Setting Up a Virtual Server (Hosting) on Your Computer Using XAMPP

Setting Up a Virtual Server XAMPP
Dustin Dzung
Author Dustin Dzung

During web development and learning, purchasing a server or hosting can be costly and complex. To simplify the process, developers often use a virtual server on their computer, making website creation more convenient.

A virtual server offers the same functionality as a real server, but only your computer can access it. It doesn’t require an internet connection or complex configurations, allowing you to develop, code, and test websites efficiently. In real-world workflows, websites are first built on a virtual server before being deployed to a live server.

Using XAMPP to Create a Virtual Server

Various software options exist for setting up a virtual server, but XAMPP is recommended as its configurations closely match real server environments. This ensures a smoother transition when deploying your website online.

Download XAMPP:

https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html

Joomla 5 supports the latest PHP versions, so it’s best to download the most recent XAMPP version. As of January 2025, PHP 8.2.12 is the latest version, so you should install XAMPP 8.2.12.

Phiên bản XAMPP 8.2.4

Doccument XAMPP official

https://www.apachefriends.org/faq_windows.html 

https://www.apachefriends.org/faq_linux.html

https://www.apachefriends.org/faq_osx.html 

Installing XAMPP

Simply follow the default installation by clicking Next through the setup. Although some tutorials may feature older versions, the installation process remains the same.

Starting the Virtual Server

  • Open the XAMPP installation folder (typically C:/xampp).
  • Find and run xampp-control.exe.
  • Start Apache and MySQL from the XAMPP Control Panel.

Nơi khởi động server ảo XAMPP

 

Khởi động server ảo XAMPP

Accessing the Virtual Server

Open a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) and enter one of the following:

http://127.0.0.1/
http://localhost/

If the default XAMPP page loads, your virtual server is running successfully.

Server ảo XAMPP đã chạy khi truy cập từ trình duyệt

 

Where to Place Website Files (Joomla)

All website files should be placed in the htdocs folder. It’s recommended to create separate folders for different projects.

Example: Create a folder named helloworld inside htdocs. Then, access it via:
http://127.0.0.1/helloworld

 

 Nơi để đặt file mã nguồn code

How the Server Displays Files

When accessing a folder via a browser, the server loads one of the following default files:

  1. index.html
  2. index.htm
  3. index.php

If none of these exist, a real server will return an error, but XAMPP will simply list the folder’s contents.

 

Practical Example

  1. Create a folder named helloworld inside htdocs.
  2. Open Chrome and visit: http://127.0.0.1/helloworld (You’ll see a blank page).
  3. Create a file named index.html inside helloworld and add the following code:

 

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<h1 style="font-size: 50px; color: #2196f3; padding-left: 10px; font-weight: bold;" >Xiroweb.com</h1>

<p>Learning web development.</p>

</body>
</html>

 

Refresh the browser, and you’ll see your webpage displayed.

Once your virtual server is set up, continue with the Install Joomla 5 on a Virtual Server Using XAMPP.

 

Dustin Dzung

Dustin Dzung
Author Dustin Dzung

Dustin Dzung with 15 years of experience in using and developing websites with Joomla!, from the first version of Mambo to Joomla! 1.0 and up to the present Joomla! 5.x.