We have been working hard to improve Apache Friends / XAMPP. Beginning late last year, we expanded support for newer versions of PHP, increased the frequency of releases, and brought Linux and OS X ports up-to-date. Today, more than 10 years since Apache Friends was launched, we're happy to unveil a new website design. When we looked at the page analytics, it was perfectly clear: people come to the site to download XAMPP and not much else.

The biggest goal for this design, then, was to make it easier and quicker to download the XAMPP package and narrow down the number of navigational choices. Over the years, the old Apache Friends site had accumulated dozens of extras — from sample sites using XAMPP to a user-submitted wallpaper gallery — almost all of which had little traffic and become dated with many broken links.

Last November, we announced that we were accepting submissions from the Apache Friends community for a new site design. We selected a design from Ed Stephens in the UK that features a clean, modern interface and more intuitive navigation. The updated Apache Friends site features updated content and streamlined navigation. It's also responsive now so it will display correctly in different devices and browsers. Lastly, we've also set up a new translation project so the community can translate the site for different languages.

There are additional updates in store, including expanded documentation, updated forum support, and more "getting started resources". We will get to them as time permits. If you have suggestions on things that you would like improved, or if you would like to contribute to the Apache Friends website, documentation, forums, etc., feel free to contact me directly at beltran (at) apachefriends (dot) org.