Local Test Server


1. FlyEnv

All-In-One Full-Stack Environment Management Tool


FlyEnv as a Modern XAMPP Replacement for Local WackoWiki Testing


FlyEnv is a lightweight, native (no Docker) local development environment manager for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It serves as a faster, more modular alternative to XAMPP, MAMP, or Laragon. It supports multiple PHP versions (including older ones like 5.6+ needed for compatibility), Nginx/Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, and features like auto custom domains, SSL, and low resource usage.

1.1. Installation

Download the latest version from the official site or GitHub releases:


Windows: Use the installer (.exe) or portable version.
macOS: brew install flyenv or DMG.
Linux: .deb or .rpm packages available.

Launch FlyEnv. It provides a clean GUI for managing services and sites.


FlyEnv configured for Apache + PHP + MySQL

1.2. Setting Up a Local WackoWiki Test Environment

1.2.1. Install Required Modules

In FlyEnv:

  • Install a web server (Apache recommended for closest XAMPP parity; Nginx also works well).
  • Install PHP (choose a version compatible with your WackoWiki — check requirements; older branches may need PHP 7.x or 8.x).
  • Install a database (MySQL or MariaDB) or use SQLite.

FlyEnv makes this one-click and supports multiple versions side-by-side.

1.2.2. Configure PHP

  • Increase limits for uploads and posts (WackoWiki can benefit from this):
upload_max_filesize = 20M
post_max_size = 20M
  • Set error logging:
error_log = /path/to/flyenv/logs/php/php_error.log (adjust path as needed).
  • Enable necessary extensions (e.g., GD, Intl, PDO, MySQLi, mbstring, etc., depending on WackoWiki version).

1.2.3. Create a Host / Virtual Site

  • In FlyEnv, add a new Host (virtual host/site).
  • Set Host name: localhost or a custom domain like wackowiki.test.
  • Set Document Root to your WackoWiki project directory (e.g., the folder containing wacko/ or your extracted/cloned wiki files).
  • Enable SSL and use Auto SSL Certificates for HTTPS.

FlyEnv handles DNS resolution automatically (no manual /etc/hosts edits).

1.2.4. Web Server Specific Tweaks (Apache)

If using Apache:

  • Uncomment the rewrite module in the config:
#LoadModule rewrite_module lib/httpd/modules/mod_rewrite.so → remove the #.

WackoWiki uses URL rewriting for clean links.

1.2.5. Database Setup

  • Start MySQL/MariaDB via FlyEnv or use SQLite.
  • Create a database for WackoWiki (e.g., via built-in tools or phpMyAdmin if installed).
  • Note the credentials (usually root with a password you set).

1.2.6. Install and Configure WackoWiki

  1. Place your WackoWiki files in the Document Root you configured.
  2. Run the WackoWiki installer via browser: https://wackowiki.test (or http://localhost).
  3. Follow the installer, providing database details.
  4. For clean URLs, ensure .htaccess (Apache) or equivalent Nginx config is active.

1.3. Useful Tips for WackoWiki + FlyEnv

  • Logs: Check PHP error logs and web server logs directly in FlyEnv for troubleshooting.
  • Ports: FlyEnv shows port usage; default Apache (80/443) or adjust as needed.
  • Multiple Sites: Easily run several WackoWiki instances or other projects with different PHP versions.
  • Security: For local dev only — FlyEnv is not for production. Use strong local passwords.
  • Updates: Keep FlyEnv, PHP, and modules updated via the interface.

1.4. Migration from XAMPP

  • Export databases from XAMPP phpMyAdmin.
  • Copy htdocs contents (your wiki files).
  • Import into FlyEnv's database and point a new host to the files.

1.5. Summary

  • Native performance — Runs binaries directly (no virtualization overhead). Starts in milliseconds and uses far less RAM.
  • Modular — Install only what you need (PHP, web server, database, etc.).
  • Project isolation — Auto-switches PHP/Node versions per directory.
  • Built-in conveniences — Custom .test domains with auto DNS, trusted SSL certificates, Mailpit for email testing, and more.
  • Cross-platform — Excellent Windows support (strong XAMPP alternative) plus macOS/Linux.
  • Multi-version support — Easily run different PHP or database versions.

FlyEnv offers a smoother, more maintainable experience than traditional XAMPP stacks for WackoWiki development. Its GUI, native speed, and modern features (SSL, domains) reduce setup friction significantly. Start with the official installers and WackoWiki's recommended config steps for best results.


2. XAMPP

XAMPP is defunct

As for now (Feb. 2026) XAMPP can be considered as defunct, see notes.

XAMPP is a completely free, easy to install Apache distribution containing MariaDB, PHP, and Perl. The XAMPP open source package has been set up to be incredibly easy to install and to use.


https://www.apachefriends.org/faq_linux.html

2.1. Step 1: Download

https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html


Simply click on one of the links below. It's a good idea to get the latest version.


A complete list of downloads (older versions) is available at SourceForge.

2.2. Step 2: Installation

After downloading simply type in the following commands:


Go to a Linux shell and login as the system administrator root:

su


Change the permissions to the installer

chmod 755 xampp-linux-x64-8.2.12-0-installer.run


Run the installer

./xampp-linux-x64-8.2.12-0-installer.run

XAMPP Installer


That's all. XAMPP is now installed below the /opt/lampp directory.

2.2.1. Troubleshooting

Problem starting XAMPP in OpenSUSE

The error message about netstat occurs because openSUSE has removed it from the net-tools package. It should go away if you install the package net-tools-deprecated. note


XAMPP: Starting Apache...fail.
httpd: Syntax error on line 522 of /opt/lampp/etc/httpd.conf: 
Syntax error on line 6 of /opt/lampp/etc/extra/httpd-xampp.conf: 
Cannot load modules/mod_perl.so into server: 
libnsl.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Leap:
Additionally you need to install the package libnsl1 manually to solve the issue.


Tumbleweed:
Additionally you need to install the package libnsl3 manually and set a symlink libnsl.so.3 → libnsl.so.1 to solve the issue. libnsl1 requires an old glibc-2.38 but Tumbleweed is already at glibc-2.41.


sudo ln -s /usr/lib64/libnsl.so.3 /usr/lib64/libnsl.so.1

2.3. Step 3: Start

To start XAMPP simply call this command:


/opt/lampp/lampp start

You should now see something like this on your screen:


Starting XAMPP for Linux 8.3.4-0...
LAMPP: Starting Apache...
LAMPP: Starting MySQL...
LAMPP started.

Ready. Apache and MySQL are running.


If you get any error messages please take a look at the Linux FAQ.

2.4. Step 4: Test

OK, that was easy but how can you check that everything really works? Just type in the following URL at your favorite web browser:


http://localhost

Now you should see the start page of XAMPP containing some links to check the status of the installed software and some small programming examples.

2.5. A matter of security (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:


  1. The MySQL administrator (root) has no password.
  2. The MySQL daemon is accessible via network.
  3. ProFTPD uses the password "lampp" for user "daemon".
  4. PhpMyAdmin is accessible via network.
  5. Examples are accessible via network.
  6. MySQL is running under "mysql".
  7. Apache is running under "daemon".

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


/opt/lampp/lampp security

It starts a small security check and makes your XAMPP installation quite secure. For example this protects the XAMPP demo pages by a username ('lampp') and password combination.

2.6. Advanced start and stop parameters


START AND STOP PARAMETERS


Parameter Description
start Starts XAMPP.
stop Stops XAMPP.
restart Stops and starts XAMPP.
startapache Starts only the Apache.
startssl Starts the Apache SSL support. This command activates the SSL support permanently, e.g. if you restarts XAMPP in the future SSL will stay activated.
startmysql Starts only the MySQL database.
startftp Starts the ProFTPD server. Via FTP you can upload files for your web server (user "nobody", password "lampp"). This command activates the ProFTPD permanently, e.g. if you restarts XAMPP in the future FTP will stay activated.
stopapache Stops the Apache.
stopssl Stops the Apache SSL support. This command deactivates the SSL support permanently, e.g. if you restarts XAMPP in the future SSL will stay deactivated.
stopmysql Stops the MySQL database.
stopftp Stops the ProFTPD server. This command deactivates the ProFTPD permanently, e.g. if you restarts XAMPP in the future FTP will stay deactivated.
security Starts a small security check programm.

For example: To start Apache with SSL support simply type in the following command (as root):


/opt/lampp/lampp startssl

You can also access your Apache server via SSL under https://localhost/.

2.7. What is where?

What is where? A big question of our existens, here are some answers! ;)


IMPORTANT FILES AND DIRECTORIES


File/Directory Purpose
/opt/lampp/bin/ The XAMPP commands home. /opt/lampp/bin/mysql calls for example the MySQL monitor.
/opt/lampp/htdocs/ The Apache DocumentRoot directory.
/opt/lampp/etc/httpd.conf The Apache configuration file.
/opt/lampp/etc/my.cnf The MySQL configuration file.
/opt/lampp/etc/php.ini The PHP configuration file.
/opt/lampp/etc/proftpd.conf The ProFTPD configuration file.
/opt/lampp/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php The phpMyAdmin configuration file.
/opt/lampp/logs/php_error_log The PHP error log file.

2.8. Setting SQL_MODE

Strict mode


my.cnf

sql_mode = ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY,STRICT_TRANS_TABLES,NO_ZERO_IN_DATE,NO_ZERO_DATE,ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO,NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER,NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION

2.9. Enable GD and Intl extension on Windows

On XAMPP for Windows the GD and Intl extension are disabled by default, however WackoWiki requires both extensions.


  1. Open php.ini file (e.g. C:\xampp\php\php.ini).
  2. Search for ;extension=gd and ;extension=intl.
  3. Remove ; from both then restart the Apache server.

2.10. Stopping XAMPP

To stop XAMPP simply call this command:


/opt/lampp/lampp stop

You should now see:

Stopping XAMPP for Linux 8.3.4-0...
LAMPP: Stopping Apache...
LAMPP: Stopping MySQL...
LAMPP stopped.

And XAMPP for Linux is stopped.

2.11. Uninstall

To uninstall XAMPP just type in this command:
keeping htdocs and databases

 ./uninstall

or entirely

rm -rf /opt/lampp

2.12. Enable or Disable Mode Rewrite

httpd.conf (/opt/lampp/etc/httpd.conf)


ON

 LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

OFF

 #LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

2.13. Setting Up Virtual Hosts

http://wiki/
http://wiki.localhost/
-> Running more than one web site on a single machine

2.14. Create a symbolic link to htdocs

Create a symbolic link between a directory which you have read and write permissions in with htdocs.


sudo ln -s /home/USERNAME/git/project /opt/lampp/htdocs

and enter root password when prompted.


Or use drag and drop in your favorite file manager to create a symbolic link.

2.15. Create a shortcut link to manager-linux-x64.run

KDE: 

 kdesu /opt/lampp/manager-linux-x64.run

XAMPP desktop file configuration


XAMPP control panel

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