Z-WAMP Server Pack

Z-WAMP is a lightweight, portable, and easy-to-install Web server package that runs on Windows. The project aims to provide the latest production/stable versions of Apache, MySQL, PHP, Adminer, MongoDB Admin, MemCached, SQLite, eAccelerator, and Alternative PHP Cache (APC) to boost server performance.

(Updated 12:03 AM Wednesday, February 22, 2012 UTC)
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The latest version of Z-WAMP (2.0.5) contains:-

Head over to the Z-WAMP project site to download the server pack. Grab the flavor that suits your operating system (32-bit/i386 or 64-bit/x86_64). The full version contains the latest Apache, MongoDB, MySQL, and PHP manuals for offline use.

Make sure you remove all traces of other non-Z-WAMP stacks you may have installed on your Windows PC to prevent conflicts! Double check your PATH environment variable.

To install the software, simply unpack the ZIP archive in any directory on your hard disk - something like C:\Program Files (x86)\ZWAMP or C:\Program Files\ZWAMP. You can also install the files in a USB stick. If you prefer a non-portable setup, create a shortcut to zwamp.exe on your desktop, quick launch bar or the Start Menu, double-click the shortcut and you're done with server installation! Z-WAMP will create a virtual drive on your computer (Z: usually) and an icon should appear immediately in your system tray.

Once the Web server is up, you can drop all your Web site files in the /web directory. Type http://localhost in your Web browser's address bar and you now have a working Web site.

If you want Z-WAMP to run automatically every time you log into your computer, simply enable the "Run on Windows startup" option. And that's it! Every time you reboot your computer, Z-WAMP should run automatically.

To access the package features and configuration files, right-click on the system tray icon.

If you wish to uninstall the package, it's as simple as deleting the folder where you installed it, and removing the registry entry, if you created one.

Note: Please set up a MySQL root account and password as soon as you can. See the MySQL online documentation for details.

Shameless plug: If you're an avid PHP developer and you love lightweight packages, consider the Fat-Free Framework for your next Web project. The philosophy behind the framework and its approach to the Model-View-Controller design pattern is towards minimalism in structural components, avoiding application complexity and striking a balance between code elegance, application performance and programmer productivity. Unlike other PHP frameworks, Fat-Free aims to be usable, not usual. Visit the Fat-Free project site at http://fatfree.sourceforge.net.

If you feel that the Z-WAMP Server Pack is one great addition to your Web development arsenal and it saves you a lot of time and money, please consider making a donation to the project. Aside from motivating the people who make this package available to the world, it also helps keep the project alive and up-to-date.