Complete install packages

Complete install packages are available from Moodle Downloads. The complete installs are designed for new installations on a Windows computer/server. There are other downloads for Linix, Mac and Window Operating Systems that may involve more customization of configuration files.

The complete install packages allow Moodle to be installed, along with the prerequisites, including a web server, PHP and database (Apache and MySQL in this case) on computers using a more recent Windows operating system.

Several versions of the complete install package are available. The instructions on the download page provide guidance on which version is likely to be most suitable.

Note: The latest complete install package version components, may not be backwardly compatible. Always check version compatibility of each compontent if you intend to develop materials on a later version of Moodle than the version installed on your "main" Moodle site. In short, complete install packages are designed for first time install on a "clean" machine.

System requirements

 + 64 MB RAM (recommended)
 + 160 MB free Fixed Disk 
 + Windows 98, ME
 + Windows NT, 2000, XP (Recommended)

Quick installation XP

Step 1: Unpack the file you download to a drive or partition of your choice and let the default create C:\moodle or W:\moodle or something like this. In order not to edit any files with a text or php editor, rename the name of the top folder from moodle to C:\xampplite or W:\xampplite.

Step 2: Start the "setup_xampp.bat" in this top folder. This will configure Xammplite. Note: XAMPP makes no entries in the windows registry and no settings for the system variables.

Step 3: Now you are ready to start your webserver. Use the Xampp_start file. Once the Xampp_start is open, don't close it, use Xampp_stop. Xampp program(s) control both Apache and MySQL. Alternatively you can individually start and stop Apache and MySQL with the bat files found in the top folder such as C:\xampplite .

Step 4: Start your browser and type http://127.0.0.1 or http://localhost in the address bar. You will either start your first time Moodle installation or if it is already install enter your homepage.

Passwords

1) MySQL

user: root password: (means no password!)

2) WEBDAV:

user: wampp password: xampp

Install for NT servers

(NT4 | windows 2000 | windows xp)

\xampplite\apache\apache_installservice.bat = ==> Install Apache 2 as service

\xampplite\apache\apache_uninstallservice.bat = ==> Uninstall Apache 2 as service

\xampplite\mysql\mysql_installservice.bat = ==> Install MySQL as service

\xampplite\mysql\mysql_uninstallservice.bat = ==> Uninstall MySQL as service

==> After all Service (un)installations, better restart system!

Security matters (A MUST READ!)

As mentioned before, XAMPP is not meant for production use but only for developers in a development environment. The way XAMPP is configured is to be open as possible and allowing the developer anything he/she wants. For development environments this is great but in a production environment it could be fatal. Here a list of missing security in XAMPP:

The MySQL administrator (root) has no password. The MySQL daemon is accessible via network. phpMyAdmin is accessible via network. Examples are accessible via network.

To fix most of the security weaknesses simply call the following URL:

http://localhost/security/

The root password for MySQL + phpMyAdmin and also a XAMPP directory protection can being established here.

Apache Notes

(1) In contrast of apache 1.x, you can not stop the apache2 with the command "apache -k shutdown". These functions only for an installations as service by NT systems. So, simply close the Apache START command for shutdown.

(2) To use the experimental version of mod_auth_mysql remove the # in the httpd.conf. Detailed information about this topic can be found on the left menu of xampp, once you started it.

(3) To use Mod_Dav load the Modules mod_dav.so + mod_dav_fs.so in the httpd.conf by removing the # on the beginning of their lines. Then try http://127.0.0.1:81 (not for Frontpage, but for Dreamweaver)

MySQL notes

(1) The MySQL server can be started by double-clicking (executing)

   mysql_start.bat. This file can be found in the same folder you installed
   xampp in, most likely this will be C:\xampp\.
   The exact path to this file is X:\xampp\mysql_start.bat, where
   "X" indicates the letter of the drive you unpacked xampp into.
   This batch file starts the MySQL server in console mode. The first 
   intialization might take a few minutes.
   
   Do not close the DOS window or you'll crash the server!
   To stop the server, please use mysql_shutdown.bat, which is located in the same
   directory.

(2) To use the MySQL Daemon with "innodb" for better performance,

   please edit the "my" (or "my.cnf") file in the /xampplite/mysql/bin 
   directory or for services the c:\my.cnf for windows NT/2000/XP. 
   In there, activate the "innodb_data_file_path=ibdata1:30M"
   statement. Attention, "innodb" is not recommended for 95/98/ME.
   
   To use MySQL as Service for NT/2000/XP, simply copy the "my" 
   / "my.cnf" file to C:\my, or C:\my.cnf. Please note that this 
   file has to be placed in C:\ (root), other locations are not permitted. Then
   execute the "mysql_installservice.bat" in the mysql folder.

(3) MySQL starts with standard values for the user id and the password. The preset

   user id is "root", the password is "" (= no password). To access MySQL via PHP
   with the preset values, you'll have to use the following syntax:
   mysql_connect("localhost","root","");
   If you want to set a password for MySQL access, please use of mysqladmin.
   To set the passwort "secret" for the user "root", type the following:
   \xampplite\mysql\bin\mysqladmin -u root password secret
   
   After changing the password you'll have to reconfigure phpMyAdmin to use the
   new password, otherwise it won't be able to access the databases. To do that,
   open the file config.inc.php in \xampplite\phpmyadmin\ and edit the
   following lines:    
   
   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['user']            = 'root';   // MySQL user
   $cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type']       = 'http';   // HTTP authentificate

   So first the 'root' password is queried by the MySQL server, before phpMyAdmin 
   may access.

Have a lot of fun! Viel Spaß! Bonne Chance!

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