Posted by Alan J. Flavell on 11/28/85 11:50

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006, Andy Dingley <dingbat@codesmiths.com> wrote:

> You need a HTTP server, not just a local filesystem.

There are indeed many advantages in running a local web server on
one's development platform.

> Best way for a HTTP server is to find a tired old PC and resurrect
> it running a minimal Unix and Apache.

I would dare to suggest that the best way is to run Apache on whatever
one's development platform happens to be.

If it's OS X, like on my colleague's laptop, then that's where Apache
gets run.

In the event that one was running MS Win (XP, 2K etc.) then Win Apache
2.0 is a viable solution (whereas Win Apache 1.3 had less to recommend
it). There are some significant differences on the Win platform, but
if one steers clear of them (case sensitivity in URLs, differences in
XBitHack behaviour...) then whatever is developed on the Win platform
can port rather seamlessly to the real server.

> Try Ubuntu, or the ready-packaged "minimal Unix and Apache" bundles.

I'm *not* recommending specifically choosing MS Win for this purpose,
but *if* one is using MS Win already, then that's where I would
recommend running the development server. You probably want to set it
so that it only accepts calls from localhost (or from a very tightly
controlled range of addresses).

> You'll not regret this as a web developer, it makes deployment out
> to the live servers much less troublesome.

Absolutely.

> If you're on a laptop and mobile, then you're probably running
> Windows and you can still run a web server on there. IIS / PWS for
> Windows native, or even Apache again.

If the ultimate production server is going to be Apache-family, then I
can't see the slightest attraction in running IIS. It would need a
different skillset, quite apart from imponderables in the security
area.

hth

[Back to original message]