Installing Wordpress on your Website

Installing Wordpress


Assuming you have already set up web hosting and have a domain name, this is how to set up your own blog using Wordpress.

Installing Wordpress really is a breeze, but I personally found the instructions on the Wordpress website just a little too sketchy and I also found the constant reassurances that it was easy a bit disconcerting when I ran into difficulties. The stages are:-

1. Download the latest version of Wordpress from http://wordpress.org/download/ .

2. Unzip it to a folder. Personally I like to do this sort of thing on my Desktop so I can find it again easily if I get into trouble and to remind me to get rid of all the superfluous files at a later date when everything is in order.

3. Use an FTP programme to transfer the contents of the folder you have just created to the htdocs folder of your web. A good FTP option is the FireFTP Firefox extension.

4. Set up a MySQL database. The service provider should have instructions on how to do this. Make a note on paper of the following.

MySQL Server e.g., MySQL14

MySQL Host Name e.g., 79.99.43.20

MySQL User name e.g., independen3

MySQL Password e.g., s146952

5. Use your FTP programme to find the file named wp-config-sample.php. This will be in the directory Htdocs. Rename it to wp-config.php (to do this in FireFTP click on it while holding the control key).

6. Edit the file (to this in FireFTP highlight the file and click on it while holding the control key). The contents of the file are:

<?php// * MySQL settings * //define(‘DBNAME’, ‘putyourdbnamehere’); // The name of the databasedefine(‘DBUSER’, ‘usernamehere’); // Your MySQL usernamedefine(‘DBPASSWORD’, ‘yourpasswordhere’); // …and passworddefine(‘DBHOST’, ‘localhost’); // 99% chance you won’t need to change this valuedefine(‘DBCHARSET’, ‘utf8’);define(‘DBCOLLATE’, ”);

// Change each KEY to a different unique phrase. You won’t have to remember the phrases later,// so make them long and complicated. You can visit http://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/// to get keys generated for you, or just make something up. Each key should have a different phrase.define(‘AUTHKEY’, ‘put your unique phrase here’); // Change this to a unique phrase.define(‘SECUREAUTHKEY’, ‘put your unique phrase here’); // Change this to a unique phrase.define(‘LOGGEDINKEY’, ‘put your unique phrase here’); // Change this to a unique phrase.

// You can have multiple installations in one database if you give each a unique prefix$tableprefix = ‘wp’; // Only numbers, letters, and underscores please!

// Change this to localize WordPress. A corresponding MO file for the// chosen language must be installed to wp-content/languages.// For example, install de.mo to wp-content/languages and set WPLANG to ‘de’// to enable German language support.define (‘WPLANG’, ”);

/* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */

if ( !defined(‘ABSPATH’) ) define(‘ABSPATH’, dirname(FILE) . ‘/’);requireonce(ABSPATH . ‘wp-settings.php’);?>



Change it to

<?php// ** MySQL settings ** //define('DB_NAME', 'independen3'); // The name of the databasedefine('DB_USER', 'independen3'); // Your MySQL usernamedefine('DB_PASSWORD', 's146952'); // ...and passworddefine('DB_HOST', '79.99.43.20'); // 99% chance you won't need to change this valuedefine('DB_CHARSET', 'utf8');define('DB_COLLATE', '');
// Change each KEY to a different unique phrase. You won't have to remember the phrases later,// so make them long and complicated. You can visit http://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/// to get keys generated for you, or just make something up. Each key should have a different phrase.define('AUTH_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here'); // Change this to a unique phrase.define('SECURE_AUTH_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here'); // Change this to a unique phrase.define('LOGGED_IN_KEY', 'put your unique phrase here'); // Change this to a unique phrase.
// You can have multiple installations in one database if you give each a unique prefix$table_prefix = 'wp_'; // Only numbers, letters, and underscores please!
// Change this to localize WordPress. A corresponding MO file for the// chosen language must be installed to wp-content/languages.// For example, install de.mo to wp-content/languages and set WPLANG to 'de'// to enable German language support.define ('WPLANG', '');
/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
if ( !defined('ABSPATH') ) define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');?>
7. Now you need to run the installation programme by pointing your browser at the install file. You do this by entering http://yourwebsiteaddress/install in the browser bar. The installation programme will run and will generate a confusing admin password. You MUST write this down on paper. You will need it to administer your website.
There it is - your website is now up and running with the default Wordpress theme. This will probably look a bit familiar because there are a reasonable number of websites on the net that have never got beyond the stage you have just reached.