The joy of using open source software - I recently had a need to work locally on a server and setup some complex stuff. So I started with XAMPP and got it installed. The first part was pretty easy once I got the right version downloaded (which isn't clear, the smaller .EXE actually does contain everything you need, but not the light version, the full version). Took a few hours to get that setup - then I found out that Skype, in its default setup, conflicts with Apache (or, more accurately, Skype blocks port 80 which Apache needs to run the web services) - so, after another half hour, I found the solution in their FAQ.

Next day was all about mySQL - seems if you insert a password in to the database according to the option 2 instructions in the setup, it doesn't work. I think I figured out why, the password is setup as an MD5 field, encrypted (good idea), however, the software setup to log you in and manipulate the database, phpmyadmin, doesn't MD5 the password on the way to the database login (or mySQL doesn't, don't know who is at fault) - so I had a login that I couldn't use and it was for the root. Then the fun of trying to get the password reset (lots of information which may work for someone else, didn't work for me). Eventually, some more hours later, I got the mySQL password setup right and now I'm cracking away at it (setup Code Igniter on the server).

Another note, the XAMPP doesn't come with the .htaccess enabled for Windows. A quick edit to the configuration file in xampp/apache/conf/httpd.conf (removing the # infront of: LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so) and now the URLs are even the way I want them.

It is a blessing and a curse, I know more than I did before I started, but it took several productive hours away from me to get it accomplished and no place to turn for support (and be sure to get it...). Sometimes it is a good trade-off for the application received, sometimes it isn't. In this case, XAMPP and Code Igniter, I'm siding with open source, it was a good investment in time as I'll be able to use the experience anytime I need to setup another XAMPP setup and I didn't have to sign over my life to a server software company :)