Local Host Options

[autoace]

I currently have a testsite configuration for my zen cart store at mydomain.com/testsite - and I have it locked via password protected directories feature by my hosting company.

I'd like to get rid of that and install zen cart on my local machine and have heard that wamp, mamp, lamp and xammp packages aren't set up to behave exactly the same as a 'live' server set up.

I've been reading some forum posts by members that have this set up and it seems to work just fine. So I'd like to give it a try...

Which setup do you recommend. I know that wamp and mamp are for windows and macs, respectively, so that leaves lamp and xammp. And if I go ahead and do this, will I still be able to test authorize.net in test mode on the 'localhost'? Also, if I do this, is there still a way to use phpmyadmin?

Any advice on this is greatly appreciated, thank you.

[kobra]

These are not designed to allow/setup all things required for use as a web server...

So testing payment mosules that identify the submitting domain will not work

They do have phpmyadmin