How To Install WordPress on Linux

Tired of your website looking just like everyone else’s? It’s time to make a change with WordPress!! And don’t worry – you don’t need to be a tech expert to get it set up. Installing WordPress on linux is surprisingly simple, and with our easy-to-follow guide, you’ll have a fresh, unique website online in no time. So let’s dive into the world of WordPress. Your next big online project is just a few clicks away!

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a powerful and versatile content management system (CMS) that powers over 40% of websites on the internet. Initially launched as a simple blogging platform, WordPress has evolved into a full-featured website builder that can be used to create anything from personal blogs to complex e-commerce sites. It’s known for its user-friendly interface, extensive plugin library, and customizable themes, making it accessible to both beginners and seasoned developers. Whether you’re looking to build a simple portfolio or a robust online store, WordPress offers the tools and flexibility to bring your vision to life.

You can install WordPress on both Linux VPS and shared hosting, each offering distinct advantages. WordPress on Linux VPS provides dedicated resources, greater control, and enhanced performance, making it ideal for high-traffic sites or those requiring custom configurations. In contrast, shared hosting is more affordable and user-friendly, with the hosting provider managing server maintenance and security, which is perfect for smaller websites or beginners. The choice between the two depends on your specific needs, technical expertise, and budget.

Why WordPress!!

Here are some key reasons why WordPress is a popular choice for building websites:

1. User-Friendly Interface: WordPress is designed with simplicity in mind, making it easy for beginners to create and manage a website without needing advanced technical skills.
2. Customizable Themes and Plugins: With thousands of free and premium themes and plugins available, you can easily customize the look, feel, and functionality of your website to suit your specific needs.
3. SEO-Friendly: WordPress is built with search engine optimization (SEO) best practices in mind, helping your site rank higher in search engine results. There are also many SEO plugins available to enhance your site’s visibility.
4. Flexibility: Whether you want to create a blog, business website, online store, or portfolio, WordPress can handle it all. It’s highly adaptable, allowing you to build virtually any type of website.
5. Strong Community Support: With a large global community of developers and users, WordPress offers extensive documentation, forums, and tutorials, ensuring you can find help and resources whenever you need them.
6. Regular Updates and Security: WordPress is constantly updated to improve performance, add new features, and enhance security, keeping your website safe and up-to-date.
7. Mobile-Responsive: Many WordPress themes are designed to be mobile-responsive, ensuring your site looks great on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
8. Cost-Effective: WordPress itself is free, and with the availability of free themes and plugins, you can build a professional-looking website on a budget.

How to install WordPress on Linux VPS

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have the following:

• A server running on linux OS. Here we use Ubuntu 20.04.
• Root or sudo access to the server.
• A domain name pointed to your server’s IP address.
• A basic understanding of the Linux command line.

Steps to install WordPress

1: Update Your Server

Start by updating the package list and upgrading installed packages to ensure you have the latest versions.

apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Apache Web Server

Apache is one of the most popular web servers and is well-supported by WordPress.

apt install apache2 -y

Enable and start Apache

systemctl start apache2
systemctl enable apache2

3: Install MySQL

WordPress requires a database to store its data. We’ll use MySQL.

apt install mysql-server -y

Secure the MySQL installation by setting a root password and removing insecure defaults:

mysql_secure_installation

4: Create a MySQL Database for WordPress

Log in to the MySQL shell:

mysql -u root -p

Once logged in, create a database and a user with privileges.

CREATE DATABASE wordpress;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO 'wpuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your-password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

5: Install PHP

WordPress is written in PHP, so you need to install PHP and some additional PHP modules.

apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-xml php-mbstring php-curl php-zip php-gd -y

6: Download and Configure WordPress

Download the latest version of WordPress:

cd /tmp
wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz

Move the extracted WordPress files to the Apache root directory:

 mv wordpress/* /var/www/html/

7: Set the Correct Permissions

Set the ownership of the WordPress files to the Apache user:

chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/

8: Edit the WordPress Configuration File

Before you can use WordPress, you need to provide it with your database details by configuring the wp-config.php file.

1. Create a Configuration File: WordPress provides a sample configuration file wp-config-sample.php . First, rename this file or create a copy of the file

cd /var/www/html/
cp wp-config-sample.php wp-config.php

2. Edit the Configuration File: Open the wp-config.php file in your text editor

vi wp-config.php

3. Update database details: Locate below lines and replace it with your database credentials created in step 4.

define( 'DB_NAME', '*******' );
define( 'DB_USER', '*******' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', '*******' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

Set up Virtual Host

Create a new virtual host configuration file for your WordPress site:

vi /etc/apache2/sites-available/wordpress.conf

Add the following configuration, replacing your-domain.com with your actual domain name:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@your-domain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html
    ServerName your-domain.com
    ServerAlias www.your-domain.com

    <Directory /var/www/html/>
        AllowOverride All
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the WordPress site and rewrite module. Then restart apache.

a2ensite wordpress
a2enmod rewrite
systemctl restart apache2

Finalize the Installation in Your Browser

Now that everything is set up, complete the WordPress installation via your web browser.

1. Open your browser and navigate to http://your-domain.com.
2. Select your language and click Continue.
3. Enter the database name, user, and password you created earlier.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Conclusion

Installing WordPress on Ubuntu is a rewarding experience that gives you greater control over your web environment. With the steps outlined above, you now have a powerful content management system at your fingertips, ready to customize and launch your website. Enjoy the flexibility and robustness of WordPress as you build your next project!

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