Install WordPress on a VPS

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that is used to create and manage websites. It is an open-source software that allows users to easily create and publish content on the internet.

WordPress is a versatile platform that can be used for a variety of websites such as blogs, business websites, online stores, portfolios, and more. It offers a wide range of features and customization options that make it easy for users to create a website that meets their specific needs.

To use WordPress, you will need a hosting provider that supports PHP and MySQL, which are the programming languages that WordPress is built on. There are two main ways to use WordPress: the first is through WordPress.com, which is a hosted service that provides a simplified version of WordPress, and the second is through self-hosting WordPress on your own server or a VPS.

Using a VPS for WordPress hosting has several advantages over traditional shared hosting. With a VPS, you have complete control over your server environment, which means you can customize it to your specific needs. You can install any software or application that you need to run your website, and you can also optimize your server for performance and security.

VPS hosting also provides better performance and reliability than shared hosting. Since you are not sharing server resources with other users, your website will be faster and more responsive. Additionally, with a VPS, you can allocate resources specifically to your website, which means that you won't be affected by other users' websites that may be experiencing high traffic or resource usage.

In summary, WordPress is a powerful CMS that is used to create and manage websites. Using a VPS for WordPress hosting provides greater control, customization, performance, and reliability than traditional shared hosting.

Installing WordPress on a VPS with Apache, or NGINX and Let's Encrypt in 2023

1. Update the system packages:

For CentOS, run:

sudo yum update

For Ubuntu, run:

sudo apt update

2. Install Apache or Nginx:

For Apache, run:

sudo yum install httpd

For Nginx, run:

sudo yum install nginx

3. Start and enable the web server:

For Apache, run:

sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

For Nginx, run:

sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

4. Install PHP:

For CentOS, run:

sudo yum install php php-mysqlnd php-fpm

For Ubuntu, run:

sudo apt install php php-mysql php-fpm

5. Configure the web server:

For Apache, edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

Add the following lines at the bottom of the file:

<FilesMatch \.php$>
    SetHandler "proxy:fcgi://127.0.0.1:9000"
</FilesMatch>

Save the file and exit.

For Nginx, edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Add the following lines inside the http block:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    }
    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME /var/www/html$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

Save the file and exit.

6. Install MySQL/MariaDB:

For CentOS, run:

sudo yum install mariadb-server

For Ubuntu, run:

sudo apt install mariadb-server

7. Configure MySQL/MariaDB:

For security purposes, run:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Then, create a new database, user, and grant privileges:

sudo mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE wordpress;
CREATE USER 'wordpressuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO 'wordpressuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit;

8. Install Let's Encrypt SSL:

For CentOS, install Certbot's packages:

sudo yum install certbot python3-certbot-apache

For Ubuntu, add the Certbot PPA repository and install the packages:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:certbot/certbot
sudo apt update
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Then, run the following command to obtain and install the SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

9. Install WordPress:

Download the latest version of WordPress:

cd /var/www/html
sudo curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
sudo tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz

Move the files to the document root:

sudo mv wordpress/* /

10. Configure WordPress:

Create a configuration file:

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

Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano wp-config.php

Update the database name, username, and password:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'wordpress' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'wordpressuser' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password' );

Save the file and exit.

11. Set permissions:

Set the permissions to the Apache or Nginx user:

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

OR

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

12. Access WordPress:

Open a web browser and access your domain over HTTPS (https://yourdomain.com). Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the WordPress installation.

That's it! You have successfully installed WordPress on a VPS with Apache or Nginx and Let's Encrypt SSL in 2023.