I’ve been wanting to perform a bit of an update on my local dev server for a while, I’m currently running Debian with the usual LAMP suspects (Apache, PHP and MySQL) but had never been able to get little extras like the GD image libraries up and running for my lack of Linux knowledge and total lack of desire to spend hours working out exactly what I needed to do.

Ubuntu has been on my radar for a good few months and I know that Oxton has been using it for some time without need for any public ranting so I thought I might give it a shot.

I requested a set of free discs (yes they are free!) from the Ubuntu website and they arrived a few days back (fantastic packaging). While the wife was out with the kids and there was no immediate danger of her wanting to check her email I swiped her peripherals (ooer) and plugged them into my target machine, an old Dell OptiPlex GX1.

The only hurdle I had to face was (Surprisignly for Linux distros) not software related, the blasted CD-ROM drive door wouldn’t open. With a bit of cajouling the disc was in, I restarted the PC and the Ubuntu setup programme kicked into action, I opted to install Ubuntu in it’s ‘server’ form without a GUI as this machine is after all destined to sit in the corner of the office whiring away with just a ethernet cable and power lead for company. The install was ‘sooooo’ simple compared to Debian, I think I only had to specify a language and time zone, provide a name for the machine (Risotto) and then I was done.

With Ubuntu up and running I did a quick install of SSH, unplugged the peripherals (and returned them before wifey noticed) then SSH’d in from my PC to uncompress and install XAMPP. For designers/developers like me I think XAMPP is great, one single install and you have pretty much everything you’ll need for day to day LAMP development, including the GD image libraries.

Success!