XAMPP

This tutorial describes the local use of Contao with XAMPP for Windows. We use a »XAMPP Portable Version«, which only needs to be copied. You select the appropriate Windows .zip archive, e.g. xampp-portable-windows-x64-7.4.16-0-VC15.zip.

Then unpack the archive to e.g. D:\xampp and start the setup_xampp.bat file once. The »XAMPP installation« is now complete.

Start XAMPP

In your directory you will find the file »xampp-control.exe«. Right-click on it to start it with the option »Run as administrator«. In the »XAMPP Control Panel«, activate the modules »Apache« and »MySQL«.

Furthermore, click once on the button Shell. Afterwards the file »xampp_shell.bat« is created in your directory and a corresponding »XAMPP console« is opened. In order to check this, enter the command console enter the command php -v. You should receive the corresponding PHP (CLI) version as output and can then close the console.

In your browser, enter http://localhost to access the »XAMPP Dashboard" with general information. Here you will find a link in the upper menu called PHPInfo with information about the current PHP configuration.

PHP configuration

According to the Contao system requirements we have to adjust the PHP configuration once. To do this, first stop the modules »Apache« and »MySQL« in the »XAMPP Control-Panel«.

In the file D:\xampp\apache\php.ini look for the lines »memory_limit« and »extension=intl« and change them as follows:

Apache configuration

XAMPP or Apache on Windows are having a default value of the so called ThreadStackSize of only 1 MB, while Linux system are configured with a default value of 8 MB. In order to avoid crashes of the local server, it is recommended to increase the setting of this value. Add an entry to the file D:\xampp\apache\conf\httpd.conf to increase the ThreadStackSize to 8 MB

<IfModule mpm_winnt_module>
    ThreadStackSize 8388608
</IfModule> 

After this change XAMPP (Apache) has to be restarted.

Congratulations! You have completed all preparations for a local Contao installation.

Local PHP Composer Installation

We have not carried out a »XAMPP« installation under Windows in the true sense. Therefore, we will only copy the required PHP-Composer file.

Start the »Apache« and »MySQL« modules via the »XAMPP Control Panel« with administrator authorisation. Open the »XAMPP-Console« (xampp_shell.bat) with administrator authorisation and change into your current XAMPP directory.

Then carry out the following information step by step:

php -r "copy('https://getcomposer.org/installer', 'composer-setup.php');"
php composer-setup.php
php -r "unlink('composer-setup.php');"

In your XAMPP directory you will now find the file composer.phar. By entering php composer.phar -V you should get a corresponding response.

Installing Contao with PHP Composer

Without further vHost configuration (see below), XAMPP expects the files of your website in the XAMPP directory htdocs. In the »XAMPP console« you change to this subdirectory and install a Contao version by entering e.g.:

php ../composer.phar create-project contao/managed-edition demo 4.9

Your Contao installation is now located in the XAMPP directory htdocs\demo.

Contao calls (without own vHost)

In the »XAMPP Control Panel« you can execute phpMyAdmin in the »MySql« area via the »Admin« button and create a database as usual. If you have not already done so, copy the Contao-Manager into the directory demo\web and rename the file to »contao-manager.phar.php«.

Your Contao installation can now be completed. However, the Contao calls are different. Without a vHost configuration (see below), they differ from the known possibilities. At the moment you can only use the local, internal domain localhost and this points to the directory htdocs in XAMPP by default.

The Contao calls for our example installation in the directory htdocs\demo would therefore be:

A own vHost configuration

A unique, own XAMPP vHost configuration offers numerous advantages. On the one hand, you can maintain your Contao installation(s) outside the XAMPP directory and link them to your own local domain names.

Create a new directory e.g. D:\vhost\demo\web. Copy the Contao Manager into this directory and rename the file to »contao-manager.phar.php«.

Create domain name

We want to access our Contao installation via the domain demo.local. In the Windows directory System32/drivers/etc. add the entry 127.0.0.1 demo.local to the file hosts. Basically you can now use this domain. However, it still makes no difference to the previous procedure. We have to configure XAMPP to use our new directory.

The vHost configuration

Open the file \apache\conf\httpd.conf in your XAMPP directory and look for the line #LoadModule vhost_alias_module modules/mod_vhost_alias.so. Remove the hashtag # and save your changes. In the \apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf file, add the following information:

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerAdmin webmaster@demo.local
  DocumentRoot "D:\vhost\demo\web"
  ServerName demo.local
  ServerAlias www.demo.local
  <Directory D:\vhost\demo>
    Options +FollowSymlinks
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted
  </Directory>

  ErrorLog "D:\xampp\apache\logs\demo.local_error.log"
  CustomLog "D:\xampp\apache\logs\demo.local_access.log" combined
</VirtualHost>

If necessary, adjust the paths to your current directories. In the »XAMPP Control-Panel« you have to restart the modules »Apache« and »MySQL«. After that, you can access the Contao manager by calling http://demo.local/contao-manager.phar.php.

Create SSL certificate

By calling e.g.: http://demo.local/contao-manager.phar.php you will get a hint in the Contao Manager that this is an »Insecure connection«. This is correct, because XAMPP does not deliver an SSL certificate for our domain demo.local or it does not exist.

In the XAMPP directory \apache you will find the file »makecert.bat«, which you can use to create a new local V1 certificate. Start this file in the »XAMPP console« and follow the instructions. Your entries here are basically arbitrary. Only the entry at Common Name must correspond to the current, local domain name. For our example demo.local is mandatory.

In the directories apache\conf\ssl.crt, apache\conf\ssl.csr and apache\conf\ssl.key new certificate information has been generated. In the XAMPP vHost configuration this information must be must be stored. To do this, add the following information to the \apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf file:

<VirtualHost *:443>
  ServerAdmin webmaster@demo.local
  DocumentRoot "D:\vhost\demo\web"
  ServerName demo.local
  ServerAlias www.demo.local

  SSLEngine on
  SSLCertificateFile "D:\xampp\apache\conf\ssl.crt\server.crt"
  SSLCertificateKeyFile "D:\xampp\apache\conf\ssl.key\server.key"

  <Directory D:\vhost\demo>
    Options +FollowSymlinks
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted
  </Directory>

  ErrorLog "D:\xampp\apache\logs\demo.local_error.log"
  CustomLog "D:\xampp\apache\logs\demo.local_access.log" combined
</VirtualHost>

Again, change the paths according to your current implementation and restart the modules »Apache« and »MySQL« in the »XAMPP Control-Panel«. Afterwards, you can access the Contao manager via https://demo.local/contao-manager.phar.

Your browser will still display a warning message, because it recognizes our locally created certificate but does not it. You can ignore this and confirm the domain demo.local as an exception.

In the Contao manager itself, the previous warning about an »Unsecure connection« will no longer be displayed.