PHP Installation & Setup

Why Install PHP Locally?

Local PHP development gives you a fast, offline workspace where you can experiment without uploading to a server every few minutes. You can run multiple PHP versions side-by-side, inspect errors instantly, and integrate with editors like VS Code or PhpStorm.

You have three common options:

• All-in-one stacks (XAMPP, Laragon, MAMP) - bundle Apache + MySQL + PHP
• Package managers (Homebrew, apt, yum) - install raw PHP, configure manually
• Docker - run PHP inside a container (covered in the Docker tutorial)

Install PHP on Windows

Option A: XAMPP (recommended for beginners)

1. Download XAMPP from apachefriends.org.
2. Run the installer. Accept defaults - it installs to C:\xampp.
3. Open the XAMPP Control Panel. Click Start next to Apache and MySQL.
4. Put your PHP files inside C:\xampp\htdocs\.
5. Visit http://localhost/yourfile.php in your browser.

Option B: Laragon (lighter, more modern)

1. Download Laragon Full from laragon.org.
2. Install. Laragon auto-detects Apache/Nginx, PHP, MySQL, and Composer.
3. Project files go in C:\laragon\www\ - each folder becomes a virtual host automatically.

Option C: Standalone PHP

If you only need the PHP CLI:

# Download PHP 8.3 (Thread Safe) from windows.php.net
# Extract to C:\php

# Add to PATH (run as Administrator)
$env:Path += ";C:\php"
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $env:Path, "Machine")

# Verify
php -v

Install PHP on macOS

Using Homebrew (recommended)

# Install Homebrew first (if missing)
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install latest PHP
brew install php

# Or pick a specific version
brew install php@8.2

# Verify
php -v

Using MAMP (GUI alternative)

Download MAMP from mamp.info. It installs Apache + MySQL + PHP under /Applications/MAMP/ with a control panel similar to XAMPP.

Install PHP on Linux

Ubuntu / Debian

# Add Ondrej PPA for the latest PHP versions
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
sudo apt update

# Install PHP 8.3 with common extensions
sudo apt install -y php8.3 php8.3-cli php8.3-mysql php8.3-curl \
                    php8.3-mbstring php8.3-xml php8.3-zip

# Verify
php -v

CentOS / RHEL / Fedora

# Enable Remi repository
sudo dnf install -y https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-9.rpm
sudo dnf module enable -y php:remi-8.3
sudo dnf install -y php php-cli php-mysqlnd php-mbstring php-xml

php -v

Verify Your Installation

Open a terminal (CMD/PowerShell/Bash) and run:

php -v
php -m       # list loaded extensions
php --ini    # find which php.ini is loaded

If you see a version number, PHP is installed correctly.

Configuring php.ini

php.ini is PHP's main configuration file. Find it with php --ini and open it in any text editor. The most useful settings for local development:

; Show all errors while developing
display_errors = On
error_reporting = E_ALL

; Increase limits for file uploads and long scripts
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size       = 64M
memory_limit        = 256M
max_execution_time  = 300

; Set your timezone (avoids warnings)
date.timezone = Asia/Kolkata

; Enable common extensions
extension=mysqli
extension=pdo_mysql
extension=mbstring
extension=curl
extension=gd
extension=zip

Run Your First PHP File

Create a file called hello.php:

<?php
echo "PHP is working! Version: " . PHP_VERSION;

Option 1: via Apache - save to htdocs/hello.php and visit http://localhost/hello.php.

Option 2: via PHP built-in server (no Apache needed):

cd /folder/with/hello.php
php -S localhost:8000
# Visit http://localhost:8000/hello.php

Option 3: via CLI directly:

php hello.php

Common Installation Errors

Next Steps

PHP is installed and working. Time to write some code:

• Hello World - your first real PHP program
• PHP Syntax - tags, comments, semicolons
• Variables and data types