145 – Run WordPress on Your Computer with Desktop Server
Announcements
2 Upcoming WordPress Webinars
- You’re Doing it Wrong – 13 mistakes WordPress users make
- October 4th 10am EST
- Free
- Register for webinar
- Classroom: Create a WordPress Theme from Scratch
- October 11th, 10am EST
- $10 before event starts
- Register for classroom
- Video Tutorial on Retina Images coming soon.
- FinCon13 is October 17-20th and I’ll be speaking
- WordPress Developer’s Training
- I’ll will be starting another round of my developer training on October 7th. It’s a four week long course that will take you from a hobbyist to WordPress developer.
Tools / Plugins
This week’s tool is a neat service called YourBrowser.is. This is a great tool for developers to track down bugs for issues clients may have.
All you need to do is send a customized link to a client and when they click on it, and email is sent to you will all the information about their computer.
Listener Feedback
Jim B. writes in and wants to know how to minify stylesheets and javascript files to make his website load faster.
Run WordPress on Your Computer with Desktop Server
In this episode, it was my privelege to interview Gregg and Marc from ServerPress.com and we talk about their amazing WordPress app called Desktop Server.
What is DeskTopServer? Simple: It gives you the ability to create virtual servers locally for all of your WordPress projects. Im a big fan of MAMP but the Pro version is the one that allows multiple instances.
They have some premium versions available for those that are getting more serious, like WordPress multisite, but the free version is perfect if you are just getting started with running WordPress locally..
Create them simply and then start your development in a safe place. They then are easily accessed from your desktop web browser via a made up domain name: .dev (in example, http://www.example.dev).
Call To Action
- Sign up for next webinar
- Sign up for next classroom
- Catch the video replay of how to create child theme
Listen for a chance to win a year license to @DesktopServer and develop your #WordPress sites locally: http://t.co/aOiO6hYwW7
— Dustin Hartzler (@DustinHartzler) September 11, 2013
I’m a beginner with WordPress but I be leave that Desktop Server would help to get to the next level to start developing sites locally. I Have tried their free version and great.
Sep 11, 2013Varela Thanks Verala! We hope you like it and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Good luck!
Sep 11, 2013I would like to test WordPress sites locally, and Desktop Server sounds like it will make it easy to do.
Sep 12, 2013I had heard about Desktop Server and heard many people swear by it. But I just hadn’t found the time to look into it. This episode really got me excited about it’s features. Sounds like a real time and frustration saver. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Sep 12, 2013Hi everyone. Bad timing on our part, the premium membership went up between the time of the interview and the time it was posted. But for those of you listeners, you can still get in at the $49.95 price by entering “original49″as the coupon code. When you do, shoot us an email and let us know that you heard about it here! This code will be valid until October 31. Thanks!
Sep 12, 2013Hi, is there a new $49.95 coupon available? The old one not working anymore. I really want to give the premium version a try, but unfortunately I am on a very tight budget right now as I just lost my job.
Apr 28, 2015Sorry, I don’t think the coupon works any more. I’d recommend trying out the free version.
May 20, 2015JulieKuehl The limited edition is awesome. The Premium has some really great features that we know you’ll love. And in the next few months, we’re going to go even bigger and better (as in HOLY WOW JEEZ better). Try it, you’ll like it! 🙂
Sep 12, 2013uJim It is ultra-simple. We know you’ll love it. And if you don’t, just let us know! DesktopServer can get only better if we get feedback from our customers!
Sep 12, 2013@DesktopServer I’m already HOLY WOW JEEZ. 😀
Sep 12, 2013This sounds very cool. The method of running WP sites locally that Dustin described a while ago was just more hassle than I was able to take on right now. This looks like a nice and simple option for testing.
Sep 12, 2013Thanks for making a free version, it’s really appreciated. I’m sure lots of people will get in on the premium version after trying it out.
And Dustin, thanks for making the Classroom webinars so affordable. I wish I could take your developer classes, but this feels like a mini alternative I can afford. I look forward to the theme class in a couple of weeks.
Keeper Dan You’re welcome! Glad you are enjoying the Classroom webinars
Sep 12, 2013DesktopServer Thank you!
Sep 13, 2013Thanks for sharing this! I also use MAMP, but the free version has suited my needs. In fact, ServerPress has a couple errors in their feature comparison. I have no trouble mapping domains or running WordPress multisite with MAMP free.
Sep 13, 2013I do really like the fast setup for a WordPress site that can automatically inherit my plugins and activations!
The pulldown from a live site to my local dev would also be a huge time server. I have tools that make that easy, but they are multiple tools and lots of steps. DesktopServer looks to make this much simpler!
I’m eager to see how well the synchronization can work between dev and live.
My one initial disappointment is seeing that this runs Apache. It could be even more awesome if it was nginx. I’d tried MNPP for running nginx locally, but it had too many problems.
Love DSL – looking forward to the full version and version 4!
Sep 13, 2013kitchensinkwp Thanks! Be sure to use “original49” as the coupon code so you get it at the $49.95 price! 🙂
Sep 13, 2013DanielJLewis Hi Daniel, I understand your disappointment about Apache. However, DS was made to work with the majority of web hosts out there, and at this time, they run Apache. Future plans do include the possibility of it being server agnostic, however, so that may be encouraging news to you.
Sep 14, 2013Hope you enjoy DesktopServer and if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know!
Keeper Dan We sure hope you discover it to be useful. And while we do like selling the premium version, it’s really about providing the tool people need. For many, the Limited is all they need and we figure the goodwill we get from providing the free version is more than worth it!
Sep 14, 2013This sounds like an amazing program. Although I plan to try the free version, I would love to get the pro version because of the ability to import an archived site, work on it, then export it. Wow, that sounds like the Holy Grail or something.
Sep 16, 2013Kathile The Holy Grail WISHES it was DesktopServer! 😉
Sep 16, 2013Hope you like it! 🙂
DesktopServerLOL, my mistake!!
Sep 16, 2013I only run and develop 3 sites for the organisation I work at, gbut they’re subsides in a multisite install and by the description I really could use
Sep 17, 2013I only work on 3 sites, but they’re all on the same multisite install, so I really could myself using the Desktop Server product paid version. Seems like a cool product that I really could use for offsite development while still using a replica off my multisite install to develop it further for a New Years update
Sep 17, 2013I use Xampp now, but this would save a lot of time and frustration. I will be recomending this to some friends that need a simple way to create a local dev site.
Sep 17, 2013win or lose – $49 is a STEAL for this product!
Sep 17, 2013Dustin, Thank you for another great podcast and for introducing me to Desktop Server. After getting frustrated importing a backed up website with the free version, I purchased the premium version. It’s all working beautifully now. Of course I am delighted that I could get the product for 1/2 price!
Sep 18, 2013LindaBugbee Linda, thanks for the purchase! So glad to hear that everything is working great for you. Let us know if you have any questions!
Sep 20, 2013DesktopServer I took the plunge and went for the Premium version. That coupon for $49 was just too good to allow to pass by. Now I have the freedom to use the tool in whatever way I need rather than only sticking to the 3 site limit.
Sep 21, 2013I’m really looking forward to learning how to deploy and update your WP site with the program. I think this is going to make my site management a snap once I get a good feel for DS.
I just purchased Desktop Server too-glad they allowed you to offer a discount to your listeners. I used the import feature with BackupBuddy and it worked perfectly. Thanks!
Sep 25, 2013Who won?
Sep 25, 2013DanielJLewis not us!
Sep 25, 2013kitchensinkwp DanielJLewis unfortunately RaffleCopter was not on your side. Varela was our lucky winner!
Sep 26, 2013lynntotherescue Thanks for your support! We love hearing how it’s helping so many people. And we have greater things to come!
Sep 26, 2013kitchensinkwp We think so, too! And that seems to be the general sentiment from all of our users!
Sep 26, 2013JasonLandau It definitely saves a TON of time! Hope you like it!
Sep 26, 2013HenrikVaglin Let us know how we can help!
Sep 26, 2013dhartzler10 Congratulations, Varela!
Sep 26, 2013It’s okay that I didn’t win. I’ll end up purchasing anyway! 🙂
I started using DesktopServer over 6 months ago for playing around with local installs. And with your recommendation Dustin, I just purchased the premium plan with your coupon code.
Oct 19, 2013I look forward to all the time and energy saved in the future!
Thanks dhartzler10 & DesktopServer
Hey everyone, just want to reiterate the following as it seems to be easy to lose in all the comments:
Nov 18, 2013Hi everyone. Bad timing on our part, the premium membership went up
between the time of the interview and the time it was posted. But for
those of you listeners, you can still get in at the $49.95 price by
entering “original49″as the coupon code. When you do, shoot us an
email and let us know that you heard about it here! This code will be
valid until October 31. Thanks!
(but rumor has it that if you type in “limited20” you’ll get a 20% discount. Shhhhh. You didn’t hear it from me).
DesktopServer Sounds great, but the coupon doesn’t seem to be valid anymore ;-( Any chance of a Christmas present in the spirit of the holiday season? 😉
Dec 15, 2013ElTucan DesktopServer Did you try: limited20?
Dec 16, 2013Yes this one worked, thanks!
Dec 17, 2013I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Jul 3, 2014Plz respond as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from.
thanks a lot