Perplexing and Bursting Take on WordPress: Accessing and Installing on Localhost

WordPress is an incredibly popular open-source content management system (CMS) that allows bloggers, small business owners, and even larger corporations to create and manage their website’s content. One of the best features of WordPress is the ability to install it on your local computer, which allows you to customize, develop, and build your WordPress website or blog without the headache of hosting, server, and bandwidth issues. Plus, it’s the perfect way to get to grips with WordPress before you launch a website or blog on a live server.

Understanding the Localhost Environment

Before we dive into the specifics of accessing and installing WordPress on localhost, let’s have a brief recap of what the localhost environment is. When you install Apache or nginx web server software, you configure it to run on your local computer. This enables you to host and run a web application such as WordPress on your computer in a local environment, rather than on a live web server. The localhost environment is a virtual environment that allows you to host and run web applications like WordPress on your computer without an internet connection. This is an ideal set up for developers who want to test their code locally before pushing it live on a server.

The localhost environment uses an IP address that is reserved for local use only: 127.0.0.1. This sends data back to itself, and this IP is the loopback interface of your computer.

Installing WordPress on Localhost

Installing WordPress on Windows

If you’re installing WordPress on Windows, your first step is to install a local server environment. XAMPP is the most typical server application used for WordPress development on Windows. XAMPP is a free, open-source web server solution that includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

Step 1 – Install and Configure XAMPP on Windows

• Double click the installer and pick the directory you want to install XAMPP in.
• Choose the components you want to install, and pick the directory where you want to install Bitnami.
• Wait for installation to complete.
• Start the Apache and MySQL modules to install WordPress.

Step 2 – Download and Install WordPress on Windows

• Download the WordPress package from the official website.
• Extract the package to C:\xampp\htdocs directory.
• Rename the extracted directory to something like myblog.
• Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/myblog/ or http://127.0.0.1/myblog/ to start installing WordPress.

Installing WordPress on Mac

If you’re installing WordPress on a Mac, you first need to install a local server environment. MAMP is the common server application used for WordPress development on Mac. MAMP is a free, open-source web server solution that includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

Step 1 – Install and Configure MAMP on Mac

• Download and double-click the MAMP installer file to start the installation process.
• Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation process.
• Open the MAMP application and click “Preferences”.
• Pick the PHP version, port number, and Apache and MySQL ports to use.

Step 2 – Download and Install WordPress on Mac

• Download the WordPress package from the official website.
• Extract the package to the /Applications/MAMP/htdocs directory.
• Rename the extracted directory to something like myblog.
• Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8888/myblog/ to start the WordPress installation process.

Installing WordPress on Linux

Installing WordPress on Linux varies depending on the distribution and version of Linux you’re using. In general, you’ll need to install a web server software package like Apache, MySQL, and PHP on your Linux computer to install WordPress.

Step 1 – Install a LAMP Stack on Linux

LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) is the common software stack used to run web servers on Linux.

• For Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions, run: sudo apt-get install apache2 mysql-server php7.2 libapache2-mod-php7.2 php7.2-mysql php7.2-cli php7.2-fpm
• For CentOS/RHEL-based distributions, run: sudo yum install httpd mariadb-server php php-mysqlnd php-gd php-xml mariadb

Step 2 – Download and Install WordPress on Linux

• Download the WordPress package from the official website.
• Extract the package to the /var/www/html directory.
• Rename the extracted directory to something like myblog.
• Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/myblog/ to start the WordPress installation process.

Accessing WordPress on Localhost

Once you’ve installed WordPress on your localhost environment, you can access it using your web browser. Simply type “http://localhost/” or “http://127.0.0.1/” in the address bar. Adding the subdirectory name, like “http://localhost/myblog/” or “http://127.0.0.1/myblog/” also works. Enter your login credentials to log in and manage your website.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any issues while installing WordPress on localhost, here are some tips to help you resolve them:

Issue 1: Can’t Access WordPress after Installation

If you can’t access your installed WordPress after the installation, try clearing your browser cache or try another web browser. Alternatively, check if your web server services (Apache, MySQL) are running.