Denwer is a Gentlemanly set of Web-developer (“D.n.w.r” read “Denwer”) – a project Dmitry Koterova , The local server (Apache, PHP, MySQL, Perl, etc.) and software shell used by Web-developers to develop sites in the “home” (local) Windows-machine without the need to access the Internet. The main feature of Denver – ease of remote work on several independent projects and the possibility of placing a Flash-drive.
Project Features
On setting up a server and various additions to it written several articles, one of which – his – I never tire of lead in links: Perl + Apache + PHP4 + MySQL for Windows 95/98 Installation Guide . Until recently, the installation of the whole “kitchen” was a matter of very laborious. Now the installation and configuration of the components can be made automatically, and will help in this Denver.
Let’s look at what comprises a base (base) package Denver:
- Installer (also supported installation on flash-drive).
- Apache, SSL, SSI, mod_rewrite, mod_php.
- PHP5 with support for GD, MySQL, sqLite.
- MySQL5 transacted.
- System to manage virtual hosts, based on templates. To create a new host, you only need to add a directory to the directory
/home, edit the configuration files is not required. The default naming scheme is supported by many popular directories hosts, new ones can be easily added. - The control system startup and shutdown of all components of Denver.
- phpMyAdmin – MySQL management system via Web-interface.
- Emulator sendmail and SMTP-server (debug “cap” on
localhost:25, down incoming letters to/tmpformat.eml); support work with PHP, Perl, Parser, etc.
Herbalife, Herbalife …
If you’ve ever swung distributions on the modem, perhaps you wondered what the absolute minimum size distributions, to them it was possible to work with. Let’s count:
- Apache: 4.7 MB;
- PHP5: 9.7 MB;
- MySQL5: 23 MB;
- phpMyAdmin: 2 MB.
- Total: 40 MB
We see that just these components are contained in the basic package of Denver, but he is … about 8.2 megabytes! Perhaps you do not believe that the underlying distributions may like this take and “lose weight” is more than 7 times with no loss of functionality. Whereby it was possible to achieve this result?
- Distributions were thoroughly “combed.” All the components that are used infrequently, made in separate expansion pack. Thus, 90% of developers will be able to start work immediately, and the remaining 10% need only to continue downloading and installed using installers packages.
- Usually supplied with different distributions unnecessary files, like the history of changes or installation instructions. Needless to say that Denver does not contain them.
- For packaging uses one of the most powerful archives – 7-Zip .
Enhancement packages
If you – a professional developer, you’ll probably need additional packages:
- full version of ActivePerl 5.8;
- PHP5 with a full set of modules;
- programming language Python;
- PostgreSQL DBMS or InterBase / FireBird versions 1 and 2;
- good old PHP version 3 or 4;
- or Parser Lebedev Studio.
All this you can download and install, and the “dirty work” will take the installer included in the package.
Architecture
Denver is a distinctive feature of its full autonomy. It is this.
- Denver is set to a single directory and off does not change anything. He does not write files to the Windows-directory and not “crap” in the Register. If you want, you can even taking just two of Denver, and they will not conflict.
- No “services» NT/2000 not “prescribed”. If you started in Denver, then it works. If completed – it stops working, not leaving a trace.
- The system does not need an uninstaller – just delete the directory.
- Denver once setting, you can then just copy it to other machines (for any drive in an arbitrary directory). This does not cause any side effects.
- All configuration and customization for a specific machine is automatic.
The same rules apply to the expansion pack.
In order to simplify the complex components and to improve compatibility with the real Unix-hoster at the start, a special virtual disk that is attached to the main directory.
subst , cares about scripts Denver. You can use the virtual disk as usual. Besides, all transactions will actually be done with the specified directory. The mechanism of the virtual disk built into the system and does not lead to any costs and slowing down.Through the use of a virtual disk Denver “inside” like a small Unix: it has its own directory / home, / usr, / tmp … The various components and servers are set as is the case in Unix. For example, in / home are virtual hosts, and in / usr – program components.
Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not something static and unchanging. Nobody is stopping you from installing additional software on top of it, and components (such as the database server PostgreSQL). They will just be for him “like family.” You can also specify the start and end of the logic of additional services in a similar way as is done in the base package. So, if you need some kind of system, which is not in the expansion pack, safely place and configure it manually.
So, if you decide to install Denver, check out the article Set Denver . There you will find links to relevant distributions. Good luck! ..
Why do I need a local server?
In the last decade the world has witnessed a real boom of the Web-developers (mainly the programmers). They establish in their Windows-Apache server machine with various additions to it: PHP, Perl, MySQL, etc. – Mainly in order to more convenient debugging sites.
Many (mostly designers) may ask why do we need a local Web-server when the page can be opened, and so – directly from the disk? If it is normal (static) HTML-page, then yes, the server is not needed. However, even for such a trifle as SSI (Server-side Includes – directive to pages that allow to insert into place the contents of other files), the server is required. Not to mention the scripts – they are not just the server will not start.
Usually, all these problems are solved by using FTP-client: pumped corrected pages and scripts for a “real” server on the Internet, see what happens, and then walk into the editor, correct again pumped etc. to infinity. The main drawback of this approach is obvious: it is necessary to always be connected to the Internet. It is also desirable to have a good relationship, because otherwise, it will move very slowly.
I regularly get e-mails regarding the following – usually veiled – the question: How does “the pages to open the file in the browser” from the “view with the server.” In the first case, you select the menu something like File – Open – Browse and select the file on the disk. The browser displays it without any treatment, and the way in its address bar looks like this:
If you open the page “through the server,” is quite different. In general, you have to get used to the idea that your “local” server is no worse than any other, which is located on the Internet. So, it also contains sites (one or more), each of which has a specific name. Access to these sites is, as usual, you provide the address bar URL – usually the site name and path of the document on it:
Already in comparing these two pictures you can see that when you open the page “web browser” user generally sees not the same thing as when you open the file (Compare, for window titles).
dklab . Of course, the name is a bit strange – it does not have a suffix .ru , which makes it inaccessible to all other Internet users. However, on the local machine the site opens fine, besides, I never confuse dklab.ru (website) with dklab (site on the local machine).Who and why did it
It all started with the fact that one evening I received another batch of letters from users of Article Apache + Perl + PHP4 + MySQL for Windows 95/98 Installation Guide (it’s good that electronic). The questions were basically the same type and are either not addressed at all, or were solved within one minute, which was associated with the usual errors in the httpd.conf (forgot to remove comments, or, conversely, put something somewhere, and so etc.)
At this very moment, and I thought: perhaps the 3110 letters from last year’s spring TheBat collapse a folder dedicated to Apache, – to put it mildly, too. Something had to be taken immediately. That’s how the idea of a “gentleman’s set Web-developer.”
What about the people involved in the project, we can say a lot of good. So, starring
- Dmitry Koterov
- Author of the “Denver.”
- Anton Sushchev ( Ant )
- A leading developer of functional Denver. Moderation Forum.
- Michael Livach ( Maus )
- User support. Assist in the development of Denver.
And of course, this works only because the developers Apache, PHP, Perl, MySQL, phpMyAdmin, etc. work and work by the sweat of your face (and not only), creating programs and servers, now enjoying such popularity. Thank you!
Web development 