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CHAPTER 3 ■ INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION
With XAMPP, WAMP, LAMP, or MAMP installed properly, you should be able to use those instructions without much difficulty. If you get an error during Joomla installation (such as a write access error or a connection to MySQL problem), refer to the appropriate section of this chapter to troubleshoot the issue.
Troubleshooting If you’ve run into a problem with any of the suite of servers, you may find the solution to your problem here. Technical challenges can be so difficult and varied that is impossible to address all possible situations. In this section, I’ve tried to collect both the challenges I’ve encountered and the troubles others have posted about on the Internet. Each problem is described and a solution is proposed to help you navigate even the most treacherous waters of installation. Keep in mind that when you’re troubleshooting, you’re often looking for the solution as much as the symptoms. I have often run across an issue that had an answer that I didn’t think was relevant to my problem at first. Later I realized that although the error description was different, it was exactly the same problem as my own. Therefore, even if the snag you’ve hit doesn’t exactly fit a problem description presented here, I suggest you skim the solution. It might bring to light an unexpected resolution.
Challenges with Apache Server In this section, you’ll examine some of the common problems with installation and configuration of the Apache server. While an error may lie within Apache, the fault may actually rest in the web server’s communication with PHP or MySQL. Be sure to read through the PHP and MySQL sections as well to determine if your problem lies outside of the web server itself.
Accessing Apache Server Remotely Problem I can run Apache server on my local Windows XP machine, but I’m unable to access it from anywhere else on the network. What’s the problem?
Solution #1 Windows XP Service Pack 2 installs a firewall that defaults to blocking all IP ports, including the http port (80), which Apache needs to communicate with the outside world. With this port blocked, sometimes Apache won’t even start!
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