Skip to content

WINDOWS.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
222 lines (156 loc) · 12.5 KB

WINDOWS.md

File metadata and controls

222 lines (156 loc) · 12.5 KB
Raw

phpup on Windows

Bare-metal PHP development environment for Windows 10/11 x64. Apache, PHP, MariaDB, and phpMyAdmin — installed, configured, and ready to use.

Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 or 11 (x64 — Intel/AMD 64-bit; ARM64 devices run the x64 stack under emulation, see ARM64 & Emulation)
  • Run as Administrator (required for port 80 binding and service registration)
  • Visual C++ Redistributable — VC++ 2015–2022 x64, minimum version 14.51.36231. phpup checks on startup and offers a one-click upgrade if needed.

Quick Start

Right-click PowerShell → Run as Administrator, then:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DaFa66/phpup/HEAD/phpup.ps1 | iex

After launching, press I to install. On subsequent runs the script remembers your setup and goes straight to the dashboard.

PowerShell Alias (Optional)

Add this to your PowerShell profile for a quick phpup command:

function phpup {
    $command = "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DaFa66/phpup/HEAD/phpup.ps1 | iex"
    Start-Process pwsh `
        -Verb RunAs `
        -ArgumentList "-NoProfile", "-ExecutionPolicy", "Bypass", "-Command", $command
}

Note: pwsh is PowerShell 7+. For Windows PowerShell 5.1, replace with powershell.

Directory Layout

All components install to C:\phpup\ by default:

C:\phpup\
├── apache\          # Apache Lounge (VS18, port 80)
├── php\             # PHP 8.x thread-safe x64
├── mariadb\         # MariaDB
├── www\             # ← Your websites go here
│   └── phpinfo.php  # (auto-created test file)
├── phpmyadmin\      # phpMyAdmin (at stack root)
├── downloads\       # Cached component zips
├── logs\            # All log files
│   ├── apache_error.log
│   ├── apache_access.log
│   ├── php_errors.log
│   └── mariadb_error.log
├── data_backup\     # (created on delete — databases preserved)
└── config_backup\   # (created on delete — config files preserved)

Component Sources

Component Source
Apache Apache Lounge
PHP windows.php.net
MariaDB mariadb.org
phpMyAdmin phpmyadmin.net

Version Resolution

phpup doesn't hardcode version numbers. Every install and update dynamically resolves the latest stable release:

Component Source Method
Apache Apache Lounge Scrapes download page, picks highest VS version × Apache version
PHP windows.php.net Queries releases.json, filters for 8.x TS x64, prefers VS17
MariaDB mariadb.org REST API, sorts by support policy (Rolling > LTS), then version
phpMyAdmin phpmyadmin.net Scrapes downloads page for latest stable all-languages.zip

What the Installer Configures

Apache

  • Port 80, ServerName localhost:80
  • DocumentRoot with Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
  • mod_rewrite enabled with AllowOverride All — .htaccess rewrites work out of the box
  • PHP module loaded automatically
  • phpMyAdmin alias at /phpmyadmin
  • Error and access logs written to logs/

PHP

  • Extensions: curl, fileinfo, gd, intl, mbstring, mysqli, openssl, pdo_mysql, pdo_sqlite, sodium, sqlite3
  • display_errors = On
  • Error log routed to logs/php_errors.log
  • OPCache enabled with 256 MB memory, JIT tracing, 100 MB buffer — web server only; CLI runs with opcache off so phar tools (Composer, artisan) work reliably
  • PHP dependency DLLs copied to Apache bin/ for clean extension loading
  • Added to user PATH

SQLite3 DLL Fix

VS17 PHP builds bundle an incompatible libsqlite3.dll that causes "Entry Point Not Found" popups. The installer downloads a compatible DLL from sqlite.org and replaces it in both the PHP root and Apache bin/.

MariaDB

  • Data directory initialized with blank root password
  • my.ini with error log routed to logs/mariadb_error.log
  • Latest stable release resolved via REST API
  • Added to user PATH

phpMyAdmin

  • Auto-generated config.inc.php with blowfish secret and blank-password root login
  • Version check disabled (no phoning home on login)
  • 4-hour session timeout
  • Template cache directory configured
  • Configuration storage database (pma) with bookmark, history, and designer support

Offline Mode & Version Switching

Run with -Offline to skip all network activity:

.\phpup.ps1 -Offline

Requires pre-downloaded zips in C:\phpup\downloads\. Run the script online once to populate the cache, then all subsequent installs skip downloads entirely.

Once multiple versions are cached, the hidden fu command lets you switch between them interactively — upgrades, downgrades, or snapshots — without touching the network. MariaDB databases are automatically backed up and restored across version changes.

fu on Windows — PHP series management

fu manages PHP only on Windows (Apache, MariaDB, and phpMyAdmin keep the simple cached-zip list). It groups cached PHP builds by series (8.2 → newest stable) and:

  • Pre-release labels — alpha/beta/RC builds show their suffix (e.g. 8.6.0 alpha3 vs 8.6.0 beta1) instead of collapsing to the same version
  • Pre-release installs flagged — the dashboard stack list and the fu cache summary show the full label (8.6.0 beta1 (pre-release), yellow) when the installed PHP is newer than the latest stable (alpha/beta/RC)
  • Missing series — a series with nothing cached is offered as (not cached — download & install); choosing it downloads the latest stable patch and installs it. Any N.M series listed by windows.php.net is a candidate, bounded by php_min_series (default 8.2); 7.x builds resolve via their VC15 toolchain builds
  • Newer patch hints — a cached version behind the latest in its series is flagged: 8.2.32 (older → 8.2.33 is available). Selecting it asks whether to install the newer patch (downloading it first, with an option to delete the old cached copy) or use the cached one as-is
  • Multiple variants — when a series has more than one cached patch, entries show *; selecting one opens a sub-menu of the variants, where each can be installed or deleted ([d] + row number, with a Yes/No confirm). Delete accepts both d<number> and <number>d (d2 and 2d both work); a bare d prints a format hint. After a delete that leaves only the installed build, fu returns you to the series list (re-scanning the cache) instead of showing a dead-end list
  • Strict input — menu choices must be plain numbers. 2d/2x/garbage are rejected with "Invalid choice" rather than being silently coerced
  • Selection confirmation — picking a PHP version prints PHP → 8.2.33 before the next component menu, matching the Apache/MariaDB/phpMyAdmin confirmations

Online, fu checks windows.php.net for the latest stable per series. Run with -Offline to skip the network check — the menu then lists cached versions only (labels and variant markers still apply, but no hints or download offers).

A configurable floor (php_min_series in %APPDATA%\phpup\config.json, default 8.2) controls the oldest PHP series offered as a download candidate — set it to 8.0 to keep offering EOL series, or raise it to narrow the list. Cached zips are always listed regardless of the floor. The key is written to config.json automatically (visible and editable), and an older config that predates the key simply falls back to the 8.2 default.

Apache's PHP module follows the installed PHP major: 7.x loads php7apache2_4.dll with LoadModule php7_module, 8.x loads php8apache2_4.dll with LoadModule php_module (the symbol PHP 8 actually exports — there is no php8_module). httpd.conf is re-pointed automatically after any PHP switch, so going 8 ↔ 7 keeps Apache loadable.

Service Registration

During install, you're prompted to register Apache and MariaDB as Windows services for auto-start on boot. If you skip it, the S toggle will offer registration later. Services are named phpup_Apache and phpup_MariaDB. The dashboard shows current registration state and the S command works in both directions — it can also unregister services when they're no longer needed.

Safe Delete

Pressing D stops services, backs up your config files (httpd.conf, php.ini, my.ini, config.inc.php) to config_backup\ and MariaDB data to data_backup\, then removes Apache, PHP, MariaDB, and phpMyAdmin. Your website files in www\ are untouched.

On reinstall, the script detects both backups and offers to restore your databases and config files — MariaDB picks up the restored data without re-initialisation, and your Apache, PHP, and phpMyAdmin settings are preserved.

Persistent Config

The script saves state to %APPDATA%\phpup\config.json:

  • Install path — prompted once, remembered thereafter
  • Component versions — tracked after each install/update (PHP records the full label, e.g. 8.6.0 beta1)
  • Service registration state — persisted between runs
  • PATH entries — tracked for clean uninstall
  • PHP floor (php_min_series) — written on first save (default 8.2); edit it to change the oldest PHP series fu offers as a download candidate

Example:

{
  "install_path": "C:\\phpup",
  "installed_at": "2026-06-05T20:45:00",
  "services_registered": true,
  "php_min_series": "8.2",
  "versions": {
    "apache": "2.4.68",
    "php": "8.5.9",
    "mariadb": "12.3.2",
    "phpmyadmin": "5.2.3"
  }
}

Config is cleared when you delete the stack. The next run prompts for a fresh install path.

After Installation

Question Answer
Where to put website files? C:\phpup\www
Test your PHP setup? http://localhost/phpinfo.php
Access phpMyAdmin? http://localhost/phpmyadmin
Login to phpMyAdmin? Username: root / Password: (blank)
PHP from terminal? php and mysql available in PATH

Uninstalling

Press D to delete the stack. Your website files in www\ and databases in data_backup\ are preserved. PATH entries are removed and config is cleared.

For a complete wipe, delete C:\phpup\ and %APPDATA%\phpup\ manually after running Delete.

ARM64 & Emulation

phpup's stack is x64-only — Apache Lounge, PHP, and MariaDB do not ship native ARM64 Windows binaries, so there is nothing native to install on ARM64 devices (Snapdragon laptops, Surface Pro X, Apple Silicon running Windows, etc.).

On ARM64, phpup installs the x64 stack anyway, and Windows runs it under its built-in x64 emulation (Prism):

  • Expected to work — x64 emulation is a mature, general-purpose Windows feature; the stack behaves like it does on x64 hardware.
  • Untested by phpup — we have no ARM64 device in the test loop, so treat it as best-effort.
  • Slower than native x64 — emulated code carries an overhead; expect a measurable performance hit, especially for CPU-bound PHP work (JIT is still active, but emulated).
  • The VC++ Redistributable is installed as x64 regardless of host — the emulated x64 binaries load the x64 runtime. The arm64 redist is only for native ARM64 apps, which this stack has none of.

phpup prints a warning on ARM64 at startup (rather than refusing to run) so you know what you're getting into. 32-bit Windows is still hard-blocked — the stack cannot run there at all.

Known Limitations

  • Windows ARM64 is emulation-only, not natively supported. Apache Lounge, PHP, and MariaDB provide no native ARM64 Windows binaries. phpup warns and continues under x64 emulation — see ARM64 & Emulation.

Support

Open an issue or submit a pull request.