Drageon 1.1.2

Changelog

This release fixes a database recovery issue and updates some default packages.

• Simplified database recovery backup names and cleaned up temporary files after successful restores.
• Automatically refresh the backup list after restoration.
• Updated default Apache, cURL, Node.js, and PHP packages, including PHP 8.5.12 and 8.4.27 with fixes for the PHP2Shell vulnerabilities.

Drageon 1.1.1

Changelog

This release improves snapshot and staging reliability and usability.

• Added validated, compact ZIP snapshots that preserve symbolic links and junctions with memory-efficient processing.
• Improved restore safeguards and recovery for project files, databases, virtual hosts, and metadata.
• Made staging cleanup safer with ownership checks and removal of resources created by the staging instance.
• Added persistent progress, automatic list refresh, clearer localized dialogs, and shorter backup names.

Drageon 1.1.0

Changelog

This release adds portable database backup, project snapshot, restore, and local staging workflows while keeping project discovery filesystem-based.

• Added database backups for one, multiple, or all user databases of the active MySQL or MariaDB version, including explicit restore targets and backup deletion.
• Added encrypted, portable database credentials to the version-specific MySQL and MariaDB component settings.
• Added project snapshots with optional database, project metadata, and virtual-host data. Files, dotfiles, empty directories, symbolic links, directory links, and junctions are preserved without dereferencing external targets.
• Added snapshot restore with an optional safety snapshot of the current project state before replacement.
• Added local staging creation with portable project copies, link-aware paths, optional database and virtual-host copies, numbered suggestions for multiple staging instances, and complete staging cleanup.
• Kept www/ as the sole source of existing projects. app/config/projects.json now stores only explicitly configured metadata such as display name, favorite state, database, URL, virtual host, and staging relationship.
• Added optional project assignments to virtual hosts and automatic metadata updates when a virtual host is changed or removed.
• Reworked the Projects and Database Backups interfaces with compact icon actions, clearer project hierarchy, localized date formatting, and expanded multilingual help.

Drageon 1.0.1

Changelog

This release focuses on lower idle memory usage and several usability improvements.

• Significantly reduced idle memory usage by releasing inactive views and optimizing UI rendering.
• Reworked tray integration and main-window lifecycle to free resources while Drageon runs in the background.
• Improved component-list virtualization to reduce memory usage on the Packages page.
• Restored automatic loading of virtual hosts when opening the page.
• Extended log search to include timestamps and component names.
• Sorted the log component filter alphabetically and limited it to components with available log entries.

Drageon 1.0

Drageon 1.0 is the first stable release of the portable local development environment for Windows.

It combines the most important tools for local web development in one lightweight application and keeps the entire environment portable — including components, projects, databases, configuration and developer tools.

Highlights

• Apache or Nginx as local web server
• Multiple PHP versions with per-version configuration
• MariaDB or MySQL with separate data directories
• phpMyAdmin integration
• Composer, Node.js, npm, npx and cURL
• Portable PowerShell environment with automatic local PATH setup
• Automatic project detection inside www/
• Virtual Hosts with .localhost domains
• Built-in cron scheduler
• Built-in SMTP catcher for testing outgoing emails
• Centralized log viewer
• Tray integration and quick actions
• Multilingual user interface
• Smart localhost start page with direct project access
• Extensible package management with custom manifests
• Fully portable setup without Windows services, registry paths or global PATH changes

Portable by design

Drageon keeps all important files inside its own directory.

This makes it possible to move, copy or synchronize the complete development environment between Windows systems without reinstalling the individual tools.

Installation

1. Download the Windows x64 ZIP from the assets below.
2. Extract it to any writable folder.
3. Start Drageon.exe.
4. Open Components and install the versions of Apache/Nginx, PHP, MariaDB/MySQL and any additional tools you need.
5. Place your projects inside www/ or configure optional Virtual Hosts.

No separate .NET installation is required for the published build.

Notes

• Drageon is designed for Windows 10 and Windows 11 x64.
• Installed runtime components are downloaded only when needed.
• MariaDB and MySQL data are stored separately from the installed server versions.
• Drageon does not require Windows services and does not modify the system-wide PATH.

License

Drageon is released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0.

Disclaimer

Drageon is provided as-is. Use it at your own risk and keep backups of important projects and databases before making major changes.