MAMP lets you set and change the document root for APache via a GUI and change it on the fly. So just put D5 in one folder and D6 in the other. Setup 2 databases - one for each. I usually set up folders in my User SItes directory and switch back and forth

ignore

I'm sorry, but you're going to have to dumb down your response just a bit. I know next to nothing about MAMP and Drupal, so honestly most of what you just said made no sense to me. I currently have a MAMP folder in my Applications folder, and in that folder is a htdocs folder that has my actual drupal site in it. Could you explain exactly where I should put a Drupal 6 install and then how to set it up?

Once again I'm sorry for requiring such simple language when explaining things.

Thanks!

I have both drupal 5 and 6 running on my local machine right now.

To do this I setup a folder structure like

htdocs/drupal5 (where my drupal 5 site is)
htdocs/drupal6 (where my drupal 6 site is)

Then when I go to localhost:8888/drupal5 I see that site and localhost:8888/drupal6 takes me to the drupal 6 site. It's that simple.

There are other ways to do this but this lets you have both running at the same time.

Matt Farina
Geeks and God Co-Host
www.innovatingtomorrow.net
www.mattfarina.com

Thanks Matt!

Anyone using MAMP should seriously consider MAMP Pro... it's about US$60 (varies as priced in Euro) but is great. Allows you to have local name resolution. For instance, I'm currently working on the launch website for Catalyst at catalyst.ac.nz. (What you see there at present is the pre-launch site while we develop the launch site for November.) With MAMP Pro, I can easily set it so that on my local browsers going to www.catalyst.ac.nz will serve up my local development version of the site, in my browser, rather than the live site. This means that the site can be set up with all of the final links and they will all work locally—e.g. clicking the logo will correctly take you to the top page of the local development install, rather than to the top page of the live site...

It also makes it very easy to have multiple local development sites running simultaneously, since they can each be resolved to their actual urls—and you can turn each one on and off individually.

I am so pleased I spent this money. Great tool.

ETA: In relation to the original query, you could also then set each of your Drupal 5 and 6 sites to have a different URL, on their own domains, for your local installs.

I had MAMP installed, but couldn't get Drupal to install for anyhing. Doublicking install.php always popped back with some kind of database error.

So I noticed what Matt wrote above:

Then when I go to localhost:8888/drupal5 I see that site and localhost:8888/drupal6 takes me to the drupal 6 site. It's that simple.

So I typed it out of curiosity and up pops the Drupal install page!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes.

Thank you guys!!!!!
Shane

Theres a good screencast tutorial on setting up a local server using MAMP on OSX HERE.
Direct Link to the video

If you want to run multiple sites on it, Shrop turned me on to VirtualHostX

Thank you, techmate

Great help there with the video.

I actually thought you could run multiple site with MAMP. So it's nice to learn about VirtualhostX.

I have a friend's Wordpress site backed up and I'd like to mess with that on MAMP....

And..I have another site I'd like to mess with, but I have no idea what CMS it is using.. All I know is that it's updated via Xstandard lite. I've messed with that site and the interface is quite irritating!

But, most importantly, I wanna learn Drupal... Even though it's a scary thought for me.

Ok, sorry. I think I've gone off topic.

Thanks again!
Shane

Glad it helped. Drupal can be a little overwhelming. I'm not totally comfortable with it yet as I don't have the time to put into it as some people do, but it has been a fun ride learning it. Check out some of Bob's screencasts on Drupal also.
I think being scared of Drupal is the least of your worries with those AT-AT walkers chasing you :)