Add a development domain (.dev) in MAC XAMPP

I was trying laravel PHP framework and setup a laravel.dev domain for testing.

Here are the high level steps on how I did it.

1. add domain in host file
2. enable virtual host in XAMPP
3. add virtual host in XAMPP

Environment

1. XAMPP for MAC 1.7.3 – Apache, MySQL, phpMyAdmin,
2. Gas mask 0.6
3. Mac OS X 10.8.2

1. Add domain in host file

We can manually locate the host file and add the domain. But using Gas mask is a lot easier and it simply works!

• download gas mask
• install gas mask
• open gas mask
• create new local host file (I used ‘dev’)

• add the development domain you like to use

    127.0.0.1    laravel.dev
  

• save

• create new combined host file
• add rignial File
• also add dev (new created) local host file

• save
• activate

2. Enable virtual host in XAMPP

• goto /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/etc/
• open httpd.conf

• find the following and remove #

    #Include /Applications/XAMPP/etc/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf
  

• save

3. Add virtual host in XAMPP

• goto /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/etc/extra/
• edit httpd-vhosts.conf

• uncomment the existing vhosts except

    NameVirtualHost *:80
  

• add the following

    <VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerName localhost
        DocumentRoot "/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs"
    </VirtualHost>
  
    <VirtualHost *:80>
        DocumentRoot "/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/laravel/public"
        ServerName laravel.dev
        <Directory "/Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/laravel/public">
            Order allow,deny
            Allow from all
        </Directory>
    </VirtualHost>
  

• save

• restart Apache

Test

• open browser of your choice

• visit

    http://laravel.dev/
  

• see the beautiful larval welcome page

More

• ‘Horst‘ is an alternative to ‘gas mask’
• read vhosts manual at apache

Readings

• Even’s How to set up dynamic virtual hosts for web development
• Remy Sharp’s How to setup your Mac web development environment
• Dayle Rees’s Laravel: Getting Started
• Jack Wallen’s Weekend Project: Create Virtual Hosts with Apache @ Linux.com
• Sprugman’s answer @ StackOverflow.com
• Sawyer McFarland Media, Inc’s Setting Up Virtual Hosts for XAMPP
• Installation & Setup – Laravel documentation

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