as WordPress and Joomla! can also be installed with similar ease using Bitnami.
download xampp php 5
Web development using XAMPP is especially beginner friendly, as this popular PHP and MySQL for beginners course will teach you. In this article, we will show you how to download, install, and use XAMPP PHP 5 on your computer, as well as some common errors and solutions that you may encounter along the way.
How to download XAMPP PHP 5
To download XAMPP PHP 5, you need to go to the official website of Apache Friends at [3]( Here, you will find multiple versions of XAMPP for different platforms and PHP versions. In this tutorial, we will use XAMPP Windows 5.6.40 which includes:
How to download xampp php 5 on windows 10
Download xampp php 5.6.40 installer for windows 64 bit
Download xampp php 5.5.30 zip file for linux
Download xampp php 5.4.45 portable version for mac
Download xampp php 5.3.29 with mysql and apache
Download xampp php 5.2.17 for windows xp
Download xampp php 5.1.6 with openssl and curl
Download xampp php 5.0.5 with mod_perl and tomcat
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Apache 2.4.10
MySQL 5.6.20
PHP 5.6.40
phpMyAdmin 4.2.7.1
OpenSSL 1.0.1i
XAMPP Control Panel 3.2.4
Webalizer 2.23-04
Mercury Mail Transport System 4.63
FileZilla FTP Server 0.9.41
Tomcat 7.0.56 (with mod_proxy_ajp as connector)
Strawberry Perl 7.0.56 Portable
You can download this version by clicking on the green button that says "Download (122 MB)" on the website. Alternatively, you can use this direct link: [2]( The file size is about 122 MB, so it may take some time to download depending on your internet speed.
How to install XAMPP PHP 5
Run the installer
Once you have downloaded the XAMPP PHP 5 installer, you need to run it to start the installation process. You can do this by double-clicking on the file or right-clicking and choosing "Run as administrator". You will see a welcome screen that asks you to select your language. Choose your preferred language and click "OK".
The next screen will show you some information about XAMPP and its components. You can read it if you want, or just click "Next". The following screen will ask you to choose which components you want to install. By default, all components are checked, but you can uncheck the ones you don't need. For example, if you don't plan to use Perl, Tomcat, or FileZilla, you can uncheck them. However, make sure that Apache, MySQL, PHP, and phpMyAdmin are checked, as they are essential for running a web server.
After selecting the components, you will be asked to choose the installation directory for XAMPP. The default location is C:\xampp, but you can change it if you want. However, it is recommended to keep the default location, as it will make things easier later on. Click "Next" to continue.
The next screen will show you a warning about User Account Control (UAC) on Windows. UAC is a security feature that prevents unauthorized changes to your system settings and files. However, it can also interfere with some of XAMPP's functions, such as starting and stopping services. Therefore, it is advised to disable UAC or install XAMPP on a different drive than C:\. You can read more about this issue here: [1]( Click "OK" to proceed.
The final screen will show you a summary of your installation settings and ask you to confirm them. If everything looks good, click "Next" to start the installation. The installation may take several minutes depending on your system and the components you selected.
Start the Apache and MySQL servers
After the installation is complete, you will see a screen that asks you if you want to start the XAMPP Control Panel now. Check the box and click "Finish". The XAMPP Control Panel is a graphical user interface that allows you to manage the XAMPP services and settings.
The XAMPP Control Panel will open in a new window. You will see a list of services such as Apache, MySQL, FileZilla, Mercury, and Tomcat. Each service has a green or red indicator that shows its status (running or stopped), as well as buttons to start, stop, restart, and configure it.
To run a web server with XAMPP PHP 5, you need to start at least two services: Apache and MySQL. Apache is the web server software that handles HTTP requests and serves web pages. MySQL is the database management system that stores and retrieves data for your web applications.
To start Apache and MySQL, simply click on the "Start" button next to each service name. You will see the indicator turn green and a message saying "[ApacheMySQL] started" in the log window below. If everything goes well, you should see no errors or warnings in the log.
Test the installation
To test if XAMPP PHP 5 is working properly, you can visit localhost in your web browser. Localhost is a special hostname that refers to your own computer as a web server. If XAMPP is running correctly, you should see a welcome page that says "Welcome to XAMPP for Windows 5.6.40".
This page also contains links to various tools and resources that come with XAMPP PHP 5, such as phpMyAdmin, Webalizer, phpinfo(), and documentation. You can explore them if you want, but for now we will focus on how to use XAMPP PHP 5 for your web development projects.
How to use XAMPP PHP 5
Create a folder for your project
Now that you have XAMPP PHP 5 installed and running, you can start creating your own web applications using PHP and MySQL. The first step is to create a folder for your project in the htdocs directory of XAMPP. The htdocs directory is where you store all your web files, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and images. By default, the htdocs directory is located at C:\xampp\htdocs, but you can change it if you want.
To create a folder for your project, you can use Windows Explorer or any file manager of your choice. For example, you can create a folder named "myproject" in the htdocs directory. This folder will be the root of your project, and you can store all your PHP files and other web files in it.
Run your PHP code
To run your PHP code, you need to write it in a text editor or an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) of your choice. You can use any editor or IDE that supports PHP syntax highlighting and debugging, such as Notepad++, Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, or PhpStorm. For this tutorial, we will use Notepad++ as an example.
To write your PHP code, you need to create a file with the .php extension and save it in your project folder. For example, you can create a file named "index.php" and save it in C:\xampp\htdocs\myproject. In this file, you can write any valid PHP code that you want to execute. For example, you can write the following code to display a simple message:
<?php echo "Hello, world!"; ?>
To run your PHP code, you need to visit localhost/your folder name/path to your PHP file in your web browser. For example, to run the index.php file that we created above, you need to visit localhost/myproject/index.php in your browser. You should see the message "Hello, world!" displayed on the screen.
Connect to MySQL database
To connect to MySQL database, you need to use phpMyAdmin, which is a web-based tool that allows you to create and manage databases and tables using a graphical interface. phpMyAdmin is included with XAMPP PHP 5 and can be accessed by visiting localhost/phpmyadmin in your browser.
When you visit localhost/phpmyadmin for the first time, you will see a login screen that asks you for a username and password. The default username is "root" and the default password is blank (no password). You can use these credentials to log in to phpMyAdmin.
Once you are logged in, you will see a dashboard that shows you various information and options related to MySQL. On the left side of the dashboard, you will see a list of databases that are available on your server. By default, there are some databases that are created by XAMPP for its own purposes, such as cdcol, information_schema, mysql, performance_schema, phpmyadmin, test, and webauth. You can ignore these databases and create your own database for your project.
To create a database for your project, you need to click on the "New" button on the left side of the dashboard. You will see a screen that asks you to enter a name for your database and choose a character set and a collation. For example, you can name your database "myproject_db" and choose "utf8_general_ci" as the character set and collation. Then click on the "Create" button to create your database.
After creating your database, you will see it listed on the left side of the dashboard. You can click on it to see its details and options. To create tables in your database, you need to click on the "New" button on the top of the dashboard. You will see a screen that asks you to enter a name for your table and specify the number of columns that it will have. For example, you can name your table "users" and specify 4 columns. Then click on the "Go" button to create your table.
After creating your table, you will see a screen that asks you to define the structure of your table by specifying the name, type, length, attributes, index, default value, and comments for each column. For example, you can define the following structure for your users table:
Name Type Length Attributes Index Default Comments --- --- --- --- --- --- --- id INT 10 UNSIGNED PRIMARY AUTO_INCREMENT - username VARCHAR 20 - UNIQUE - - password VARCHAR 32 - - - - email VARCHAR 50 - - - - After defining the structure of your table, you need to click on the "Save" button to save your changes. You will see a message saying "Table users has been created" and a list of options to insert, browse, structure, search, export, import, or drop your table. You can use these options to perform various operations on your table, such as adding, editing, deleting, or querying data.
Common errors in XAMPP PHP 5 and how to fix them
While using XAMPP PHP 5, you may encounter some errors that prevent you from running your web server or your PHP code. Here are some of the most common errors and how to fix them:
Port conflict error
A port conflict error occurs when another program or service is using the same port number as Apache or MySQL. A port number is a unique identifier that allows different programs or services to communicate over a network. By default, Apache uses port 80 and MySQL uses port 3306. However, if another program or service is already using these ports, XAMPP will not be able to start Apache or MySQL and will show an error message like this:
Error: Apache shutdown unexpectedly. This may be due to a blocked port, missing dependencies, improper privileges, a crash, or a shutdown by another method. Press the Logs button to view error logs and check the Windows Event Viewer for more clues If you need more help, copy and post this entire log window on the forums
To fix this error, you need to change the port number for Apache or MySQL to a different one that is not in use by another program or service. To do this, you need to edit the configuration files for Apache or MySQL using the XAMPP Control Panel.
To change the port number for Apache, follow these steps:
Click on the "Config" button next to Apache in the XAMPP Control Panel.
Select "Apache (httpd.conf)" from the drop-down menu.
A text editor will open with the httpd.conf file. This file contains various settings and directives for Apache.
Find the line that says "Listen 80" and change it to "Listen [new port number]". For example, you can change it to "Listen 8080".
Save and close the file.
Click on the "Config" button next to Apache again.
Select "Apache (httpd-ssl.conf)" from the drop-down menu.
A text editor will open with the httpd-ssl.conf file. This file contains various settings and directives for SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which is a protocol that encrypts and secures data transmission over a network.
Find the line that says "Listen 443" and change it to "Listen [new port number]". For example, you can change it to "Listen 4433".
Save and close the file.
Restart Apache by clicking on the "Stop" and then "Start" buttons next to it in the XAMPP Control Panel.
To change the port number for MySQL, follow these steps:
Click on the "Config" button next to MySQL in the XAMPP Control Panel.
Select "my.ini" from the drop-down menu.
A text editor will open with the my.ini file. This file contains various settings and directives for MySQL.
Find the line that says "port=3306" and change it to "port=[new port number]". For example, you can change it to "port=3307".
Save and close the file.
Restart MySQL by clicking on the "Stop" and then "Start" buttons next to it in the XAMPP Control Panel.
Note: After changing the port numbers for Apache or MySQL, you need to update your URLs accordingly. For example, if you changed Apache's port number to 8080, you need to visit localhost:8080 instead of localhost in your browser. Similarly, if you changed MySQL's port number to 3307, you need to specify it when connecting to your database using PHP or phpMyAdmin.
Access forbidden error
An access forbidden error occurs when you try to access a directory or a file that you do not have permission to access. This can happen for various reasons, such as incorrect file permissions, incorrect configuration settings, or security restrictions. You will see an error message like this:
Access forbidden! You don't have permission to access the requested directory. There is either no index document or the directory is read-protected. If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster. Error 403 localhost Apache/2.4.10 (Win32) OpenSSL/1.0.1i PHP/5.6.40
To fix this error, you need to check and modify the file permissions or the configuration settings for the directory or the file that you are trying to access. To do this, you need to use Windows Explorer or any file manager of your choice, as well as the XAMPP Control Panel.
To check and modify the file permissions, follow these steps:
Right-click on the directory or the file that you are trying to access and choose "Properties".
Click on the "Security" tab and check the permissions for each user or group listed.
Make sure that the user or group that you are using to access the directory or the file has at least "Read" and "Execute" permissions. If not, click on the "Edit" button and change the permissions accordingly.
Click on "OK" to save your changes and close the properties window.
To check and modify the configuration settings, follow these steps:
Click on the "Config" button next to Apache in the XAMPP Control Panel.
Select "Apache (httpd.conf)" from the drop-down menu.
A text editor will open with the httpd.conf file. This file contains various settings and directives for Apache.
Find the section that starts with "<Directory>" and ends with "</Directory>" and corresponds to the directory that you are trying to access. For example, if you are trying to access C:\xampp\htdocs\myproject, you should find a section like this:
<Directory "C:/xampp/htdocs"> Options Indexes FollowSymLinks Includes ExecCGI AllowOverride All Require all granted </Directory>
Check and modify the options and directives in this section according to your needs. For example, if you want to allow directory listing, make sure that "Indexes" is included in the Options directive. If you want to allow .htaccess files, make sure that "All" is specified in the AllowOverride directive. If you want to allow access from any IP address, make sure that "all granted" is specified in the Require directive.
Save and close the file.
Restart Apache by clicking on the "Stop" and then "Start" buttons next to it in the XAMPP Control Panel.
Missing argument error
A missing argument error occurs when you try to call a function without passing the required parameters to it. A parameter is a variable that holds a value that is passed to a function when it is called. A function can have zero or more parameters, depending on its definition. You will see an error message like this:
Warning: Missing argument 1 for myFunction(), called in C:\xampp\htdocs\myproject\index.php on line 10 and defined in C:\xampp\htdocs\myproject\functions.php on line 5
To fix this error, you need to pass the required parameters to the function when you call it. To do this, you need to edit your PHP code using a text editor or an IDE of your choice.
To pass parameters to a function, follow these steps:
Find where you have defined your function and check how many parameters it has and what they are. For example, if you have defined a function like this:
function myFunction($name) echo "Hello, $name!";
You can see that this function has one parameter named $name.
Find where you have called your function and check how many arguments you have passed to it and what they are. For example, if you have called your function like this:
myFunction();
You can see that you have not passed any arguments to this function.
Pass the required arguments to your function by placing them inside parentheses after the function name, separated by commas if there are more than one. For example, you can pass an argument like this:
myFunction("John");
<li Save and run your PHP code and check if the error is gone. You should see the output of your function with the argument that you passed to it. For example, you should see "Hello, John!" on the screen.
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned how to download, install, and use XAMPP PHP 5 for web development. We have also learned how to create and run PHP code, connect to MySQL database, and fix some common errors in XAMPP PHP 5. XAMPP PHP 5 is a great tool for beginners and experts alike, as it provides a simple and convenient way to set up a local web server with all the necessary components. We hope that this article has helped you to get started with XAMPP PHP 5 and that you will enjoy creating your own web applications using PHP and MySQL.
If you want to learn more about XAMPP PHP 5, you can visit the official website of Apache Friends at [3]( where you can find more documentation, tutorials, forums, and downloads. You can also check out some of the online courses that teach you how to use XAMPP PHP 5 for web development, such as [4]( or [5]( Happy coding!
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about XAMPP PHP 5 and their answers:
What is the difference between XAMPP and WAMP?
XAMPP and WAMP are both web server solution stacks that include Apache, MySQL, and PHP. However, XAMPP is cross-platform, which means it works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, while WAMP is only for Windows. Also, XAMPP includes Perl as an additional scripting language, while WAMP does not.
How can I access my XAMPP web server from another computer or device?
To access your XAMPP web server from another computer or device on the same network, you need to use your IP address instead of localhost in your browser. To find out your IP address, you can use the ipconfig command in the Windows Command Prompt or the ifconfig command in the Linux Terminal. For example, if your IP address is 192.168.1.100, you can access your XAMPP web server by visiting in your browser.
How can I secure my XAMPP web server?
XAMPP is designed for development purposes only and is not intended for production use. Therefore, it has some security risks that need to be addressed before deploying it online. Some of the steps that you can take to secure your XAMPP web server are:
Change the default passwords for MySQL and phpMyAdmin.
Disable the services that you don't need, such as FileZilla, Mercury, or Tomcat.
Enable SSL encryption for Apache and MySQL.
Use a firewall or a router to block unwanted access to your web server.
Update XAMPP regularly to get the latest security patches and bug fixes.
You can also use the XAMPP Security Console to check and configure some of the security settings for your web server. You can access it by visiting in your browser.
How can I update XAMPP PHP 5?
To update XAMPP PHP 5, you need to download the latest version of XAMPP from the official website of Apache Friends at [3]( and install it over your existing installation. However, before doing so, you need to backup your data and configuration files from your current installation, as they may be overwritten by the new installation. You can backup your data by copying the htdocs directory and the data directory from C:\xampp (or wherever you installed XAMPP) to another location. You can backup your configuration files by copying the conf directory from C:\xampp\apache, C:\xampp\mysql, C:\xampp\php, and C:\xampp\phpMyAdmin (or wherever you installed XAMPP) to another location.
How can I uninstall XAMPP PHP 5?
To uninstall XAMPP PHP 5, you need to stop all the services that are running in the XAMPP Control Panel by clicking on the "Stop" buttons next to each service name. Then, you need to run the uninstaller that is located in the XAMPP installation directory. You can do this by double-clicking on the file named "uninstall.exe" or right-clicking and choosing "Run as administrator". You will see a screen that asks you to confirm the uninstallation. Click "Yes" to proceed. The uninstaller will remove all the files and folders related to XAMPP from your computer. You may need to restart your computer to complete the uninstallation. 44f88ac181