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Move a XAMPP site as an application migration, not as a folder copy: export a logical database dump, copy the application files, recreate Apache, PHP and a database service on Ubuntu, test the VPS privately, then change DNS and enable HTTPS. Keep the local project, database dump and configuration backups until the public site has remained healthy through your observation window.
What changes when a XAMPP site goes to a VPS?
XAMPP is a development stack. Your local installation bundles web serving, PHP and a MySQL-compatible database, but an Ubuntu VPS starts as an operating-system image. You must recreate those services, configure them for your application and secure the machine before sending visitors to it.
The migration has two independent payloads:
- Application files: PHP code, templates, CSS, JavaScript, images, uploaded media and any other assets in the project root.
- Application data: a logical SQL export containing tables, rows, indexes, routines and (when included) triggers.
Do not copy a local database data directory into a differently packaged Ubuntu installation. XAMPP releases may ship MariaDB rather than MySQL, and data-file formats, service users and paths can differ. Export SQL and restore it through the database server running on Ubuntu instead.
1. Inventory the local installation before touching the VPS
Write down the details that the production server must reproduce. This prevents a late discovery that the application depends on an extension, rewrite rule or scheduled task that existed only on your workstation.
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Record the stack and paths
- XAMPP release and operating system.
- PHP version, loaded extensions and relevant settings such as upload limits and memory limits.
- Database engine and version, database name, database user and character set.
- Project document root. Linux XAMPP installations are normally below
/opt/lampp; Windows installations commonly place projects in anhtdocsdirectory. Locate the actual project directory rather than assuming either path. - Apache rewrite rules, usually in
.htaccess, and any custom virtual-host settings. - Upload, cache, session or generated-file directories that must exist and be writable.
- Environment files and secrets, mail-server settings, base URLs and filesystem paths.
- Cron jobs, queue workers or other tasks that run outside a browser request.
Check compatibility risks
Compare the local PHP version with the PHP versions available in the Ubuntu LTS image you intend to use. A newer or older interpreter can expose deprecated functions, stricter typing, changed default settings or missing extensions. List every extension the application actually loads, such as database drivers, image processing, XML, multibyte strings or archive support, and plan to install the matching Ubuntu packages.
Also check assumptions that Windows often hides: Linux paths are case-sensitive, Apache may use a different user, and a URL that worked through XAMPP’s default host may require an explicit virtual host on Ubuntu.
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If the local site receives changing data, put it in maintenance mode or stop writes while making the final export. A static site can be copied without a freeze, but a database that changes during export can leave files and rows out of sync.
Copy the application
Make an untouched archive or duplicate of the complete project, including uploads and configuration templates. Keep development-only material separate so it is not accidentally deployed: local caches, test fixtures, IDE directories, logs, and secrets intended only for your workstation should not be sent to a public server.
Export a portable SQL dump
From a machine with the database client, create a logical dump. Ubuntu documents the standard pattern:
mysqldump -u <database-user> -p <database-name> > site.sqlEnter the password when prompted and store the resulting file outside the web root. For a large or busy production database, physical backup tools can reduce downtime, but a logical dump is portable and straightforward to inspect and restore during this migration. Whatever method you choose, perform a test restore before cutover.
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XAMPP’s bundled backup feature is described by Apache Friends as still under development. An independently stored SQL dump plus the original project copy gives you a clearer recovery path.
3. Provision and secure the Ubuntu VPS
Choose a supported Ubuntu LTS image from your VPS provider. The exact package names and PHP versions vary by LTS release, so use the release’s repositories and adapt commands to that version.
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- Apply updates. Log in with the provider’s initial account and run
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. - Create an administrative account. Create a non-root user, add it to the administrative group and test a second SSH session before disabling direct root login.
- Install an SSH key. Add your public key to the new account and prefer key authentication over password-only access.
- Configure the firewall. Allow SSH and the web ports only. A typical UFW sequence is
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH,sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full', followed bysudo ufw enable. Restrict SSH to a trusted source range when your operating model permits it. - Plan backups and snapshots. Enable the provider’s snapshot or backup service if available, and keep a copy of the SQL dump and configuration outside the VPS.
Do not publish the site until the firewall, administrative access and recovery copies are in place. Ubuntu’s server documentation covers package management, Apache, database administration, DNS and security; consult the instructions for the particular LTS release you installed.
4. Recreate Apache, PHP and the database runtime
Install Apache
Install the distribution Apache package and verify that it starts:
sudo apt install apache2
sudo systemctl enable --now apache2
sudo systemctl status apache2The default page should be reachable at the VPS IP address before you add your own site.
Install PHP and required extensions
Install the PHP version compatible with the application and every extension identified during inventory. A minimal example for a repository-provided PHP build is:
sudo apt install php php-cli libapache2-mod-php php-mysqlAdd application-specific packages rather than assuming this list is complete. Confirm the running version with php -v and inspect loaded modules with php -m. Match server-level limits to the application, especially upload size, execution time, memory and any PHP-FPM pool settings if you deploy PHP through FPM instead of Apache’s module.
Install MySQL or MariaDB-compatible packages
Ubuntu can run MySQL or a MariaDB-compatible server. Select one supported by the application, enable it as a service and apply its security configuration. The database service must be running before you create the application database and import the dump.
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5. Transfer the project files safely
Create a destination outside temporary directories, commonly under /var/www/, and copy files over authenticated SSH. rsync preserves directory structure and can resume an interrupted transfer:
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rsync -avz --exclude '.git' --exclude 'node_modules' --exclude 'cache' ./ <admin-user>@<server-ip>:/var/www/<site-directory>/Run the command from the project root and adjust exclusions to your application. Do not exclude uploads or other runtime data that the site needs.
Set ownership and write permissions
Apache must read the application code and write only to directories that genuinely require it. One common arrangement is to own deployable files by your administrative user and grant the web-server group access to upload and cache directories. The exact account name differs by distribution and PHP setup, so verify it with the running service rather than copying a permission recipe blindly.
sudo chown -R <deploy-user>:<web-group> /var/www/<site-directory>
sudo find /var/www/<site-directory> -type d -exec chmod 755 {} ;
sudo find /var/www/<site-directory> -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ;
sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/<site-directory>/<writable-directory>Replace the writable-directory value with the specific upload, cache or storage path your application documents. Avoid making the entire document root writable or using unrestricted permissions.
6. Create an Apache virtual host
Apache2 treats sites as separate configuration files. Create a file such as /etc/apache2/sites-available/<domain>.conf with the real hostname and document root:
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName <your-domain.example>
ServerAlias www.<your-domain.example>
DocumentRoot /var/www/<site-directory>
<Directory /var/www/<site-directory>>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/<domain>-error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/<domain>-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>Use AllowOverride All only when the application needs .htaccess rules; otherwise, put required rules directly in the virtual-host configuration. Enable rewrite support when pretty URLs depend on it, enable the site, and reload Apache:
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo a2ensite <domain>.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf
sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2Disabling the default site is appropriate when this VPS serves your application as its primary site. Keep it enabled if you intentionally host multiple sites and have configured them separately. Never reload after editing a configuration without running apache2ctl configtest; a syntax error can prevent Apache from loading the new configuration.
7. Create the database and restore the dump
Create an isolated database and user
Connect through the server’s administrative interface and create a database with the required character set, then create a user restricted to that database. Use a long, unique password and store it in the application’s protected environment configuration, not in a publicly readable file.
CREATE DATABASE <database-name> CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER '<database-user>'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '<strong-password>';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON <database-name>.* TO '<database-user>'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;Run these statements through the database administrator account appropriate to your Ubuntu package. Restricting the account to localhost avoids exposing the database service to the network when the web application is on the same VPS.
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Import the SQL file
mysql -u <database-user> -p <database-name> < site.sqlFor a dump that contains its own database statements, follow the dump’s documented restore procedure instead. Check the import output for errors, then inspect row counts or run an application query so you know the restore produced usable data rather than merely completing a command.
8. Update application configuration for Ubuntu
Change every value that referred to your workstation or XAMPP:
- Database host, database name, username and password.
- Base URL and trusted host names.
- Absolute filesystem paths, including upload and cache locations.
- Mail transport, sender address and credentials.
- Session, queue and external-service environment variables.
- PHP or framework settings that control uploads, URL rewriting and error display.
Keep secrets outside the document root and make production error responses generic. Check capitalization in every path and filename: a path that worked on a case-insensitive local filesystem can fail on Linux. Clear application caches after changing configuration, but do not delete user uploads.
9. Test the VPS privately before changing DNS
Use the VPS IP address or a temporary hosts-file entry that maps your real domain to the VPS. This lets you exercise the production stack while public DNS still points to the old site.
Functional test checklist
- Homepage and every important navigation path.
- Login, logout, password reset and authorization boundaries.
- Database reads, inserts, updates and transactions.
- Forms, validation, file uploads and generated downloads.
- Images, CSS, JavaScript and paths containing uppercase characters.
- Pretty URLs, redirects and 404 handling.
- Email delivery, queue workers and cron jobs.
- Large uploads and any endpoint that approaches PHP or proxy limits.
- Production error handling with debug output disabled.
Inspect services and logs
sudo systemctl status apache2
sudo systemctl status mysql
sudo journalctl -u mysql
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/<domain>-error.logUse the service status and logs to distinguish an Apache configuration problem from a PHP fatal error, database authentication failure or filesystem permission denial. Fix issues while the old site remains available, then repeat the tests after each significant change.
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Lower the domain’s DNS TTL before the planned change when your DNS provider permits it. At cutover, point the required A or AAAA records to the VPS address and leave the old site intact while resolvers update.
Issue or re-issue a TLS certificate for every hostname you serve, using an ACME client supported by your Ubuntu release or VPS workflow. Configure HTTP-to-HTTPS redirection, confirm that the certificate covers the canonical hostname and its chosen alias, and update the application’s base URL so generated links use HTTPS. Test cookies, mixed-content warnings, webhooks and any API clients after the redirect is active.
DNS propagation is not instantaneous. For a period, some visitors may reach the old server and others the VPS, so keep both copies consistent or place the old site in read-only mode during the transition.
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11. Keep a deliberate rollback plan
Document the reversal procedure before cutover: the previous DNS records, the old site’s location, the verified SQL dump, configuration backups and the person authorized to make the change. Retain the local XAMPP project and database export until traffic, logs and backups remain healthy through the observation window you selected.
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If the VPS fails after DNS changes, restore the previous DNS records, stop writes on the partially migrated site if necessary, and investigate using the VPS logs. Do not delete the source copy immediately after the first successful page load; a latent cron, upload or database issue may appear only after real traffic arrives.
Common failure modes and fixes
The domain shows Apache’s default page
Confirm that the DNS record points to the VPS, the virtual host’s ServerName matches the requested hostname, the site is enabled and Apache was reloaded after a successful configuration test. Remove or disable the default site only when it is not needed for another host.
PHP code downloads or appears as text
PHP is not being handled by the configured Apache module or PHP-FPM pool. Verify the PHP package, handler configuration and Apache error log, then reload the service after correcting it.
Database connection errors
Check the database service status, database name, username, password and host value. A local XAMPP account may have used a blank password or a different authentication plugin; create a dedicated Ubuntu account and update the application instead of copying that assumption.
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404 errors on pretty URLs
Enable the rewrite module, permit the application’s .htaccess rules in the virtual host, verify that the file arrived in the document root and reload Apache. Also confirm that the framework’s base URL matches the public hostname.
Uploads fail with permission or size errors
Give the web-server account write access only to the intended upload directory, and raise PHP or proxy upload limits consistently if the application requires larger files. Check the PHP configuration actually used by web requests rather than relying only on the command-line version.
Images or includes fail only on Ubuntu
Look for case mismatches in filenames and paths, Windows drive letters, backslashes and hard-coded XAMPP directories. Replace them with Linux paths or application-relative paths and verify ownership of every generated directory.
How to choose the VPS and backup setup
There is no universal CPU, memory or storage figure for this migration. Requirements depend on traffic, PHP workload, database size, background jobs and provider limits. Evaluate infrastructure using these concrete criteria:
| Decision factor | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Ubuntu support | A supported Ubuntu LTS image and a documented upgrade path. |
| Backups | Automated off-site backups, point-in-time options or snapshots, plus a clear restore procedure. |
| Network location | A region close to your users and the IPv4 or IPv6 connectivity your DNS plan requires. |
| Limits | Bandwidth, storage, I/O and database resource limits that fit the application. |
| Security controls | Provider firewall features, private networking and usable SSH-key management. |
| Operations | Support quality, monitoring options and the total recurring cost rather than the headline VPS price. |
For database backups, choose based on size and downtime tolerance. mysqldump is a portable logical option and is suitable for many small and medium migrations. Physical tools can be more appropriate for very large production databases, but they require compatibility checks and restore testing. Whichever method you select, keep at least one copy outside the VPS.
Final cutover checklist
- The local project, uploads and a verified SQL dump are retained.
- Ubuntu is updated, SSH keys work for a non-root administrator and the firewall exposes only required ports.
- Apache, the compatible PHP version and all required extensions are installed and running.
- The database and least-privilege application user exist, and the dump has been restored and checked.
- Files are in the intended document root with restrictive code permissions and deliberate writable directories.
- The virtual host uses the real hostname, correct document root, required rewrite behavior and valid logs.
- Private tests cover authentication, database writes, uploads, URLs, mail, cron and error handling.
- DNS records, TLS certificates, HTTPS redirects and canonical URLs are ready.
- Rollback records, configuration backups and an observation window are documented.
Once these checks pass, DNS becomes the final routing change rather than a blind deployment step. The VPS is then running the same application behavior through independently managed Ubuntu services, with a tested path back to the original local copy if a production issue appears.
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