Tried Installing on laptop

the problem is either most of the time, folks attempting to install it are not resourceful enough to seek documentation.

unfortunately, WordPress by default (without the use of a plugin, if one even exist for it) lacks the functionality to retrieve system details (eg. php, mysql, and other important and critical environment settings necessary to help with troubleshooting, etc..) on the fly (from within the admin panel itself. The Gallery 2 engine has this built-in and has proved to be very useful, then again, it is a more complex platform than WordPress. ??

So unless we know what WordPress is running off, we can’t really help you any further. using “Apache” is not specific enough. the more details you can provide, the better.

I was following the instructions provided at this link
Install WordPress Locally on Windows XP with XAMPP (easy) (https://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/xampp/).

This is where i was getting the apache stuff from.

Do you have to be an EXPERT TO INSTALL and OPERATE WORDPRESS? I thought this was supposed to be easy.

WordPress is dead simple.

Server management (including apache, mysql and php) isn’t.

The tutorial mentioned is dead simple — if you follow the directions.

“Server management (including apache, mysql and php) isn’t.”

Sooo… I notice you said “server management.” Am I going to have problems even after WordPress is installed with maintaining it?

Do i have to have server skills just to install it? Can the average person with some programming skill, NO server skills, install WordPress? Are there detailed step-by-step instructions on configurations, etc?

“The tutorial mentioned is dead simple — if you follow the directions.”

I followed the directions. Actually there are two sets. There are the directions of the page i clicked and then there are teh directions on the page where i download. I’ve tried both. They are rather straight forward. You download or run the installation on teh root drive or place it in program files is what the actual website says. But when i put in the http:host link, it doesn’t work. WHile running it, both buttons light up but then one stops.

I feel I might need to UNINSTALL IT BEFORE trying it again. So i guess that is my next question.

(this still doesn’t help me with my personal server however, and I was going to use WP on our server at my job but the network tech said that WP really has no support other than then this forum. Soo… He wants a package they can purchase. Since this is harder than i thought, I may have to find another one such as vBulletin but i remember it being expensive. I haven’t decided to dump WP yet. But if i can’t install it on my personal computer, i dont’ see how i will convince my company to use it.)

Is the installation the only time i will have problems with WP?

Thanks.

Sooo… I notice you said “server management.” Am I going to have problems even after WordPress is installed with maintaining it?

Are you a host? Do you manage web servers?

As you noticed, there are prerequisites for ANY php script, including wordpress. https://www.ads-software.com/about/requirements/
Most folks use a web hosting company. Regardless, without a properly configured server, WordPress won’t run. Just like any other software.

We don’t assume you’re a server expert when installing WordPress. We DO assume you’re installing on a properly configured server.

If you don’t have a properly configured server, you’ll have issues with any blog package you try to install.

oh, I missed this

Since this is harder than i thought, I may have to find another one such as vBulletin but i remember it being expensive.

I bet vBulletin has the same requirement as WordPress. Properly configured apache, MySQL and php.

Thanks. But i didn’t say i hosted servers. Nor did i say that it wasn’t properly configured. But i can understand the confusion.

There are two projects going on. The second one which i asked about my job only started very resently and is beign researched by our IT department. This is separate issue from my personal projects. At my job we have a webserver. It runs quite well using IIS. They have an IT Department. Regardless of whehter I use WordPress or not, they will decide if THEY will use it. So in some of my posts, i’ve asked questions on their behalf (while I work on my own projects). In other words, i told my job about WP. It was a suggestion. They know nothing about blogging software or CMS. Since WP is harder than i thought, I can’t really tell them much about it because i can’t get it up and running myself.

Now, i have a server hosted by Brinkster. IT is my personal account. It is a “shared” account. It is already configured with PHP and MySQL. I have no reason to assume it is not properly configured. I installed some webforum software with no problems. It uses both PHP and MySQL.

So proper management of MySQL and PHP at this point has not been an issue. On my Brinster server, there is no reason to assume it is not configured or setup properly. There was NO proper configurations required to install it on my laptop. I just had to turn IIS off which is what i did. But it doesn’t work on my laptop either.

If there are NO SPECIAL configuration requirements for WordPress, i don’t know WHY it is not working properly.

Thanks very much and for your patience.

So lets back up a step: If you have a host, why are you installing this on your laptop?

Thanks so much. I’m installing it on my laptop for two reason NOW. First i was installing it on my laptop so i can play with it before i put it on live websites. Now that my IT department is asking about it, i was going to use my laptop to demo WP to let them see what I’m suggesting. Originally it was not work related.

Now I’m also wanting to install it on my laptop becaue i asked the Install for free people to install it on my Brinkster account but they haven’t.

So now i have nothing. I don’t have anything to demo and i don’t have anything to work with.

Thanks!

As the laptop install hasn’t gone well for you, you might consider creating a free account at WordPress.COM and use that for familiarity and demo purposes. It’s not 100% the same, but definitely close enough to get familiar with.

I’ve contacted one of the install4free fellas, watch your email as I’m sure they’re trying to contact you.

Just out of curiosity, what “two start buttons” are you referring to in XAMPP? I’ve run WP effortlessly many times on my laptop using XAMPP and I just recall one “START” shortcut and nothing like “both lighting up” that you mentioned? Maybe you’re not starting Apache when you think you are???
DB~

Thanks for the suggestion, HandySolo. I’ll take a look at WordPress.com. I appreciate it.

cielogrande, I’m refering to the Start/Stop button beside Apache and MySQL–Those two buttons. Once both start on my computer the top one stops. And only MySQL continues to run.

HandySolo, i still have the question about recommending WP to my company. Maintenance and set up issues. I would hate to recommend it and then neither of us know what to do to set it up. Since, i won’t typically know what to do,i can’t guarantee that they will either. I would be nice if i was able to do it in case they found an excuse not to. I can only assume that they should know what they are doing.

Is WP something that i should recommend to the company or should i just decide to go with another Blogging software? That is where i’m leaning at the moment. WP is good enough for me, but i dont’ want to have something come back and bite me for suggesting it and then something goes wrong and no one can fix it. I thought i had heard that it only take about 5 minutes or so to install WP, but i’m seeing that it is not true and my confidence is waning.

Thanks!

If your company is not comfortable or experienced with running Linux/apache/mysql/php servers (or windows, iis/apache, mysql, php) *and* insists on self-hosting then it may not be a great fit.

WordPress isn’t really the issue here. My 14 year old daughter admins her own WP site. But she sure doesn’t run the server!

Again, if the server’s up and ready (that’s not us, that’s the host) it’s a no brainer. If you gotta build and maintain your own server for it, then you have to look at skill and will.

I thought i had heard that it only take about 5 minutes or so to install WP, but i’m seeing that it is not true and my confidence is waning.

If the server meets the requirements and is configured, it takes less than 5 minutes.

5 minutes does not include “install an os and all the server software too”.

HandySolo, you are a bit sarcastic, GEEE.

My company has numerous servers. They all run fine. I personally have no server experience and i assume my personal Brinkster account is configured appropriately. But WP doesn’t work. That is ALL I CAN GO ON. My experience so far with these simple steps has not been simple. That doesn’t mean that something is wrong with my company’s server. It doesn’t even mean something is wrong with my brinkster server.

I guess the question for my company would be whether it takes experience or special skills (outside the typical Network Admin skills) to be able to configure MySQL and PHP. We have about 4 or 5 servers at our company. The company is fully networked with 10 different sites in 3 counties. I don’t know if our network person has experience *PER SE* with PHP and MySQL, but he does have networking skills. This is a very different situation from INSISTING on hosting a server yourself but barely knowing what you are doing. But it would be a lot of work to put all these things on the server and then find out that WP still doesn’t work. I don’t know how much work it will take to put PHP and MySQL on the server. Further unless the Install4Free people provide a small explanation as to why it didn’t work on my brinkster server, i won’t know what to expect. My hope is that they will be willing to give a brief explanation as to what is wrong.

Thanks very much. Talking to you have been quite helpful. I just think your assumptions are a bit wrong. Sorry, if i’ve confused you. Thanks very much for your patience.

My concern is simply that if the simple instructions didn’t work for me with the info I’VE BEEN GIVEN, then there is no way for me to ASSUME it will work even with a person with experience. They will not be willing to spend tons of man hours just to set up a blog. Without some info as to what is going wrong, it’s a bit frustrating for me.

It helps to know that once WP is up and running there are few if any problems. Thanks.

Just as an FYI on Brinkster, the DB_HOST is usually something like mysql3.brinkster.com, and your Brinster username is both the DB_NAME and DB_USER. DB_PASSWORD is your host login password. At least that was the way it was the last time I installed on Brinster.