OK, so we briefly introduced Magento to you, but actually if all you want to do is to get started? Well, then this chapter is for you. We'll not only discuss how you can set up a local test environment on your machine, but we'll also help you in selecting a good hosting provider for your live store. We'll give an example of installation at a hosting provider, so that you can take all these steps yourself.
This chapter is written especially for you, if you:
- Want to set up your own Magento test environment
- Want to install Magento using a commonly available hosting service
- Are familiar with putting files up on a web server, but that is the limit of your technical knowledge
- Are eager to get your store up and running as fast as possible
- Already tried installing Magento yourself, but got stuck somewhere
Even if you are an experienced user, this chapter is still worth reading. It can save your time by helping you to avoid problems while installing Magento. Although the installation process in itself isn't a difficult one , there are things that can (and will) go wrong. We know how frustrating it is when you get stuck during the very first steps of using a new piece of software. Therefore, we created an extensive chapter and tried to be as complete as possible.
Whether you're working on a Windows computer, Mac, or Linux machine, you will notice very soon that it comes in handy to have a local Magento test environment available. Magento is a complex system and besides doing regular tasks, such as adding products and other content, you should never apply changes to your store directly in the live environment. When you're working on your own a local test system is easy to set up and it gives you the possibility to test changes without any risk. When you're working in a team it makes sense to have a test environment running on your own server or hosting provider. In here, we'll start by explaining how to set up your local test system.