Personal Web Server

PWS is the workstation version of InternetInformationServer (IIS). PWS has a simplified administration console.

See WikiOnPersonalWebServer for some caveats.

Question from WikiUnderTheMicrosoftWebServer

Where on the net can I get a copy of PWS now? I have not found it on Microsoft site and I do not have the Option pack, nor the CDs where PersonalWebServer can be found. Thanks. Just obtain a Windows 98 CD.

It only works on Windows 95 and 98 and Windows NT Workstation I believe. Too bad, because it was an interesting concept, a "test or practice web server for the masses" or "web server lite". I tried to find some alternatives, but they all had flaws or bugs. The full-blown ones like IIS or Apache are either cost too much or have "too many knobs" for simple installation.

WindowsXp Professional has a stripped-down version of InternetInformationServer that works well for personal use.

Yes, but XP-Pro costs about $100 more. By the way, do you know what it lacks that the "real thing" has?

You can't have multiple servers (with different IPs/domains). I don't know what else is missing, but it supports all the basic IIS functionality: static pages, SSI, CGI, ISAPI, ASP/ASP.NET, WebDav, MicrosoftFrontPage extensions, FTP, SMTP, metabase, administrative tools.

Can the PWS host COM objects using dllhost.exe? Any limitations in hosting aspx pages and use of security certificates?

Any reason you guys don't just use Apache? It's free, ya know.

Apache does not run Active Server Pages (without fee), which may be important for Microsoft shops. Besides, you have to admit that PWS has one of the simplest interfaces there is. Powerful, no. But for click-and-go for newbies, hard to beat.

You know, with EasyPHP (http://www.easyphp.org) lying around, it's a wonder anybody would be interested in kaka from our good buddies at Microschlock at all. With EasyPHP you get a fully-functional Apache server suite, a MySQL database, and a built-in PHP script interpreter all for free. Hard to beat that with a stick. Oh, and it's a one-button install, too. So much for PWS.

And let's not forget that PHP is the best-supported scripting language on the planet, having climbed way past Perl, ASP, and everything else. Why get stuck with Microsoft limitations when you can design and build for any platform, anywhere?

This is the not place to compare languages. Anybody who has been around knows that you often have to use what is requested by the company, client, or by legacy support issues. What kind of user interface does EasyPHP have, by the way? It would be interesting to compare it to PWS as far as ease of learning and minimalism-versus-power ratios.

CategoryInternet, CategoryWebDesign