How to Install WordPress on a Dedicated Server
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that makes it easier than ever to set up and manage a blog or a website. Installing and using WordPress is both simple and easy to do, so it’s perfect for anyone who wants to get started blogging or using a website quickly and with little to no technical knowledge. In this article, you’ll learn how to install WordPress on a dedicated server so that you can take advantage of all its many benefits.
Step 1: Find A Dedicated Server With WordPress Installed
To start, you’ll need to find a suitable dedicated server with WordPress already installed. You can either choose one that is pre-configured with WordPress or ask the provider to install it for you. You should look for a reputable host that is up to date with the latest WordPress releases and offers a money-back guarantee in case you’re not completely satisfied with their service. Finally, make sure that the server you choose is equipped with the necessary tools to administer a WordPress installation. These tools can vary from a WordPress dashboard to a CPanel, but you’ll need at least the options to install, migrate, and delete WordPress.
Step 2: Install Web Server And PHP On The Server
Once you have your dedicated server with WordPress installed, you’ll need to consider installing a web server on it to make it accessible from outside devices. A web server provides a web interface that lets you manage your WordPress installation, create blog posts, and more via a web browser on any device with internet access. There are many web servers to choose from, but one of the best and most popular choices is the Apache web server. In most cases, a web server is pre-installed on a dedicated server, although you can find many that are separate purchases.
PHP is a widely used open source programming language that is primarily used to build websites and online stores. When you install PHP on your server, it will provide you with a scripting interface called a “web server” that you can access from any device with internet access. This way, you can create dynamic and interactive web content without needing to know how to code. You can use a tool like WAMP to quickly setup a local development environment with PHP and MySQL available on your computer. Doing this will make it much easier to test out new ideas and features before launching them to the public.
Step 3: Install WordPress To The Server
After you’ve installed a web server on your server and enabled it via php, you can proceed to install and set up WordPress to the server. This process is simple and straightforward, and it only takes a few minutes. You’ll first need to download and extract the WordPress archive to your web server. To do this, visit the WordPress website and click on the Downloads button at the top right corner of the screen. This will take you to a page where you can find the latest version of WordPress as well as the original archive (.zip) that contains all the files you need to get started.
Once you’ve downloaded the WordPress archive, you’ll need to extract it on your web server. To do this, use the command line and enter the following in the terminal:
#tar -xvf wordpress.org/latest (folder location)
This will extract all the files in the WordPress folder to your web server. When the process is finished, you’ll see a new folder named wordpress on your web server. This is where all the files related to WordPress are stored.
Inside the wordpress folder, you’ll find a number of subfolders and files. The most important ones are:
- install: This folder contains the WordPress install script that was used to actually install WordPress onto your server.
- maintenance: This is where the WordPress software stores its various log files. You can use the tail command line tool to view the latest log entries.
- theme: This is where WordPress stores the various themes that it supports. Each theme provides a different visual presentation for WordPress and can be customized via the theme options panel in the WordPress dashboard.
- uploaded: This is where all the images, videos, and other media files that you add to your posts via the WordPress dashboard are stored. You can access this folder via FTP or Filezilla.
- xml: This is the core database file for WordPress which contains metadata about all the content that is stored in the other folders. You can use the Core Export tool to create a backup of this file in case it were to ever somehow become corrupted.
- wp-admin: This is the main administration area of WordPress where you can control all the aspects of the software. You can access this folder via FTP or Filezilla.
Step 4: Configure The WordPress Dashboard
After you’ve installed WordPress onto your server, you can proceed to the next step to start using it for your blog or website. The first thing you’ll need to do is log in to your WordPress dashboard by entering your username and password.
On the dashboard, you’ll see a link to Settings with an orange button. Click this link to open the WordPress Settings page.
The Settings page provides you with numerous options to customize the look and functionality of your WordPress installation. You can also use this page to configure the various tools that WordPress provides to its users. These include the dashboard, comments, spam, and email addresses.
The options on the WordPress Settings page are primarily stored within the WordPress configuration file. This file can be accessed from the command line via FTP or Filezilla. Once you’ve made the appropriate changes on the Settings page and saved them, you’ll need to flush the caches (Data, URL, and CSS) of your web browser to make sure that these changes are reflected on the site.
Step 5: Activate The WordPress Live Chat Plugin
The WordPress Live Chat plugin provides you with the ability to have real-time conversations with site visitors via a live chat window that appears next to each post or comment.
A live chat window is a small box which opens in the browser when a visitor clicks on a specific link or visits a certain page. Once the chat window opens, they will see your profile picture and a text box where you can type a message to them.
You can use this message to ask questions, give tips, or just engage in a conversation with site visitors. In most cases, this is the final step in setting up a WordPress installation, but it’s up to you as the end user to take advantage of the many features that this plugin provides.
Step 6: Test The WordPress Installation
At this point, you’ve successfully installed WordPress and configured the dashboard, so all that’s left is to test it and make sure that it works correctly. To do this, you’ll need to create a test blog post.
From your WordPress dashboard, click on Tools and then select the Add New button at the top right corner. This will bring up a form where you can enter a title and content for your blog post. Once you’ve finished, click on the Publish button.
You’ll now see your test post appear on the front page of your WordPress blog. Go ahead and click on the link to engage with your readers.
If everything went well, you’ll see a message similar to the one below:
Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured WordPress on your server. Your new site is ready to go live. To get started, visit yourwebsite.com and click on the Login button at the top right panel of the screen.
If you see this message and your website is working properly, then congratulations! You’re ready to launch and begin using WordPress to manage your blog or website.
Why Use A Dedicated Server For WordPress?
There are a number of advantages to using a dedicated server for a WordPress installation versus just using your personal computer to do everything. In most cases, a dedicated server provides you with a greater degree of security and stability due to the fact that it’s not shared with other users or shared hardware.
Additionally, WordPress was designed to be used in conjunction with other web servers and content delivery networks (CDNs) to provide better performance and faster loading times for your users.