How to INSTALL MOODLE on a Mac Laptop – The EASY way (ish) PART 1

How to Set Up a Moodle Test Server on Your Mac (The Easy Way)

Hey there! I’m Chris Richter — welcome back!

Before we dive into today’s tutorial, a quick heads-up: If you’re looking to level up your Moodle skills, whether you’re a teacher, a course creator, or a developer, be sure to check out the course links in the description below. I’ve put together a stack of courses on how to use Moodle, as well as plugin development, administration, and much more. Definitely worth a look!

See all Moodle courses

Now, let’s jump into the real reason you’re here:
Setting up your own test Moodle server on your Mac laptop.

Maybe you’re just starting with Moodle and want to get a feel for the platform. Or maybe you’re diving into plugin development and need a safe testing environment. Either way, installing everything manually on a Mac can be painful. Believe me — I’ve been through that long, frustrating process, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

So today, I’m going to show you the quick, easy, and reliable way to set up Moodle on your Mac.
Yes, it costs a few dollars, but the time (and sanity) you’ll save is absolutely worth it.

The Shortcut: Using MAMP PRO

First things first:
You’ll want to grab a copy of MAMP PRO. (No, I’m not an affiliate — I just genuinely think it’s the best tool for this job.)

What is MAMP PRO?
It’s a local server environment that bundles everything you need to run Moodle:

  • MySQL (database)
  • Apache (web server)
  • PHP (the scripting language Moodle is built with)

Without these, Moodle simply can’t run. MAMP PRO handles installing and configuring all of them in one go — no command-line headaches required.

Cost? Around $100 — and it’ll save you dozens of frustrating hours fiddling with installs and troubleshooting errors.

Setting Up Moodle with MAMP PRO — Step-by-Step

Step 1: Install MAMP PRO

Download and install MAMP PRO from their website. Once installed, fire it up.

Step 2: Create a Host for Moodle

Inside MAMP PRO:

  • Click Add Host.
  • Name your host (e.g., moodle40demo).
  • Choose where you want your site files to live by selecting a folder (you can create a new one specifically for Moodle).
  • Make sure to generate an SSL certificate (it’s a good habit, even locally).
  • Save and restart the servers when prompted.

At this point, you’ve got a blank web server ready and waiting!

Step 3: Set Up the Database

Still inside MAMP PRO:

  • Go to MySQL ➔ Open phpMyAdmin.
  • Create a new database (e.g., moodle40demo).
  • Set the collation to utf8mb4_unicode_ci — this is Moodle’s recommended setting.

That’s it for the database setup!

Step 4: Download and Extract Moodle

  • Head over to the Moodle download page and grab the latest version (I used Moodle 4.9.04 for this tutorial).
  • Extract the Moodle files.
  • Copy all extracted files into the folder you created earlier for your site.

Step 5: Install Moodle

  • Open your browser and navigate to your new local site.
  • You’ll land directly on the Moodle installation page.
  • Choose your language and confirm your server paths.
  • Set the data directory if you want to keep things organized (optional).
  • Select MySQL as the database type.
  • Enter your database details:
    • Database name: moodle40demo
    • Username: root
    • Password: root (default for MAMP PRO)
  • Proceed through the rest of the setup — MAMP PRO will have already installed all the PHP extensions you need, so you can just click Continue.

After Moodle installs all the necessary database tables, you’ll be prompted to:

  • Create an admin user.
  • Set your site name and short name.
  • Enter a support email.

And that’s it — you’re up and running with Moodle on your Mac!

Why This Method Rocks

✅ No messy manual installs
✅ No terminal commands
✅ No version conflicts
✅ Fully functioning local Moodle server in minutes

You can now:

  • Create and manage courses.
  • Test plugins.
  • Develop your own customizations.
  • Even record screencasts — all locally!

Final Thoughts

If you’re serious about working with Moodle — whether for teaching, development, or just getting familiar with the platform — setting up a local test environment is essential.
Using MAMP PRO makes it painless, reliable, and fast. I wouldn’t do it any other way!

And don’t forget — if you’re keen to learn more about Moodle, plugin development, or site administration, check out my full range of courses.
I’d love to see you there and help you take your Moodle skills to the next level.

Catch you next time!
— Chris Richter