Server Side Practice

[dandymcgee]

The password is for MySQL database authentication, it has nothing to do with who can access the server.
If the server is set to listen on 127.0.0.1 (localhost) then it can only be connected to from the local machine.

[MarauderIIC]

If you're getting an Access Forbidden, check any applicable config files to make sure you are allowing access by the correct user group (probably a wide-open one).

[Benjamin100]

I looked in the files and I couldn't find where I was supposed to allow access.
I see the word "deny" written a lot, so I imagine that is part of the problem, but I hardly have an idea what any of it means.

[dandymcgee]

Default allows access to all so just remove the .htaccess files or comment out the contents.

[Benjamin100]

Thanks.
I've been having trouble still getting it to work. so I decided to uninstall and install a new version of xampp. Now I get this error where it says there is not such file as "C:\xampp\htdocs\xampp\index.php" on line 2.

[dandymcgee]

Thanks.
I've been having trouble still getting it to work. so I decided to uninstall and install a new version of xampp. Now I get this error where it says there is not such file as "C:\xampp\htdocs\xampp\index.php" on line 2.

Clearly you're missing the file "C:\xampp\htdocs\xampp\index.php" which is referenced on line 2 of the source of the page you were attempting to access. I would guess the uninstall wasn't all-inclusive and left some remnants behind. Hit me up on GChat if you want some real-time support.

If your only goal is to learn PHP, it doesn't really matter what server software you choose to use as long as you can get it to work. It's not until you decide to host a live website that these decisions begin to matter.