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How to Install WordPress on the Linux Apache MySQL and PHP stack ?

Mastering WordPress installation on a Linux Apache MySQL PHP (LAMP) stack is essential. It benefits those interested in hosting a website or blog on their own server. The former is widely used as a content management system (CMS). The LAMP stack offers a strong and adaptable platform for its operation.

 

This guide will help you set up WordPress on an LAMP stack.

 

Prerequisites

 

Before starting the installation process, ensure the following conditions are met:

 

- A Linux server. It may include Ubuntu, CentOS, or Debian.

- The server can be accessed through SSH for remote servers or a terminal for local servers.

-  A fully functional LAMP stack is installed on the server.

- A domain name pointing to your server’s IP address (if using a public server).

- Basic knowledge of Linux command-line operations.

 

1. Update and Upgrade the Server

 

Ensuring your server is updated is the initial step. Access your server using SSH or open the terminal on your local server and execute the provided commands:

 

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade -y

 

This will update the package lists and upgrade the installed packages to their latest versions.

 

2. Install Apache Web Server

 

If you have not yet installed Apache, you can use the following command:

 

sudo apt install apache2 -y

 

Once Apache is installed, start and enable the service to ensure it runs at boot:

 

sudo systemctl start apache2

sudo systemctl enable apache2

 

To check if Apache is active, simply type your server's IP address into a web browser. You should see the Apache default page.

 

3. Install MySQL

 

WordPress needs a database to save its information. MySQL is a popular database system that works efficiently with WordPress.

Install MySQL using the following command:

 

sudo apt install mysql-server -y



After the installation is complete, secure your MySQL installation:

 

sudo mysql_secure_installation



You will be asked to establish a root password and make other safety-related decisions. Enabling all security options is recommended.

 

4. Install PHP

 

WordPress is based on the scripting language PHP. Execute the given command to set it up with the necessary modules.

 

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-xml php-mbstring php-curl -y

 

Once PHP has been set up, restarting Apache might be required. It helps the changes to take effect.

 

sudo systemctl restart apache2

 

5. Create a MySQL Database and User for WordPress

 

Afterward, it is necessary to establish a database for WordPress's utilization. Log in to the MySQL shell:

 

sudo mysql -u root -p

 

After entering your root password, create a new database:

 

CREATE DATABASE wordpress_db;

 

Next, a fresh MySQL user will be generated and provided complete privileges for the new database.

 

CREATE USER 'wordpress_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strongpassword';

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress_db.* TO 'wordpress_user'@'localhost';

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

EXIT;

 

Replace `'strongpassword'` with a secure password.

 

6. Download WordPress

 

Now that the server environment is ready, we can download the latest version of WordPress. 

 

Navigate to the  directory, where Apache serves its files:

 

cd /var/www/html

 

Download WordPress using `wget`:

 

sudo wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz

 

Extract the downloaded file:

 

sudo tar -xvf latest.tar.gz

 

This will create a `wordpress` directory containing all the WordPress files. Move these files to the root of the web directory:

 

sudo mv wordpress/* .

 

Remove the now-empty `wordpress` directory and the tar.gz file:

 

sudo rm -rf wordpress latest.tar.gz

 

7. Configure WordPress

 

Before we can run the WordPress installer, we need to set up the configuration file. Start by copying the sample configuration file provided by WordPress:

 

sudo cp wp-config-sample.php wp-config.php

 

Open the `wp-config.php` file for editing:

 

sudo nano wp-config.php

 

Locate the section that contains the database settings and update them with the information for the database you created:

 

define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress_db');

define('DB_USER', 'wordpress_user');

define('DB_PASSWORD', 'strongpassword');

define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

 

Save and close the file.

 

8. Adjust File Permissions

 

For WordPress to work properly, verifying that Apache has the appropriate permissions for the WordPress files is important. Execute the given instructions to establish the correct ownership and permissions.

 

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

sudo find /var/www/html/ -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

sudo find /var/www/html/ -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

 

9. Complete the WordPress Installation via the Web Browser

 

With everything in place, you can complete the WordPress installation via a web browser. Open your browser and navigate to:

 

http://your_server_ip/

 

The WordPress installation wizard should greet you. Observe the instructions on the screen to finish the setup process. When requested, you must give the site title, admin username, and password.

 

To Sum it Up!

 

Congratulations! WordPress has been successfully set up on a LAMP server. Utilizing a local server or a cloud hosting provider offers a strong foundation for operating your WordPress site. Using the LAMP stack gives you complete authority over your server environment. Thus, enabling you to tailor and protect your site as required.

 

Once your WordPress website is up and running, you can personalize it with: 

- Themes

- Plugins

- Content

 

Don't forget to regularly update your installation and server components. It helps maintain the security and performance of your website.

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