How to setup a MODX development site?

Hello, I need to edit the MODX website before I make it live.
Is there a way to do this as I currently just edit the live website which is dangerous.

Follow the instructions here. http://rtfm.modx.com/revolution/2.x/administering-your-site/moving-your-site-to-a-new-server

Or, if your site isn't too big, it's a lot easier to use Vapor to generate an installable package, install a new copy of MODX on your development server, then install the Vapor package like any other package. http://modx.com/extras/package/vapor

Don't worry about the MODX Cloud-centric documentation, it works as well exporting from any site and importing to any site. [ed. note: sottwell last edited this post 11 years, 7 months ago.]

Okay, thank you.
I think I will try your link, which is more suitable.
Someone did kind of tell me (should really just suggest options, as the ordering to do something without more discussion makes me nervous, as they probably haven't considered the full context of the scenario), http://rtfm.modx.com/revolution/2.x/getting-started/installation

The http://rtfm.modx.com/revolution/2.x/administering-your-site/moving-your-site-to-a-new-server should hopefully give me local editing capabilities, however this will need to be a quick and easy feature, in case anyone editing on the live site has changed code.

That's another story altogether. There is a lot of activity going on in the area of multiple user workflows, using Git and various plugins and stand-alone applications to keep the sites in sync.

Ok, looks like I'd better stick to the 'simple' task of setting up a local MODX so I can edit and avoid breaking the live website.
Thank you for the insight.

I like these Bitnami MODX stacks. Everything you need to work with MODX, and you can install it on a USB stick if you want to. https://bitnami.com/stack/modx/installer

OK, I downloaded the bitnami-modx-2.3.3pl-0-linux-installer.run and installed the program.
I am trying these instructions I found https://wiki.bitnami.com/Applications/Bitnami_MODX
but I'm not sure what the difference is between this Bitnami MODX app and using LAMP.
I think I still need to figure out the main problem, being downloading the live MODX website to a local server for editing?
Would phpStorm or git be an easier option? [ed. note: eiger3970 last edited this post 11 years, 7 months ago.]

Well, I reached so far working on setting up a local MODX website for editing, which can then be pushed up to the live MODX website when working with no errors.
I made a copy of the live MODX website with vapor and now need to import the Vapor package to the local bitnami MODX test site.
How do I do this as this link https://modxcloud.com/userguide/using-modx-cloud/import-sites-with-vapor.html only instructs how to import the Vapor package to MODX cloud, rather than importing to the local computer bitnami MODX webserver?

Hmm, it seems Vapor is only for MODX cloud users.
I need live MODX pulled/FTPed to my local computer to run and test the website.
Maybe this is more appropriate? http://rtfm.modx.com/revolution/2.x/administering-your-site/moving-your-site-to-a-new-server

The easiest way is to use Vapor to package the live site, then install that package like any other package on your new site. Just install Vapor on the live site using the Installer. While logged in to the live site's Manager, run vapor.php from the browser address bar (yourdomain.com/vapor/vapor.php)

Even if the live site is very large and causes a PHP timeout or memory overload, you can use Vapor from the command line (SSH) or install Teleport.

Or, follow these instructions. http://rtfm.modx.com/revolution/2.x/administering-your-site/moving-your-site-to-a-new-server [ed. note: sottwell last edited this post 11 years, 7 months ago.]