How to install WordPress on Leaseweb VPS

This guide will walk you through setting up WordPress on a VPS. We will use Apache, MySQL, and PHP to create a stable environment for your WordPress site.

Step 1: Update your server

Before installing anything, update your server’s package list and upgrade existing packages.

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sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install CURL

CURL helps retrieve files from the internet and will be necessary for downloading WordPress.

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sudo apt install curl -y

Step 3: Install Apache

Apache will serve your WordPress website. Let’s install, start, and enable it to run on boot.

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sudo apt install apache2 -y

sudo systemctl start apache2

sudo systemctl enable apache2

Step 4: Install MySQL

MySQL is the database WordPress uses to store data. Let’s install it and secure your installation.

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sudo apt install mysql-server -y

sudo mysql_secure_installation

For the secure installation:

• Type “yes” for all prompts.
• Choose option “2” for strong password validation.

After securing MySQL, log in as the root user:

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sudo mysql -u root -p

Step 5: Create a database and user for WordPress

Run these commands in the MySQL command line to set up the WordPress database and user. Replace ‘YourPasswordHere’ with a secure password.

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CREATE DATABASE wordpress_db;

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

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

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

EXIT;

Step 6: Install PHP

WordPress requires PHP to run dynamic content. We will install PHP along with the necessary modules.

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

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 7: Download and set up WordPress

1. Go to the /tmp directory and download WordPress.

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cd /tmp

curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz

2. Extract the downloaded archive and move it to Apache’s root directory.

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tar xzvf latest.tar.gz

sudo mv wordpress /var/www/html/

3. Set the correct permissions for WordPress files.

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

sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/wordpress

Step 8: Configure Apache for WordPress

1. Create a configuration file for your WordPress site.

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

2. Add the following configuration. Replace example.com with your domain or server IP.

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<VirtualHost *:80>

    ServerAdmin admin@example.com

    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/wordpress

    ServerName example.com

    <Directory /var/www/html/wordpress/>

        Options FollowSymlinks

        AllowOverride All

    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log

    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

3. Enable the WordPress site and rewrite the module.

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sudo a2ensite wordpress.conf

sudo a2enmod rewrite

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 9: Configure WordPress

1. Navigate to the WordPress directory.

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cd /var/www/html/wordpress

2. Rename the sample configuration file.

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sudo mv wp-config-sample.php wp-config.php

3. Edit the wp-config.php file to set your database details.

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sudo vi wp-config.php

4. Find and modify the following lines to match the database name, user, and password you set up:

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define( 'DB_NAME', 'wordpress_db' );

define( 'DB_USER', 'wordpress_user' );

define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'YourPasswordHere' );

Step 10: Complete WordPress setup

Open your web browser and navigate to http://your_server_ip/wordpress. You should see the WordPress setup page. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your setup.

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This guide provides the steps for a secure and efficient WordPress installation on Leaseweb VPS. If you encounter any issues, double-check each command and make sure all services are running as expected. Enjoy your new WordPress site!

If you want to learn how we utilized WordPress for our own purposes and migrated from Confluence to WordPress, read our blog article.

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