Seeking help! (MacOS X 10.8 OS X Server 10.8 WordPress)

I took over for my friend (he gave up to say it politely).
I’ll give it a try, and hope to get a better result and not pull out my hair as well.

A few (maybe stupid) questions about MAMP:

1) On the MAMP site it says “install a local server environment”.
The goal is to be able to share my IP so others can test it as well. Will MAMP help me go online with my website by allowing me to share my IP?

2) MAMP includes MySQL, but from my understanding OS X Server uses something called PostgreSQL? So I would prefer to use what is already supported or built in. Maybe I’m confusing something here?

3) I don’t want to be tied up to MAMP Pro (which it seems like it is trying to sell to me)

4) Doesn Mac OS X not already have PHP natively? Can it cause confusion/problems if I install another PHP using MAMP?

5) Do I need to install Apache as well? I though Apache was also something already native in Mac OS X?
It seems like MAMP is outdated or something, since it contains so much that is already native in never versions of OS X?
Also as stated, I would prefer to manage my website using OS X Server if possible, for a number of reasons.

I got a bad vibe from MAMP…seems like one of those things that could cause a lot of trouble by installing a lot of things you don’t need? They have a long list of stuff/libraries.

EDIT: Also on the website they say this:

“MAMP was created primarily as a PHP development environment for Macintosh computer and should therefore not be used as Live Webserver for the Internet. In this case, we recommend that you use Mac OS X server with the provided Apache or a Linux server.”

Okay this is exactly opposite of where I’m trying to go, so I don’t think this is a good solution??

I find it hard to believe that WordPress is relying on MAMP for all Mac users. It doesn’t seem like a very good solution to me, having to download such a large package with mixed software, most of which is overlapping or unnecessary, and might cause more problems and clutter (not to mention it’s for local only).

I found this for WordPress (regarding MySQL vs PostgreSQL):
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/postgresql-for-wordpress/

It appears that Apache is native in OS X, and can be activated through this command:
$ sudo apachectl start

However the ‘Web Server’ sharing option is removed from Settings in OS X 10.8.
And why do I need it if I’m running OS X Server anyway? I don’t understand this.

A publically accessible web server is not something that you can just set up and leave

Yes, but I don’t intent to. Whenever I’m not using it I just close the server app (or close my laptop) and the server is down. I only need to be live during testing (if I ever get that far).

Again, I’m only asking for help to set up a most simple/basic web server (using the native Server app on my computer) for testing, and more importantly how to make WordPress actually work on my Mac.

I’m testing if WordPress is something that is easy enough for someone like me, or if it is more like reserved for advanced users web professionals only.
I was hoping to find an easy guide for this, it can’t be true that I’m the first ever to use WordPress on a Mac running OS X 10.8 and using Apple’s native Server app?

If I cannot make it work after some time of trying hard, then I don’t think it will be worth wasting more time on, so I kinda gave myself a deadline. (I already have one friend who got very frustrated with WordPress setup…).

But with that said, I really hope it is a clever product that I might consider buying a proper server and a premium theme or some of the other great things I’ve seen people create, but I’m too afraid to do any investment before I know I can make it work on the latest software.

The vast majority will be using remote hosting rather than trying to run their own local web server.

I understand this, but as written, this is not my goal.

My goal is simple: Make the WordPress 3.4.2 files I downloaded from this website, work on a Mac running the latest version of OS X, and running on my OS X Server.

WordPress has nothing directly to do with MAMP. If you’re serious about setting up your own server, try getting a Linux box.

No I’m not “serious” about setting up my own server in the sense you are probably referring to; (buying a domain and server hardware (and whatnot)).
That would be quite an overcommitment for someone like me who is just eager to try out these WordPress 3.4.2 files on this website.
I already have a Mac, I already have a web server running on my Mac. That should be enough for testing purposes.

And you have been pointed to all the supporting documentation we have. If you need more, try asking on a dedicated MAMP forum.

See that is maybe the key issue here with my request. The WordPress documentation is severely lacking, and ‘The famouse 5-minute installation’ is making a joke about it.
Again: I got a Mac and Mac’s native server.app, and I’m running the latest versions of the latest software, and all I want is to put WordPress on my webserver and get started, but the documentation is not there or lacking.
If WordPress is serious about getting “newbies” like me to be able to create blogs/websites, then it should be in their interest to try to guide people like me. Plan-B for us is a googling hell, that my friend went through.

Have you thought about getting a free wordpress.com account

Yes I have one, and have toyed around with it as well, but from my understanding there is a lot of things you can’t do unless you have it on your own server (installing certain plugins, etc).

WordPress was not designed to run on MAMP. It was designed to run on a dedicated *nix server.

Yes I understand this. But the lack of documentation and from what I have read on this forum, it seems like this the way to go for all mac users. It doesn’t seem very optimal.