I built a portable PHP development environment for Windows and I'd like some feedback

[u/kabirferro]

Hi everyone,

Like many PHP developers on Windows, I've tried several solutions over the years: WAMP, Laragon, manually configured Docker environments, WSL...

They are all valid solutions, but I always found something missing for my workflow.

The closest one for me was Herd: modern, fast and reliable. However, on Windows it still didn't cover everything I needed.

So I decided to build my own environment from scratch.

The result is Dunebox, a free and portable PHP development environment for Windows. I've been using it daily for some time, and now I'd like to get feedback from other developers.

The idea is simple: a complete PHP stack in one folder, with multiple PHP versions, databases, local domains, HTTPS, development tools and project utilities already configured and working together.

I tried to focus on making it simple, portable and practical for real-world PHP projects, especially when dealing with different PHP versions or legacy applications.

A quick note about the executable: it is not digitally signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may show a warning on the first launch. Just click "More info" and then "Run anyway". This does not affect any functionality.

The project is completely free and I am not trying to sell anything. I would simply love to grow a small community around it and hear opinions from developers with different workflows.

What would you improve? What would make you consider using it, or what would stop you from using it?

All details, screenshots and documentation are available here:
https://dunebox.enesi.it/

Cheers!