Install And Configure ColdFusion MX 6.1 on Windows

I've made the case for ColdFusion, but you still need to know how to install it! In this tutorial, I'll show you how to install ColdFusion 6.1 on a Windows machine, and walk you through the basic set up process. If you're not running Windows, don't worry: you can skip ahead to the setup procedure and follow along as we tweak the server to fit your needs.

We've all heard how powerful ColdFusion is and most of us have experienced this power at one time another. We've also heard how easy it can be to program in ColdFusion versus other languages that are currently available. But, one thing you don't hear is how easy it is to install and set up a ColdFusion server. To some, setting up and configuring the server is child's play; to others, it's not so easy.

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to set up a ColdFusion Development server on your home computer (Windows 2000 or XP), and how to get it to work with Apache 2.x (I'll show you how to install this as well).

Before we begin, you'll need a few things:

• A copy of ColdFusion MX (I'll show you how to get a copy if you don't already have a CD)
• A computer with the following minimum requirements:
• Intel Pentium Processor (or AMD equivalent)
• 256 MB of RAM (512 MB or 1 GB would be best)
• 400MB of hard disk space (this is only for the server; you'll need more space for your sites and code)


• A copy of the Apache 2.x installer


• Time: set aside an hour or more for the install and configuration. If you go through this whole guide, you might want to allow two hours. Of course, it'll take longer if you have to download the software.

Now that you know what you need, it's time to begin.

Getting ColdFusion MX 6.1

To start, I'll assume you don't have ColdFusion MX 6.1 on CD. So, head over to the Macromedia Website and download the developer edition (If you have DreamWeaver MX or MX 2004 you can get the CF server off this CD).

Depending on how often you visit Macromedia.com you'll either automatically be shown the page to download the ColdFusion MX 6.1 server (see image below), or you'll be shown a login screen. If you have an account with Macromedia, log in at this time; if not, you'll need to register for a Macromedia account before you'll be allowed to download the ColdFusion Server.

From here, you'll want to select either the ColdFusion MX 6.1 Developer Edition or the ColdFusion MX 6.1 Trial Edition. It doesn't matter which you select because, after 30 days, the trial edition becomes the Developer Edition.

You'll want to select the Windows version of the server in your language. For me, this was the English Windows Version (if you want to follow along with another operating system, feel free to grab the version for your OS).

Once you've made your selection, click the "Download" button to begin the download. I recommend you either save it to your desktop, your C drive, or anywhere you'll be able to find it. Keep in mind that this file is 152.71 MB -- it'll take a bit of time to download. I'm on a cable modem with a 4 MB pipe, and it took me about 10 minutes at 250-270KB/Second.

If you run download manager software, be aware that it might not be able to download the ColdFusion server from Macromedia's Website. I use GetRight and I have to turn it off before I can download the file.

Now that you've downloaded the file, let's begin the installation process.

Installing Apache

Before you can begin the installation of ColdFusion, you'll need to have a Web server installed and running. I've chosen Apache for this tutorial, since it's readily available and familiar territory to most Web developers. For those who are new to Apache, there's no need to worry --Apache has a huge community following of very helpful people, many of who can also be found in the SitePoint forums.

You may wonder why I didn't choose IIS, which is available on Windows 2000 and XP Pro. The answer is that these servers only allow you to install one Website. Yet, most people who undertake development work typically work on more than one site at a time. And this, among others, was the reason I decided to avoid it. For more information, check out IISAnswers.

If you don't already have it installed, download the latest copy of Apache. For the purposes of this article, I downloaded Apache 2.0.50 for Windows. I grabbed the MSI installer rather than the .zip installer, but you can use either. If you are new to Apache, or you're a Microsoft power-user, I highly recommend the MSI option, as it's a snap to install.

Once you've downloaded the MSI installer, double-click on it to start the install process. You'll see a start up screen which looks like this:

Click the Next button, and you'll be presented with the License Agreement.

Read through it, select the "I accept…" radio button, and click Next.

Here you see the "Read This First" screen. This contains a lot of legal jargon and sees the Apache folks give credit where credit is due. Again, read through it and click Next.

Now, you're asked to fill in your Network Server Name and Admin email address. Feel free to enter "localhost" for the network Domain and the Server Name, and to enter your email address.

At the bottom of the screen you'll see questions about installing Apache HTTP Server 2.0 programs and shortcuts. I chose the "for All Users" option as I'm the only user on my computer, and I want Apache to start at load and run as a service.

If your computer has multiple users, and you're security-conscious, I'd recommend you select the "only for the Current User" option. This option runs the server on port 8080, and requires you manually to start Apache each time you want to use it. It's a bit more work, but this option also gives you complete power over the service, and when it runs.

When you've finished filling out the network information, click on Next -- you'll see the Setup Type screen. You can either choose the Typical or Custom. In my opinion, you should only choose custom if you need certain things NOT to be installed, or if you want to tweak something. Otherwise, the Typical option is perfect for 99% of us. Click Next and let's move on.

The next screen is your Destination Folder screen. This is where you can tell Apache to install; it's also at this point that Apache configures the default Website for you (a few folders down, actually). Again, unless you have reason or knowledge enough to change it, just leave it as is and click the Next button.

The final screen you see will be your "ready to install" prompt. This is you last chance to hit the back button and make any changes to your configuration. If you're ready to install, click on the Install button and relax while Apache is installed and started.

Once Apache is installed, confirm that it's running (you should see the icon in your system tray). If it's not, start it up from your Start > Programs > Apache 2.x folder.

You can also open up your browser and browse to http://localhost/, where you should see the default Apache welcome page.

Once you've confirmed that Apache has started, go ahead and close any windows that are open. We'll come back to Apache later. Now, it's time to install the ColdFusion Server!