WordPress Installation for Beginners
Sheila [email protected]
Overview
Things You Will Need Domains and Web Hosting Installation Resources
Text Editor
Note Pad (Windows) Free Text Edit (Mac) Free Microsoft Word, Open Office, Pages Sublime Edit 2 (Windows/Mac/Linux) Free
Web Browser
Chrome (29%) Internet Explorer (22%) does not support the
latest web standards Firefox (19%) used by most developers Safari (16%) Android (5%)
FTP Software
Allows you to transfer files between your local computer and your webhost's server on the internet
Built into your webhost cPanel Filezilla (Windows/Mac/Linux) Free CyberDuck (Windows/Mac) Free
Domain Registration through your web host (easiest)
It can take a couple of days for Domains to
Registration Through an Independent Domain Registrar
Point the nameservers to your web host from your Domain Registration account.
Web Host: Recommended Hosts
free hosting for nonprofits, custom panel, offers domain registration
standard Cpanel, 1 free domain
Standard cpanel, no domain registrations
Web Host: Account
Ftp (file transfer protocol) access to web file directory
Control panel access to: account domains MySQL databases users Email Ftp ( usually clumsy)
Web Host: FTP Access
Follow your web host's instructions. It might be preconfigured.
Login to control panel to manage web root directory ftp username and password other options, use defaults if unsure
One Button Installs
Fantastico and other one button installers Vulnerable file in the root directory Uses default database table prefixes Uses Admin username Easy to find and easy access to Hackers
Installing WordPress
Download and unzip WordPress Upload WordPress files to the server Create MySQL database Configure WordPress wp-config.php file Login to the new site
Download WordPress
Unzip the WordPress folder on your local computer
Connect to your web server
Using the ftp login from your web host
Ftp the WordPress Files to the Top Level (Root) Directory.
The root directory is often called public_html, or it might have your domain name.
Create Database in Web Host Control Panel
Use a strong password!
Store this info in a safe place!
Rename wp-config.php
wp-config.php: Database Configure the database settingsUse Text Edit, Note Pad, Filezilla not Microsoft Word
wp-config.php Keys
Copy and paste the random security Keys from the given url.
wp-config.php: Optional Edits
More secure: set the database table prefix to something other than wp_ Save db clutter: limit the number of saved post revisions.
wp-config.php: Upload Edited File to Server
Set the database table prefix to something other than wp_ Optional Bonus: limit the number of saved revisions.
Go To Your Site and Login!
Runs the WordPress set up script. Do not use Admin for the default user name!
Troubleshooting: Most often it is a database configuration problem
Did you use a text editor that left hidden characters? Verify the db host, db name, db user, db password Google “WordPress common installation problems”
Post Install Check List Update the Settings (Set a date and time format, Modify Reading
and Writing settings Edit Discussion settings, Modify Permalinks structure, etc.) Edit Links/Blogroll Edit the "Hello World" post to something that fits your new site. Edit the About page (Add your info) Create additional pages (Advertise, Contact, etc.) Create categories and posts, or pages and parent structure Upload and Activate Plugins Edit Plugin Settings Upload Your Theme
Resources
MSP WordPress User group mspwordpress.com
Last Thursday evening of the month MSP St Paul WordPress google group
Helpful forum WordPress.org codex and forums, no really.
Google search "WordPress how to…" or "best …."
YouTube search “installing WordPress on 'your host company'”