Five Apps: Free Apache servers for Windows
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Five free Windows Apache servers
Five free Windows Apache servers
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Apache is one of the most powerful and flexible web serversrnavailable. Most people assume Apache is only for the UNIX/Linux/BSD environmentrn- which is a false assumption. Thanks to countless developers, Apache is alsornavailable for the Windows platform in the form of WAMP (Windows Apache, MySQL,rnPHP). Of course, if you’ve used Apache on its native platform, you know that,rnto the uninitiated, it can be a little daunting to install and set up. For mostrnUNIX/Linux/BSD admins – those used to working within the command line, it’s arnpiece of cake. Windows users? Not so much. Thankfully there are a number ofrndifferent WAMP servers out there that make the process of installing andrnconfiguring the Apache server a snap.
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I have found five such WAMP servers, all of them free. Eachrnoffers a varying degree of difficulty as well as feature sets. But all of themrnwill enable you to get a WAMP server up and running quickly. Once that serverrnis running, you can begin the process of creating your content.
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WAMP Server 1
WAMP Server 1
Five Apps
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1. WAMP Server
rnrnWAMP Server is an outstanding choicernfor those looking for a solid Apache server on a Windows desktop. Thisrnparticular take on the WAMP server offers a great user interface for quickrnaccess to: WWW directory, Apache configurations, PHP configurations, MySQLrnconfigurations, quick start/stop for all services. WAMP Server also offersrnplenty of Apache, PHP, and MySQL add-ons to further extend your server. Withrnthe inclusion of PhpMyAdmin, you can easily manage your MySQL databases connectedrnto the Apache server. This means you can install third-party software like WordPress, Drupal, Xoops,rnand Joomla.
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WAMP Server 2
WAMP Server 2
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Secure WAMP 1
Secure WAMP 1
2. Secure WAMP
rnrnSecure WAMP is another take on the WAMPrnserver that can have you up and running in minutes. With this server you’ll getrnthe usual tools, plus the Mercury Mail server and (as loadable add-ins) Pythonrnand Perl. One unique feature to Secure WAMP is the ability to easily choosernbetween development and production settings. Secure WAMP has a centralizedrncontrol panel where all services can be controlled. With the help of a 1-clickrninstaller, you can add quickly install applications like phpBB, WordPress, andrnmore.
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Secure WAMP 2
Secure WAMP 2
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EasyPHP 1
EasyPHP 1
3. EasyPHP
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EasyPHP is one of thernmore powerful WAMP servers available. With an admin module that offers toolsrnlike: Backup, bandwidth Throttle, DNS Admin, permission Manager, PHPInfo,rnphpSysInfo, user shadowing, updates, cron Manager, password protectedrndirectories, metatag generator, and more – EasyPHP makes for a highlyrnconfigurable web server. Database management is handled by PhpMyAdmin and yourncan set up FTP accounts (with FTP Jailing), manage domains, and much more. Ifrnyou’re looking for ease of use along with power and flexibility, EasyPHP is thernWAMP you want.
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EasyPHP 2
EasyPHP 2
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UwAMP 1
UwAMP 1
4. UwAMP
rnrnUwAMP is unique in that you can eitherrninstall the server or run it as a portable application (in U3 Mode). This meansrnyou can carry a powerful development server with you, everywhere you go. Likernthe other entries here, UwAMP offers an easy to use interface as well as:rnMulti-PHP versions and CPU monitoring (real time Apache and MySQL monitoring).rnFrom the single-window control panel you can get an at-a-glance status updaternof the server as well as quick access to all of the configuration folders.
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UwAMP 2
UwAMP 2
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Uniform Server 1
Uniform Server 1
5. Uniform Server
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Uniform Serverrnis a lightweight version of the Apache server (coming in at under 10MB).rnUniform Server offers the full Apache server as well as a PHP mini server. ThernPHP mini server offers a graphical interface for the built-in PHP web server.rnFeatures of Uniform Server include: High security, portable version, quickrnaccess to all server settings, full host of logs, Perl scripting, and more.rnThis is another great solution for anyone that wants to carry around a fullrnApache server on a USB drive. When you unpack Uniform Server, you will find tworndifferent executables: One to start Uniform as a program and one to startrnUniform as a service. To run as a portable version, simply double-click the “runrnas program” file and you’re good to go.
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Uniform Server 2
Uniform Server 2
Bottom line
rnrnTherernare so many reasons why Apache is one of the most used web servers on thernplanet. Not only is it incredibly powerful and flexible, it’s also arncross-platform server that can be used on nearly any operating system. Give onernof these WAMP servers a try and see if you’re not serving up web content fromrnyour Windows machine with little to no fuss.
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