Deploying a WordPress Site on Your VPS

Deploying a WordPress Site on Your VPS

WordPress is a widely-used platform for creating websites, blogs, and online stores. This guide will take you through each step to install WordPress on your VPS, from setting up a web server to finalizing your site’s installation.

Step 1: Access Your VPS via SSH

• Open an SSH client (e.g., Terminal for macOS/Linux or PuTTY for Windows).
• Connect to your VPS:
  bash

  ssh root@your-server-ip
• Press Enter, then input your VPS password when prompted.

Step 2: Update System Packages

Before installing WordPress, make sure your server's packages are up to date:

Step 3: Install a Web Server (Apache or Nginx)

You’ll need a web server to host your WordPress site.

To Install Apache:

Start and enable Apache to run at startup:

To Install Nginx:

Start and enable Nginx to run at startup:

Step 4: Install PHP and Necessary Extensions

WordPress requires PHP, so install PHP along with common extensions:

Step 5: Install a Database Server (MySQL or MariaDB)

To Install MySQL:

Run MySQL’s secure installation script:

Step 5A: Create a Database and User for WordPress

• Log into MySQL:
  bash

  sudo mysql -u root -p
• Create a new database for WordPress:
  sql

  CREATE DATABASE wordpress_db;
• Create a user and grant permissions:
  sql

  CREATE USER 'wp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password'; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress_db.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES; EXIT;

Step 6: Download WordPress

• Navigate to the web directory (Apache: /var/www/html or Nginx: /usr/share/nginx/html):
  bash

  cd /var/www/html
• Download the latest WordPress version:
  bash

  wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
• Extract the downloaded file:
  bash

  tar -xzf latest.tar.gz
• Move WordPress files to the root web directory:
  bash

  sudo mv wordpress/* ./
• Remove unnecessary files:
  bash

  sudo rm -rf wordpress latest.tar.gz

Step 7: Configure WordPress

• Copy the sample WordPress configuration file:

  bash

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

• Open the wp-config.php file to edit:

  bash

  sudo nano wp-config.php

• Find the following lines and update them with your database details:

  php

  define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress_db'); define('DB_USER', 'wp_user'); define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_password');

• Save and exit the editor (in Nano, press CTRL+X, then Y to confirm, and Enter).

Step 8: Set File Permissions

Set correct permissions for WordPress files to ensure they’re accessible:

Step 9: Complete the Installation in Your Web Browser

• Open your web browser and navigate to your VPS IP address (e.g., http://your-server-ip).
• You’ll be guided through the WordPress setup. Select your language, create an admin account, and enter your site information.
• After completing the steps, click Install WordPress.

Step 10: Log In to WordPress

Once installation is complete, log into your WordPress dashboard by visiting:

Use the credentials you created during the setup to log in.

Your WordPress site is now live on your VPS! You can start adding content, install plugins, and customize the appearance of your site from the WordPress dashboard.