I need to setup a new server and rather than wrestle with Apache, PHP and MySQL I thought I'd give XAMPP a try. It looks like a much simpler way to set up a server quickly.

Have any of you had any experience using XAMPP? Good? Bad?

Do you have any helpful hints for using it?

How do you feel about its security?

Thanks in advance!

Why not give XOOPS Stand Alone Server a shot?
http://xsas.sourceforge.net/

Xampp works great right out of the box. The security is not good out of the box just as the documentation states. If you following the installation links you will end up with a secure system.

Just install XOOPS in htdocs and do a normal install. It can be in the root directory or a sub-directory. Use the phpMyAdmin to set up a database don't forget the database permissions. You should be up and running in about 10 minutes.

I often do presentations for XOOPS using XAMPP. Rather than depend on an interconnection or lugging around even a laptop I just carry a CD with XAMPP and xoops. I install it on lthe clients hardware the whole installation takes under 10 minutes. It is a very easy way to do it.

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I agree. One click install. Really slick. Great for XP Home users without IIS.

Very encouraging. After the joys of getting Apache, PHP and MySQL to work in the past, a one button install that functions well will be a godsend.

I did consider XSAS but I would rather have a more generic base install for my web server infrastructure. XAMPP seems to be the more flexible choice for my needs.