Installing an AMP stack on Windows

PrestaShop is an Open-Source web application running on an *AMP stack (Apache - MySQL - PHP).

In order for PrestaShop to run locally on your Windows computer, you need to install an *AMP stack.

Several options are available, such as:

Important notes when using Windows shell (CLI)

Several examples in this documentation uses CLI (Command line interface), refered sometimes as terminal.

You may need to replace some commands in examples, for instance:

  • When copying files, on Unix based operating systems (the ones we use in the docs), we use cp, on Windows you need to use copy.
  • When moving files, on Unix based OS, we use mv, you need to use move.
  • When deleting files, we use rm, you need to use del.

Use WSL to run a AMP stack

A good option to install an AMP stack on your Windows, is to use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

WSL allows you to install a Linux distribution on your Windows, and leverage all Linux advantages when it comes to running a server, and it will help you understand how a web server works, making it easier when you will have to deploy your PrestaShop for production.

When WSL is installed, install a distribution of your choice (Ubuntu 22.x LTS is a good choice since it is a Long Term Support (LTS) version, and it is widely used, so sources of support are numerous).

When installed, use this tutorial to install the AMP stack.

Use Docker to run PrestaShop on Windows

Another good option when it comes to run PrestaShop on Windows, is to use Docker: More informations on this dedicated page.

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