How To Install WordPress Locally

WordPress is an open-source CMS (Content Management System) distributed free. Its main purpose is to allow users, even inexperienced ones, to create their website or blog without requiring special technical skills. While this is usually an application that installs on a server, you may need to install WordPress locally to test its functionality or, generally speaking, to work offline on your website before making it public.

Do you also need to install WordPress locally because you want to test all its features and install themes or plugins to experiment? Well, if that’s your intent, let me help you do it – I’m happy to help you get started with installing WordPress on a local device.

How To Install WordPress Locally Via XAMPP

One of the methods you can use to install WordPress on your local device is to use XAMPP. This application, distributed for free on Windows, macOS, and Linux, allows you to create a local server thanks to its basic components, such as the Apache HTTP web server, the MariaDB database system, and the programming language Perl PHP and Python.

Windows

If you have a Windows PC and intend to download XAMPP, connected to the software’s official website, locate the Download item and press the XAMPP button for Windows. Alternatively, you can also reach the Download section by clicking on the Download option in the top menu bar. In this section, you will find many download possibilities for each operating system, which depend on the PHP version you want to carry out your tests or work offline. As for WordPress, I recommend you download XAMPP with PHP support for version 7 . 

When you have decided, click the Download button corresponding to the individual versions. After downloading the installation file on your computer, double-click on the xampp- [version] .exe file, press the Yes button to allow the program to make changes to the computer, and if an antivirus is installed on it. A window appeared on the screen, warning you that this could interfere with the installation of XAMPP. Click on the Yes button to continue with the installation.

Then press the Next button five consecutive times, wait for the progress bar to reach 100%, and click the Finish button to complete the installation and start the XAMPP control panel. At this point, all you have to do is configure the local server. After starting XAMPP, put the checkmark next to one of the languages ​​shown on the screen and click on the Save and OK buttons, then activate the Apache and MySQL modules, useful for the correct functioning of WordPress. Then select the Apache and MySQL options, press the Start button, and click the Allow access button if necessary. 

The Apache and MySQL modules would be highlighted green if all went well. Now is the time to install WordPress: to proceed, you can decide whether to carry out a manual installation, which requires many steps and the risk of running into errors, or to rely on the add-on made available by Bitnami and compatible with XAMPP. I’ll tell you how to install WordPress via the XAMPP add-on to make things easier. Then connected to the official XAMPP website, select the Add-ons item in the top menu and select the WordPress option. 

Choose the Windows option on the new page and click on the  No thanks. Just take me to the download item to start the Bitnami download. Once the download is complete, double-click on the bitnami-WordPress- [version] -module-windows-installer file, press the Yes button, select the language of your interest via the drop-down menu. Please select the installation language and press the OK button. Now, click on the Next button twice consecutively and, in the Create Admin account screen, enter the required data in the fields Login (the nickname to use to access WordPress), Your real name (your name), and Email with your email address. 

Then indicate a password to be used as an access key to the WordPress Dashboard in the Enter the application password and Retype password fields and press the Next button. On the next screen, enter your blog name in the Blog name field and click the Next button twice in a row, then uncheck the box next to the Launch WordPress in the cloud with the Bitnami option and click the Next button two more times. Wait, then, for the progress bar to reach 100% and press the Finish button to complete the WordPress installation.

Automatically, a window of your default browser will launch, showing you the homepage of the basic website built in WordPress. To log in and access the WordPress admin panel, type the address 127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-login in your browser’s address bar. Enter the access data set during the installation phase in the fields Username or email address and password and click on the Login button. If you want to change the WordPress language, click on the Settings option in the left sidebar, choose the General item and, under the Site Language item. Then press the Save Changes button to save the changes, and that’s it.

MacOS

On the other hand, if you have a Mac connected to the official XAMPP site, click on the XAMPP option for OS X and wait for the installation files to download. Then open the dmg package you just downloaded, move XAMPP to the macOS Applications folder and open it, then right-click the software icon and select the Open item to start it, avoiding macOS restrictions for applications from developers not certified. On the main XAMPP screen, press the Start button and wait for the circle icon next to the Status item to turn green, then select the Service tab and make sure the Apache and MySQL options are active. 

If not, select them and press the Start button. Once the local server setup is complete, you are ready to download Bitnami and install WordPress on your computer. Before proceeding, however, it will be useful to know that the software version for macOS is no longer supported, and it is necessary to download the Bitnami version for Linux. Then connected to the main page of the XAMPP site, click on the Add-ons item in the top menu, choose the WordPress option and, in the new open page, click on the Linux option in the WordPress box.

Once the download is complete, start XAMPP, make sure the Apache and MySQL options are active, click on the Network tab, select the localhost: 8080 entry and press the Enable button. Then choose the Volumes tab, click on the Mount button, and press the Explorer button. Click on the Temp folder and move the Bitnami file you downloaded into it in the new open window. Now, go back to XAMPP, select the General tab and press the Open Terminal button to open the macOS terminal. 

First, type the command cd / opt / lampp / temp and press the Enter button on the keyboard, then enter the command and press the Enter key. Finally, type the command, press the Enter key on the keyboard and wait for the WordPress installation to start.chmod + x bitnami-wordpress- [version] -module-linux-x64 -installer.run ./bitnami-wordpress-tente-version -module-linux-x64 -installer.run Then choose the installation language by selecting the number associated with the language of your interest, specify the folder in which you want to install WordPress, and follow the instructions shown on the screen to set the blog name,  password, and Username to log into the WordPress Dashboard. 

As soon as you see the Setup is now ready to begin installing Bitnami WordPress Module on your computer option, press the Y key on the keyboard to start the WordPress installation, which will be completed as soon as I see the writing setup has finished installing Bitnami WordPress Module on your computer. Now, start the browser you usually use to surf the Internet, enter the address in the address bar and, in the new open page, enter the access data set during installation in the Username or email address and Password fields to access the WordPress dashboard. HTTP: // localhost: 8080 / WordPress / wp-login.php

To download Bitnami, connected to its official website, click on the WordPress entry and, in the new screen displayed, select the Win / Mac / Linux option present under the heading On my computer. Now, if you have a Windows PC, press the Download for Windows button, while if you are using a Mac, click the Download for OS X button, then select the  No thanks, take me to the download option and wait for the download to complete. Please select the installation language and press the OK button. 

Then click on the Next button three times in a row, enter the required data in the Your real name, Email address, and Login fields and set a password to access the WordPress Dashboard in the Password and Confirm your password fields. Finally, click on the Next button, enter the blog name in the appropriate field and press the Next button four consecutive times to start the installation. Wait, then, for the progress bar to reach 100% and press the Finish button.

Your default browser window will automatically open: click on Access WordPress to access your blog’s main page. To access the WordPress admin panel, type the address 127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-login  (on Mac, type the address HTTP: // localhost: 8080 / WordPress / wp-login ) in the address bar of your browser, enter the access data in the Username or Email address and Password fields and press the Login button.

Also Read: Bitrix24: Complete Software For Your Company