Magento with XAMPP installation on local computer

picture from magento.com

Magento - E Commerce Platform

Magento is one of the forerunner of e-commerce platform yet made. There's a free open-source version of Magento, and here in this article, I try to explain how to install it onto your Windows PC for test.
I use XAMPP for Apache and MySQL server (at this article time ver. 3.2.3) and Magento ver 2.3.1 on Windows 10 PC.

So, here is the process, step by step (no picture yet, might added later):

1. Download Magento (current state v2.3.1) https://magento.com/tech-resources/download find Full release (or Full release with Sample Data). You need to register to be allowed to download the packages.
 -> check necessary PHP version for your Magento   https://devdocs.magento.com/guides/v2.3/install-gde/system-requirements-tech.html (for version 2.3)
This Magento v2.3.1 need PHP 7.1.x or 7.2.x, NOT compatible with PHP 7.3.x !!! (will run error when running the setup process). Check your Magento's PHP requirement from above link.

2. Download XAMPP from https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html
Note. Select the compatible PHP version. For Magento 2.3.1, need PHP 7.2.x (NOT compatible with newer PHP 7.3.x)
Install it onto C:\ (pretty straightforward installation, just select all module to install when asked).
DON'T RUN the console yet, quit if necessary

3. Optional. If you installation PC already have XAMPP with different PHP version (eg. 7.3.x), download PHP version 7.2.x from https://windows.php.net/download/ , select Thread Safe version (x86 or x64 is up to your system)
- copy directory c:\xampp\php to c:\xampp\php_old (or whatever for backup)
- unpack PHP 7.2.x zip file to c:\xampp\php, overwrite existing file mode
- edit php.ini (on c:\xampp\php directory):
   - find "extension=" (curl, mcrypt, pdo_sqlite, pdo_mysql, soap, intl, xsl)
   - delete the semicolon ";" from the beginning of line.
   - you will see like this: "extension=curl" - without the apostrophe (and for other extension too, curl, mcrypt, pdo_sqlite, pdo_mysql, soap, intl, xsl)

4. Unpacking Magento:
- create directory c:\xampp\htcdocs\magento
- unpack Magento package to c:\xampp\htdocs\magento

5. start XAMPP console:
- find xampp control panel or run it from c:\xampp\xampp-control.exe
- Start Apache and MySQL service from XAMPP control panel

6. start phpMyAdmin page:
- on web browser go to this: localhost/phpmyadmin
- it will inform you version of: Database server, Webserver and phpMyAdmin
- go to "databases" - upper left screen.
- on "create database", fill "database name" with magento

7. start magento setup:
- on web browser go to: localhost/magento
- Select: Agree & Setup
- Start Readiness Check (it should be ok for everything) > Next
- Add a database ... Next (if you didn't change anything)
- Web Configuration ... Next (change anything necessary)
- Customize your store ... change necessary Time Zone, Currency, Language, Next
- Create Admin password ... fill necessary username, email, password (wrote it down), Next
- Install Now ...

You can open the Console Log to view the progress. Relax and wait. Takes about 10" on my system.

Success page will show up if all go well ... next is go to Magento Admin page to setup your ecommerce site.

If you encounter any problem, please proceed to https://benangijo.blogspot.com/2019/06/magento-installation-troubleshooting.html
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