Title: Setting up a Test Environment
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Setting up a Test Environment

 *  [mkgago](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mkgago/)
 * (@mkgago)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/)
 * I’m interested in knowing how WordPress developers test out template changes 
   before implementing them. What is the easiest way to test out new features and
   plugins without running the risk of screwing up one’s pages?
 * I’m using 1.5/default theme. thanks in advance for suggestions.

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

 *  [Mark (podz)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/podz/)
 * (@podz)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-170942)
 * xampp
    [http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/xampp/](http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/xampp/)
 *  [iand](https://wordpress.org/support/users/iand/)
 * (@iand)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-170943)
 * Local install on OS X – [http://maczealots.com/tutorials/wordpress/](http://maczealots.com/tutorials/wordpress/)
 *  [Kafkaesqui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kafkaesqui/)
 * (@kafkaesqui)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-170944)
 * Along with the “run a local test site” philosophy (which I adhere to in spades),
   an easy way of playing with templates in 1.5 is to [set things up under a new theme](http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Development),
   then use Ryan Boren’s [Theme Switcher](http://dev.wp-plugins.org/wiki/ThemeSwitcher)
   or [Preview Theme](http://boren.nu/archives/2005/03/08/preview-theme-plugin/)
   plugins.
 *  Thread Starter [mkgago](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mkgago/)
 * (@mkgago)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-170945)
 * thanks very much, guys.
 *  [hooopla](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hooopla/)
 * (@hooopla)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-170964)
 * I asked a similar question a few days ago and one person suggested that a separate
   install not only allows you to experiment with themes, but also with plugins.
 *  [Root](https://wordpress.org/support/users/root/)
 * (@root)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-170966)
 * Why not. A separate install only takes *5 minutes*. More importantly you have
   a test platform for WP upgrades / patches.
 *  Thread Starter [mkgago](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mkgago/)
 * (@mkgago)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-171295)
 * Podz, thanks so much for that link.
 * A few questions:
 * 1. I set up XAMPP and was able to open my index.php. I see the content of the
   blog there, but it doesn’t seem to be using the stylesheet to display the content–
   in contrast to what the directions say, it doesn’t look like my online version
   of WP. Do you know what I’m missing?
 * 2. Is there any danger, on my own machine, of setting the user to root with no
   password?
 * thanks in advance for your help.
 *  [Mark (podz)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/podz/)
 * (@podz)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-171298)
 * 2: None that I know of
 * 1. When you see the unstyled blog, View Source and see what the path to the CSS
   is ?
 *  Thread Starter [mkgago](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mkgago/)
 * (@mkgago)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-171301)
 * thanks, podz.
 * I looked at the source, and the link to the css is
 * [http://127.0.0.1/wp-content/themes/default/style.css](http://127.0.0.1/wp-content/themes/default/style.css)
 * instead of
 * [http://127.0.0.1/blog/wp-content/themes/default/style.css](http://127.0.0.1/blog/wp-content/themes/default/style.css)
 * where would I go to change that?
 * every single link on the page is like that (ie., the archives/permalinks don’t
   work either; neither does [http://127.0.0.1/blog/wp-admin/post.php](http://127.0.0.1/blog/wp-admin/post.php)
 * sorry to be such a dunce. thanks for the help.
 *  [Mark (podz)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/podz/)
 * (@podz)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-171302)
 * I would open the database using phpmyadmin and check the site_url and home values.
 *  Thread Starter [mkgago](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mkgago/)
 * (@mkgago)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-171365)
 * that was simple. thanks for the help, podz–I’m good to go now.
 * XAMPP is awesome!!!!!! so happy to have this resource.

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

The topic ‘Setting up a Test Environment’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 11 replies
 * 6 participants
 * Last reply from: [mkgago](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mkgago/)
 * Last activity: [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/setting-up-a-test-environment/#post-171365)
 * Status: not resolved

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