XAMPP onto an existing Apache instalation?

I already have apache working, but want ftp access

[Ben_B]

I'd like to enable ftp access to my existing apache instalation.

I read that XAMPP has Apache, plus MySQL, PHP, Perl and Filezilla ftp already configured, but wondered whether it would mess up my current instalation. Just wanted some advice before I start.

I'm not too technical, but did manage to get Apache working by myself last time, (A little while ago, but I think I made notes about how I did it somewhere!)

Is there a way the XAMPP version can use the same config file? Can I simple copy it over the XAMPP version or something?

I've downloaded it, but not started installing it yet, I want to save on the downtime and get some tips before I start! Is XAMPP simple to install? I guess I'll have to tell Apache to stop runnig on startup and get XAMPP to run instead?

Any tips appreciated.

Thanks!

[StupidScript]

Welcome to the forums, Ben_B!

IMHO, you should download and install the FTP server only. XAMPP is cool, but all you need is to add FTP, so XAMPP becomes overkill.

Filezilla [filezilla.sourceforge.net] is okay, for Win NT/XP. I also like ProFTPD [proftpd.org] and my favorite is VSFTPD [vsftpd.beasts.org], both for Posix (Unix, Linux, MacOSX, etc.) systems.

[Ben_B]

Thanks Mate, Can you run me through in a nutshell what I need to do to get proftpd or vsftpd working? So I can access the files on our server from the outside world?

I did try and get XAMPP working yesterday, and despite being easy to get working, I couldn't figure out who to change the opening page to point to my website! The problem is I'm doing this while a big chunk of our website is actually live, so I can't really afford much downtime!

Luckily my existing Apache instalation remained unchanged so I just ran that one again!

Why is it that XAMPP is only recommended for testing, not for a live site?

[Ben_B]

Is Filezilla Server a complete replacement for Apache, but including ftp? Or if the Fileziila FTP program fine to just add to Apache?

[jdMorgan]

FileZilla is only an FTP server, not an HTTP server.

Jim

[Ben_B]

Any advice on setting it uup? Which of the three is easiest to set up, and easiest to get working along side Apache?
You say it's an FTP server, not an HTTP server, but surely I can point it to the folder where the http files are held and use it in that way to FTP to it as I would a paid-for hosting?

[jdMorgan]

"Easy to set up" is a personal-perception thing as much as anything else. I haven't set up FileZilla, so I don't know... Give it a try.

HTTP and FTP are high-level network protocols (both using using the lower-level TCP/IP protocol), and have nothing to do with files.

If you type "http://..." into your browser, it makes an HTTP-protocol connection to the server (hardware), which is then handled by the HTTP server program (here, Apache). And if you type "ftp://..." into your browser or use an FTP client, then it makes an FTP-protocol connection to the server (hardware), which is then handled by the FTP server program (here, FileZilla).

Whether or not certain files in the hardware server filesystem are then accessible using those two protocols is down to the configuration of the two (software) servers.

For the sake of simplicity, the above leaves out the Telnet, SSH, and any other software servers you may have installed -- but the rules are the same for them as well; Generally, each protocol is handled by a separate software server program, using an industry-standard TCP/IP port number (each server is bound to a specific port or ports, and handles the requests coming in on that port). For example, Apache binds to ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS), the FTP server binds to ports 21 (FTP) and 115 (SFTP), SSH binds to port 22, and Telnet binds to port 23.

Jim

[StupidScript]

Nice roundup, Jim! :)

Ben, the Filezilla Server program installs just like any other Windows program: Download the binary (.exe) from their website (linked in my previous post) and run it on your server machine. That will install it.

Then, read a bit of the documentation [filezilla.sourceforge.net] and follow their simple instructions to set it up and start the program.

Once the program is running on your server machine, you can use an FTP "client" to connect to your server from another machine. There are manymany FTP clients out there, including Filezilla Client (from the same download site as the server), WS_FTP [ipswitch.com], SmartFTP [smartftp.com], CuteFTP [cuteftp.com], CoreFTP [coreftp.com] and hundreds of others.

Basically you will install one of those on the other machine (not the server), and when you run the client from the other machine, you will type in the information needed to connect to your FTP server, like the domain name of the server, and your user id and password.

Once you've got the right info typed in, hit the "GO" button to make the connection. If the connection process is successful (i.e. FTP server is running and configured, FTP client is running and you typed in valid credentials) you should see the insides of one of the directories on your web server machine.

Those are the basics. Read the documentation (Help file) that came with your FTP client for more info on how to set it up.

[edited by: StupidScript at 8:01 pm (utc) on May 25, 2007]