[phpdoctor]

Ok, Is it possible to make a localhost like this:
http://test_site/ just like http://localhost

except the base url is a different folder...?
http://test_site base could be http://localhost/www/test_site/

Get what im saying? lol

Thanks,
Lex

[therocket954]

Not sure about other OS's, but if you're running Windows, localhost is just an alias for the IP Address. So, open this file:

Windows / system32 / drivers / etc / hosts

Modify the line that mentions localhost, and replace localhost with whatever you'd like

Code:

127.0.0.1      yourdomain.com

That'll do the trick.

[phpdoctor]

mmm ok, i cant find that file lol... whats it called?
so, can i make an alias to a different folder on 127.0.0.1?

Thanks for your help!
Lex

[mab]

To get different folders to correspond to different "domain" names, you need to use name based virtual hosts. The first link below shows how to do this in general. The second link contains an example of doing this on a development system, using the "hosts" file to make your computer look like it is hosting any "domain" name (you can use anything, such as test_site or www.test_site as a name). If the hosts file does not exist, you need to create it.

http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.0/vhosts/examples.html

http://www.caucho.com/resin/doc/virtual-host.xtp

[mab]

I did not find a recent example in our Forum for doing this, so here is something I threw together -

Here is a working example using Apache virtual hosts on a Windows development system. This assumes existing Apache settings are the installation defaults for installing Apache directly using the Windows installer and Apache works for http://localhost You will need to adapt your paths as needed for any other type of Apache installation.

The existing "localhost" will remain mapped to the existing folder (on my system this is) -
C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs

This example will add a "domain" www.example1.com (and example1.com) that will be mapped to a folder -
C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\example1\htdocs

This could be to any folder. I picked one that starts in the Apache2.2 main folder.

Note: In all the following code blocks, examplel is actually example1


Step 1:

Near the end of your httpd.conf, there is a line to include a httpd-vhosts.conf file -

Code:

# Virtual hosts
# Include conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

Remove the # in front of the second line to cause httpd.conf to read the contents of conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

Step 2:

In Windows, navigate to C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf\extra and make a copy of the existing httpd-vhosts.conf file.

Edit httpd-vhosts.conf to contain the following -

Code:

#
# Virtual Hosts
#
# If you want to maintain multiple domains/hostnames on your
# machine you can setup VirtualHost containers for them. Most configurations
# use only name-based virtual hosts so the server doesn't need to worry about
# IP addresses. This is indicated by the asterisks in the directives below.
#
# Please see the documentation at 
# <URL:http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/vhosts/>
# for further details before you try to setup virtual hosts.
#
# You may use the command line option '-S' to verify your virtual host
# configuration.

#
# Use name-based virtual hosting.
#
NameVirtualHost *:80

#
# VirtualHost example:
# Almost any Apache directive may go into a VirtualHost container.
# The first VirtualHost section is used for all requests that do not
# match a ServerName or ServerAlias in any <VirtualHost> block.
#
<VirtualHost *:80>

# These settings allow localhost to work using virtual hosts with the existing htdocs folder

DocumentRoot "C:/Program Files/Apache Software Foundation/Apache2.2/htdocs"
ServerName localhost

# Other directives here


</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>

# These settings add a virtual host for www.example1.com (and example1.com)

DocumentRoot "C:/Program Files/Apache Software Foundation/Apache2.2/example1/htdocs"
ServerName example1.com
ServerAlias www.example1.com

# The following directives are a copy of the settings found in httpd.conf

<Directory "C:/Program Files/Apache Software Foundation/Apache2.2/example1/htdocs">
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
</Directory>

</VirtualHost>

Step 3:

Find or create the file C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

The hosts file should have the following lines to work with this example -

Code:

127.0.0.1       localhost
127.0.0.1       www.example1.com
127.0.0.1       example1.com

Step 4:

Stop and start your web server to get these changes to the .conf files to take effect.

Going to http://localhost should get your existing web documents

Going to http://example1.com or http://www.example1.com should get your web documents in the new example1/htdocs folder.

[therocket954]

Originally Posted by phpdoctor

mmm ok, i cant find that file lol... whats it called?
so, can i make an alias to a different folder on 127.0.0.1?

Thanks for your help!
Lex

It's just called hosts. There's no file extension, so open it with notepad, or your basic text editor of choice.

If Windows is installed in the default directory the exact path is:

C:\Windows\system32\Drivers\etc\hosts

[therocket954]

oops... didn't read close enough... but yeah... Mab pegged it in step 3.

[phpdoctor]

Wow Mab, Il give it a go later... thanks for the tutorial! it looks awesome.

Lex

[blinn_shade]

I knwo this should be another post but since you guys are talking about xampp.

I just installed it on my local machine and I load localhost it works. But when I creatd a folder inside htdocs it doesn't show that folder. Any idea why?

[Nico]

Do you have an .htaccess file in that folder? 'Cause the same happens to me if I newly install XAMPP.

If so, open /apache/conf/httpd.conf

And uncomment this line:

Code:

LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

... save, and then restart Apache.