Windows 1 computer many servers
This is going to be really dumb, but it works. I got tired of slow refresh rates while building courses on our production webserver. As I did more testing (as the resident perpetual new user), I wanted to have different versions of Moodle on my desktop XP Professional OS computer that were absolutely clean installs.
Since I am challenged mentally, it has got to be simple. Hard drive space and download time are not issues. Plus, I can live with only one local version of Moodle running at a time, after all I can open a window to demo.Moodle and/or my production site.
The Keep it Simple, is an easy way to install Moodle on a standalone desktop otherwise known as a "localhost".
Keep It Simple Chris (KISS)
- Download one of the Complete install packages for Windows of Moodle in its zip file
- Unzip it in a drive root (for example C:\)
- Open up Windows Explorer
- Rename the top folder called moodle to something say Moodle_1_9.
- Now you should see a folder called for example C:\Moodle_1_9
- run the file setup_xampp
- for example this will be found c:\Moodle_1_9\setup_ampp using Explorer
- next run xampp_start or xampp_restart
- Sometimes you may get a warning and are asked if you want to block the apache site (don't block it).
- Open up your favorite web browser,
- in the address bar type
- localhost or 127.0.0.1
- Moodle should start its install process
You can repeat this process. For example, download the complete package of Moodle 2.0 . Do all the steps above but rename the folder C:\Moodle_2_0.
Want to upgrade the Moodle in the folder with 1_9? Easy, just download a Standard Moodle distribution package, unzip it so you extract to the folder Moodle_1_9. You will want to make sure you copy all files, so you replace all the existing files in Moodle_1_9\moodle downward.
Tips and tricks
- Tip: With this method, you can only run one version of Moodle at a time. Start each version using the xampp_start or xampp_restart from the right drive.
- Why xampp_restart? Saves using xampp_stop, which must be done if you are switching moodles
- Tip: I make a short cut to my 3 different xampp_restart program, rename the short cut to say something like Moodle17clean, Moodle18AL, Moodle19beta and MoodleProduction. I put those shortcuts on my start menu.
- Tip: One of "My Favorites" web places is called "localhost".
- Mozilla Firefox (newer versions of IE may do this) allows me to create bookmarks. I have one called LocalHost and another points to our real production Moodle site on the web.
- Mozilla Firefox (newer versions of IE may do this) allow me to create separate tabs. I will have one tab open to my production Moodle, another one to a localhost and probably a 3rd to MoodleDocs.
- Tip: Chris collman/TestingProcess add ons and hacks every now and then. If I think I will get into trouble after installing the test feature, I first:
- I create a clean install in folder (for example Moodle18_Certificate).
- I upload and restore a simple course with 20 fictional participants which I have backed up and downloaded for this purpose.
- Then I zip or rar archive the Moodle18_Certificate folder with the one course.
- After I discover I made a mistake with the 3rd party module,
- I rename the folder Moodle18_Certificate to Moodle_junk1. Then I unpack my Moodle18_Certificate zip. Deleting a Moodle install takes a while, so I rename and delete it later when I am having a cuppa.
- Tip: I like my Moodles to be the higher level directories, and all start with Moodle something.
- Tip: I like to use different themes for each of my Moodles, or at least make sure the site name lets me know which version I am using.
- Trick: It is possible to reach different web servers on the same machine at the same time. But it is not simple. The big picture is to have Apache look for a different IP than the default. This means editing ../apache/conf/httpd.config . I like the 1 at a time method so I do not get confused.
Summary
Like I said, this is dumb and there are probably easier ways than the shorter approach. But it gives absolute separation of different versions, which developers have grown to trust . And I can set up a Moodle in under 10 minutes from the time I click on the download complete install package. --Chris collman 14:49, 21 March 2007 (CDT)
