How to Install HotelDruid on Windows with Easyphp
Before installing hoteldruid we will use easyphp to install at once the Apache web server and Mysql
database, however we will need windows 2000/XP or later as with 98 or former easyphp does not work. Download
easyphp from the site http://www.easyphp.org and install
it. You shouldn't need to change default settings during installation, when writing this tutorial the last
available version of easyphp is 5.3.2. At the end of installation the windows firewall could ask to block the
mysql port, you can block it without affecting its operations locally. After its installation easyphp will present
an E with a red dot in the task bar at the bottom right side, make a double click on it to open the status window
of Apache and Mysql servers where you can start and stop these servers, make sure that both Apache and Mysql
servers are started (green traffic light), after that you must minimize this window and not close it,
otherwise the servers are stopped. To confirm that the servers are active the text "Started" must appear when you
place the cursor over the E with the red dot at the bottom right, if the E is not present you can restart easyphp
from the start menu.
Now, if you haven't already done it, download the latest version of hoteldruid and decompress it. To
decompress it you can use peazip, so that a folder
called hoteldruid will be extracted. Copy the hoteldruid folder in C:\Programs\EasyPHP-5.3.2\www\ (you could
have to enable the visualization of hidden files accessing the Programs folder) or in the corresponding folder
if you did not choose the default location when installing easyphp.
At this point, if easyphp is active ("Started" text placing the cursor over the E at bottom right), opening
a browser, for example Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, and connecting to http://localhost/hoteldruid/ ,
the first installation page of hoteldruid should appear. Actually this page is on your computer, you don't need
to be connected to Internet to access it. From this page you can now normally proceed with the installation. The
data to be inserted in the second installation screen for database connection are:
database type: mysql
dadabase name at choice but without spaces or strange characters
existing database: no
computer: localhost
port: 3306
username for database authentication: root
password for database authentication: leave this field blank
Continue the installation inserting the rooms data and creating a new year. When the installation is
finished you can add the main menu page of hoteldruid to the favourites of your browser.
Pressing with mouse right button on the E in the task bar and selecting the configuration of easyphp, it can
be configured to automatically start when the computer is turend on. But remember that when there is the E with the
"Started" text, and you are connected directly to Internet, also others from outside could view the pages on your
server. So it would be better setting up a firewall that blocks connections to port 80 from outside.