You might look at this https://wpsandbox.io/freelancers/
And/or https://localbyflywheel.com/
I’ve barely worked with any of those as I have a Cloud-based box where part of it is setup for sandbox accounts.
Several possibilities can be found at https://ww.wp.xz.cn/support/article/installing-wordpress-on-your-own-computer/
Many people like Local by Flywheel that JNash linked, I’ve no real experience with it either. I use WAMP once in a while, it seems fine. My primary localhost is a native Apache install on Linux.
I have an ubuntu laptop as well. Is it maybe more feasible to work with an Apache/Linux sandbox?
Since you have the knowledge to self-host, you can install the WAMP stack yourself:
https://downloads.mariadb.org/mariadb/10.1.40/
https://www.apachelounge.com/download/
https://windows.php.net/download/
Select a “thread safe” version of PHP, which is installed via mod_php into Apache. MariaDB and Apache can be installed as services.
Having said this, installing a LAMP stack on Ubuntu is simpler. If that option is available to you, it would get you up and running more quickly.
@cyouse have a look at a few tutorials at
https://make.ww.wp.xz.cn/core/handbook/tutorials/installing-a-local-server/
to find the one that has the closest resemblance to WebMatrix. XAMPP has been around since 2002, available for all PHP versions, and runs on top 3 operating systems.
I like webmatrix and wordpress but WP needed 5.6 which WM3 no longer offered.
Heck, after finding no other solutions i Hacked it a bit & IT works GREAT!!.
Basically , if its looking for 5.3, Ill give it 5.3, or 7.0 dressed to look like 5.3.
I just copied 7.0 into 5.3 IISExpress/PHP dirs. ENJOY…its working good for me…YEA!!!
