Test Server Advice Needed - LAMP, WAMP, XAMPP? - Joomla! Forum - community, help and support

i went through horrible experience because of corrupted backup akeeba (and, yes, made download using binary method on ftp). so, going forward plan test backups. akeeba suggests:

we recommend testing backup files, @ least first time produce backup , whenever make major changes/upgrades site. testing backup archives trivial. download , install wampserver, xampp, mamp or similar package on local pc create local testing server environment. try restoring backup file on local testing server environment.

i've never done before. here have suggestions preferred environment works joomla , perhaps isn't tough newbie? also, host provider using apache. think of these include that. anyway, i'd appreciate advice.

i have xampp (with mysql) installed on computer (with linux) , works well. can find on https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html

however, xampp has changed mysql mariadb , i'm not sure if work joomla.