Mac OS X version 10.4 (Tiger) or later. A Java Runtime Environment 6 or later. Verify the integrity of the file. The PGP signatures can be verified using PGP or GPG. First download the KEYS as well as the asc signature file for the relevant distribution. Then verify the signatures using. Mac users have the opportunity to choose either a binary or a source installation. Actually, OS X may came up with Apache and PHP installed by default. This is more likely to be an old build, and in that case that may lack many of the less common extensions.
Here’s where to find
httpd.conf
on Mac. This is the httpd.conf location on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. This article also shows how to make the httpd.conf directory visible in the Mac Finder.What is Httpd.conf?
Httpd.conf is the Apache web server’s main configuration file. Mac OSX ships with Apache installed. See Apache’s configuration docs for how to configure Apache.
Httpd.conf Location on Mac
On Mac httpd.conf location is in the directory
/etc/apache2
. You can access this folder through the Mac Finder or through the Mac Terminal.Checked on OS X 10.7, 10.6.8, 10.6.7.
Httpd.conf Location in Mac Finder
You won’t normally see even the
/etc/apache2
directory showing up in the Mac Finder. I tried looking in Macintosh
HD
, but /etc doesn’t show up.)I found a tip at Codejacked on how to open hidden files in the Finder.
Here’s how to view httpd.conf’s directory in the Mac’s finder:
- In the Finder, click the Go menu, and choose Go to Folder…
- Type in
/etc/apache2
. - Click Go.
The Finder will show the
apache2
folder, and in it, you’ll see httpd.conf.Httpd.conf Location in Mac Terminal
You can also get to the httpd.conf file through a terminal session, which is okay if your comfortable in the Unix shell (
bash
):Can’t Save Httpd.conf?
Httpd.conf is protected by OSX from being edited. If you open it with the TextEdit application for example, you won’t be able to save it. For details to bypass this security, see How to Easily Edit Httpd.conf on Mac.
Restart Apache to Apply Configuration Changes
Don’t forget you will need to restart Apache for your configuration changes in httpd.conf to be applied. To restart Apache on Mac:
- Go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
- Click on Sharing.
- Untick Web Sharing.
- Tick Web Sharing.
macOS Update: While these instructions still work, there are new posts for recent versions of macOS, the latest being Install Apache, PHP, and MySQL on macOS Mojave.
I have installed Apache, PHP, and MySQL on Mac OS X since Leopard. Each time doing so by hand. Each version of Mac OS X having some minor difference. This post serves as much for my own record as to outline how to install Apache, MySQL, and PHP for a local development environment on Mac OS X Mountain Lion Mavericks.
I am aware of the several packages available, notably MAMP. These packages help get you started quickly. But they forego the learning experience and, as most developers report, eventually break. Personally, the choice to do it myself has proven invaluable.
It is important to remember Mac OS X runs atop UNIX. So all of these technologies install easily on Mac OS X. Furthermore, Apache and PHP are included by default. In the end, you only install MySQL then simply turn everything on.
First, open Terminal and switch to
root
to avoid permission issues while running these commands.Enable Apache on Mac OS X
Note: Prior to Mountain Lion this was an option for Web Sharing in System Prefrences → Sharing.
Verify It works! by accessing http://localhost
Enable PHP for Apache
OS X Mavericks Update: You will need to rerun the steps in this section after upgrading an existing install to Mac OS X Mavericks.
First, make a backup of the default Apache configuration. This is good practice and serves as a comparison against future versions of Mac OS X.
Now edit the Apache configuration. Feel free to use TextEdit if you are not familiar with vi.
Uncomment the following line (remove
#
):Restart Apache:
Install MySQL
- Download the MySQL DMG for Mac OS X
- Install MySQL
- Install Preference Pane
- Open System Preferences → MySQL
- Ensure the MySQL Server is running
- Optionally, you can enable MySQL to start automatically. I do.
The README also suggests creating aliases for
mysql
and mysqladmin
. However there are other commands that are helpful such as mysqldump
. Instead, I updated my path to include /usr/local/mysql/bin
.Note: You will need to open a new Terminal window or run the command above for your path to update.
Install Apache Web Server Mac Os X
I also run
mysql_secure_installation
. While this isn't necessary, it's good practice.Connect PHP and MySQL
You need to ensure PHP and MySQL can communicate with one another. There are several options to do so. I do the following:
Creating VirtualHosts
![Apache Apache](/uploads/1/1/3/9/113984839/357879949.jpg)
You could stop here. PHP, MySQL, and Apache are all running. However, all of your sites would have URLs like http://localhost/somesite/ pointing to /Library/WebServer/Documents/somesite. Not ideal for a local development environment.
OS X Mavericks Update: You will need to rerun the steps below to uncomment the vhost
Include
after upgrading an existing install to Mac OS X Mavericks.To run sites individually you need to enable VirtualHosts. To do so, we'll edit the Apache Configuration again.
Uncomment the following line:
Now Apache will load httpd-vhosts.conf. Let's edit this file.
Here is an example of VirtualHosts I've created.
The first
VirtualHost
points to /Library/WebServer/Documents
. The first VirtualHost
is important as it behaves like the default Apache configuration and used when no others match.The second
VirtualHost
points to my dev workspace and I can access it directly from http://jason.local. For ease of development, I also configured some custom logs.Note: I use the extension local. This avoids conflicts with any real extensions and serves as a reminder I'm in my local environment.
Restart Apache:
In order to access http://jason.local, you need to edit your hosts file.
Add the following line to the bottom:
I run the following to clear the local DNS cache:
Now you can access http://jason.local.
Note: You will need to create a new
VirtualHost
and edit your hosts file each time you make a new local site.A note about permissions
You may receive 403 Forbidden when you visit your local site. This is likely a permissions issue. Simply put, the Apache user (
_www
) needs to have access to read, and sometimes write, your web directory.If you are not familiar with permissions, read more. For now though, the easiest thing to do is ensure your web directory has permissions of
755
. You can change permissions with the command:In my case, all my files were under my local
~/Documents
directory. Which by default is only readable by me. So I had to change permissions for my web directory all the way up to ~/Documents
to resolve the 403 Forbidden issue.Note: There are many ways to solve permission issues. I have provided this as the easiest solution, not the best.
Apache For Mac
Install PHPMyAdmin
Apache Mac Os
Unless you want to administer MySQL from the command line, I recommend installing PHPMyAdmin. I won't go into the details. Read the installation guide for more information. I install utility applications in the default directory. That way I can access them under, in this case, http://localhost/phpmyadmin.
Closing
A local development environment is a mandatory part of the Software Development Process. Given the ease at which you can install Apache, PHP, and MySQL on Mac OS X there really is no excuse.
Mac Os Web Server
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