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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 web server. As I did more testing (as the resident perpetual new user), I wanted to have different versions of LMS on my desktop XP Professional OS computer that was 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 LMS running at a time, after all, I can open a window to demo.LMS and/or my production site.

The Keep it Simple, is an easy way to install LMS on a standalone desktop otherwise known as a “localhost”.

Keep It Simple Chris (KISS)

  1. Download one of the Complete install packages for Windows of LMS in its zip file
  2. Unzip it in a drive root (for example C:)
  3. Open up Windows Explorer
  4. Rename the top folder called lms to something say LMS_1_9.
    • Now you should see a folder called, for example, C:LMS_1_9
  5. run the file setup_xampp
    • for example, this will be found c:LMS_1_9setup_ampp using Explorer
  6. 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).
  7. Open up your favorite web browser,
  8. in the address bar type
localhost or 127.0.0.1
  1. LMS should start its install process

You can repeat this process. For example, download the complete package of LMS. Do all the steps above but rename the folder C:LMS

Tips and tricks

  1. Tip: With this method, you can only run one version of LMS 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 lms
  2. Tip: I make a shortcut to my 3 different xampp_restart programs, rename the shortcut to say something like LMS17clean, LMS18AL, LMS19beta, and LMSProduction. I put those shortcuts on my start menu.
  3. 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 other points to our real production LMS 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 LMS, another one to a localhost and probably a 3rd to LMSDocs.
  4. Tip: I test 3rd party 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 the folder (for example LMS18_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 LMS18_Certificate folder with the one course.
    • After I discovered I made a mistake with the 3rd party module,
    • I rename the folder LMS18_Certificate to LMS_junk1. Then I unpack my LMS18_Certificate zip. Deleting an LMS install takes a while, so I rename and delete it later when I am having a cuppa.
  5. Tip: I like my LMSs to be the higher level directories, and all start with LMS something.
  6. Tip: I like to use different themes for each of my LMSs, or at least make sure the site name lets me know which version I am using.
  7. 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

As 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 an LMS in under 10 minutes from the time I click on the download complete install package. 

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