Your Complete PHP Development Environment

Problem: XAMPP MySQL crashes with "MySQL shutdown unexpectedly" due to corrupted ibdata1 file, port 3306 conflicts (TeamViewer, VMware), missing Visual C++ dependencies, or improper Windows shutdown.

DevKit Solution: DevKit eliminates these issues with automatic database initialization, proper service registration to prevent corruption, intelligent port conflict detection with automatic fallback, and zero manual configuration required.

Problem: Apache won't start because port 80 is blocked by World Wide Web Publishing Service (PID 4), IIS, Skype, or other applications. Requires manually editing httpd.conf or disabling Windows services.

DevKit Solution: DevKit uses port 8080 by default (avoiding port 80 conflicts entirely) with automatic fallback to 8081, 8082, etc. if occupied. No manual configuration needed - just install and start coding.

Problem: XAMPP database corruption occurs from improper shutdowns, power failures, or not registering MySQL as a Windows service. Recovery requires manually renaming ibdata1 and restoring from backup folder.

DevKit Solution: DevKit automatically registers MariaDB as a Windows service on installation, preventing database corruption. Includes proper shutdown handling and automatic recovery mechanisms.

Problems: XAMPP has no backup feature and frequent configuration issues. WAMP is Windows-only with limited features. MAMP is Mac-only and resource-intensive. All three lack modern PHP 8.4 support, Redis, automatic port detection, and proper dark UI.

DevKit Advantages: Cross-platform (Windows + Linux), PHP 8.4 + MariaDB 11.8 LTS + Redis 7.2, zero configuration, automatic port conflict detection, modern dark UI with system tray, and completely free.

DevKit is the modern alternative to XAMPP/WAMP/MAMP with zero configuration, latest tech stack (PHP 8.4, MariaDB 11.8 LTS, Nginx 1.28, Redis 7.2), automatic port conflict resolution, proper service registration to prevent database corruption, and a modern native interface. Unlike XAMPP, DevKit is lightweight (215-250MB vs 500MB+), includes backup-friendly architecture, and works alongside existing installations without conflicts.

Common Causes: Port 80/443 blocked by IIS, Skype, SQL Server Reporting Services, or World Wide Web Publishing Service. Requires administrator rights, manual service disabling, or config file editing.

DevKit Solution: Uses Nginx on port 8080 (no administrator rights needed for basic use), automatic port conflict detection, and intelligent fallback. Start developing in seconds, not hours.

Yes! DevKit installs in its own isolated directory (/opt/codeseasy/devkit on Linux, C:\CodesEasy\DevKit on Windows) and uses separate ports (8080 for web, 3306 for database, 6379 for Redis). You can run DevKit and XAMPP/WAMP simultaneously without any conflicts. DevKit binds to localhost only and automatically adjusts ports if conflicts are detected.

DevKit is built for 2026 with modern technologies and zero-hassle setup. Key differences: Latest Stack (PHP 8.4, MariaDB 11.8 LTS, Redis 7.2 included), Zero Configuration (works immediately after install), Smart Port Detection (no port 80/3306 conflicts), Modern UI (native dark interface with system tray), Lightweight (215-250MB vs XAMPP's 500MB+), Cross-Platform (Windows + Linux), and Database Protection (automatic service registration prevents corruption).

Yes! DevKit is perfect for Laravel with PHP 8.4 (latest version supported by Laravel), MariaDB 11.8 LTS for database, Redis 7.2 for caching and sessions, Composer 2.x integrated for dependency management, and all required PHP extensions pre-enabled (mbstring, pdo_mysql, redis, openssl, etc.). Just install DevKit, create your Laravel project, and start building.

Absolutely! DevKit includes everything needed for WordPress: PHP 8.4 with all WordPress-required extensions, MariaDB (MySQL-compatible) for database, phpMyAdmin 5.2 for database management, and Nginx web server. Download WordPress, extract to DevKit's html folder, run the installer at localhost:8080, and you're ready to develop WordPress themes and plugins locally.

DevKit includes 25+ PHP extensions: Database: mysqli, pdo_mysql, pdo_sqlite, sqlite3 | Caching: redis, opcache | Security: openssl, sodium | String/Text: mbstring, intl, xml | File Handling: fileinfo, zip, exif | Network: curl, sockets | Graphics: gd | Web Services: soap | Math: bcmath | Development: tokenizer, and more. All extensions are pre-enabled - no php.ini editing required.

Yes! DevKit includes Redis 7.2 out of the box, perfect for Laravel caching, session storage, and queue management. The PHP redis extension is pre-enabled. Redis runs on port 6379 by default and can be managed from the DevKit dashboard. No additional installation or configuration needed.

Username: root | Password: (empty)

DevKit automatically initializes the MySQL root user on first start for development convenience. Access phpMyAdmin at http://localhost:8080/phpmyadmin. You can change the password after installation. Important: DevKit is for local development only - never use in production.

Default ports: Web Server (8080), MariaDB (3306), Redis (6379), PHP-FPM/CGI (9000 on Windows, Unix socket on Linux). DevKit automatically detects port conflicts and falls back to alternatives (8081, 8082... for web server). The actual ports in use are displayed in the DevKit dashboard.

No! DevKit is 100% all-in-one. Everything is bundled: PHP 8.4 with 25+ extensions, MariaDB 11.8 LTS, Nginx 1.28, Redis 7.2, Composer 2.x, and phpMyAdmin 5.2. Download one file (215MB Windows / 250MB Linux), install, and start coding. No dependencies, no additional downloads, no complex configuration.

Linux: /opt/codeseasy/devkit/services/nginx/html
Windows: C:\CodesEasy\DevKit\services\nginx\html

Place your PHP files in the html directory and access them at http://localhost:8080/your-file.php. You can also click the "Config" button in the DevKit dashboard to open the sites directory directly.

After starting MySQL and Nginx services in the DevKit dashboard, click the "Admin" button next to MySQL, or open http://localhost:8080/phpmyadmin in your browser. phpMyAdmin 5.2 is pre-configured and automatically initialized on first MySQL start.

Yes! Composer 2.x is included and can be accessed via the optional PATH setup. After configuring PATH (available in the DevKit dashboard), you can run composer install, composer require, and all Composer commands directly in your terminal for Laravel, Symfony, or any PHP project.

Yes! DevKit is 100% free for both personal and commercial use. No hidden fees, no subscriptions, no registration required, no feature limitations, no trial periods. Download, install, and start developing immediately. Forever free.

Windows: 215MB installer, ~300MB installed
Linux: 250MB package, ~400MB installed

Much lighter than XAMPP (500MB+) while including more features like Redis. Recommended: 1GB free space for comfortable development with databases and project files.

No. DevKit is optimized for local development with development-friendly defaults (empty root password, error display enabled, localhost-only binding). For production websites, use a properly configured production server with security hardening, strong passwords, SSL certificates, firewall rules, and regular backups.