Unpacking the Mysteries of Setting up WordPress on Ubuntu 18.04

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems out there, making the creation of websites and blogs a breeze. But setting it up on Ubuntu 18.04 might leave you feeling perplexed. Fear not, as we will help guide you through the process in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Meet LAMP

The essential components for WordPress to properly function are Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, also known as LAMP. To install LAMP, all you have to do is open a terminal window and enter:

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql

This command will install Apache 2, MySQL, and PHP. You will be asked to enter a MySQL root password during the installation process.

Step 2: Create a Enigma-like Database for WordPress

After installing LAMP, you need to create a database for WordPress. To do this, open the terminal window and enter:

mysql -u root -p

This will open the MySQL command prompt. From there, create a new database by entering:

CREATE DATABASE wordpress;

Next, create a new MySQL user:

CREATE USER 'wordpressuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

Note: Replace ‘password’ with a secure password of your choice. After creating a MySQL user, grant it access to the database by entering:

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO 'wordpressuser'@'localhost';

This will give the ‘wordpressuser’ account all privileges to access the ‘wordpress’ database. Finally, exit the MySQL command prompt by entering:

exit;

Step 3: Download and Install WordPress Like a Cryptic Message

Now it’s time to download and install WordPress. Open the terminal window and navigate to the /var/www/html directory by entering:

cd /var/www/html

Then download the latest WordPress version by entering:

sudo wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz

This will download the latest version of WordPress to the /var/www/html directory. After the download is complete, extract the archive by entering:

sudo tar -xzvf latest.tar.gz

This will extract the WordPress files to a new directory called ‘wordpress.’ Copy these files to the /var/www/html directory by entering:

sudo cp -r wordpress/* .

This will copy all the WordPress files to the /var/www/html directory.

Step 4: Configure WordPress Like a Riddle

After copying the WordPress files to the /var/www/html directory, it’s now time to configure WordPress. Rename the ‘wp-config-sample.php’ file by entering:

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

Next, open the wp-config.php file in a text editor:

sudo nano wp-config.php

In the wp-config.php file, enter the database details that you created in Step 2. Look for the following lines:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'database_name_here' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'username_here' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password_here' );

Replace ‘database_name_here’ with ‘wordpress’, ‘username_here’ with ‘wordpressuser’, and ‘password_here’ with the password that you set for the ‘wordpressuser’ account. Save and exit the file by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter.

Step 5: Configure Apache Virtual Host Like a Puzzling Mystery

Now, configure Apache virtual host by creating a new virtual host configuration file by entering:

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

In the text editor, enter the following:

<VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerAdmin admin@example.com
        DocumentRoot /var/www/html
        ServerName example.com
        ServerAlias www.example.com
        <Directory /var/www/html/>
                Options FollowSymLinks
                AllowOverride All
                Order allow,deny
                allow from all
        </Directory>
        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Be sure to replace ‘example.com’ with your domain name. Save and exit the file by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter. Enable the virtual host configuration file by entering:

sudo a2ensite wordpress.conf

Reload Apache by entering:

sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 6: Configure WordPress Site Like a Cipher

You have now installed and configured WordPress, so let’s access it by entering your domain name in a web browser. The first time you visit the site, you will be prompted to install WordPress.

Follow the steps provided by the installation wizard to complete the installation. You will need to enter the site title, username, password, and email address. Make sure to use a strong and secure password.

After completing the installation, you can log in to the WordPress admin dashboard by entering your domain name followed by “/wp-admin” in a web browser. For example, if your domain name is ‘example.com,’ enter ‘example.com/wp-admin’ in a web browser.

The Final Clue

In conclusion, setting up WordPress on Ubuntu 18.04 may seem like a cryptic mystery, but follow the steps outlined in this puzzling article, and you will have a fully functional WordPress site up and running in no time. Remember to keep your WordPress site updated and secure by installing updates and plugins regularly. Good luck!