WordPress: How To Install WordPress

Welcome to TECHLIGHTPORT, Are you interested in articles about How To Install WordPress, this post contains all the necessary details on wordpress installation.

How To Install WordPress On Your Website

If you are a pro-webmaster, this post isn’t for you. Am sure when it comes to installing WordPress you don’t need help, it should be simple for you.

But for beginners who wish to start up  with WordPress and really finding it very difficult to use, here is a simple but yet detailed tutorial on how to setup a WordPress site within minutes.

How To Install WordPress

Basically, there are 2 ways for WordPress installation.
1. Automatic WordPress Installation
2. Manual WordPress Installation.

Automatic WordPress installation

If you intend running WordPress, you need to get a CPanel hosting account, this will make the installation auto for you.
Most hosting companies nowadays offer CPanel type of hosting, which will makes it easy for you to locate one.

Now once you have a CPanel hosting account, Now log in to your control panel, Locate where the  Fantastico or any other automated script installation section is (Mostly under software/services), then click on it. Now in the Fantastico page , locate the WordPress software, Set the details as you are required, then you’re done.

Manual WordPress installation

Here might look difficult for a newbie, but when you get it going you will understand it’s simple, but just require a longer process.

So if you cant get the script auto-installed, probably your host doesn’t provide the auto-installer feature, then this method should work for you. But you will sure need to get your eyes and hands ‘dirty’…Just kidding.

What you need to do first is, download the WordPress script from wordpress.org. Make sure you download the latest release then unzip it. Once you have unzip it, you will have 3 main directories (wp-admin, wp-content, wp-includes) and some other php, txt and html files.

Here is what we need to prepare now:

1. Files For Upload– Now that you have gotten the script downloaded and also unzipped, Then you will need to upload all of the content (the 3 directories and the files) on your hosting control panel, some control panels allows you to upload zip files then you can unzipped the file there after upload.

2. Creating The Database – Now Log into your control panel, Then create a new database which your WordPress site is going to make use of. Setting a database requires basically, a database name, Username and password (when creating this make sure its as complex as possible, or rather use a password generator), After you have created that, On CPanel, there’s an option adding user to database, That’s the user that will have access to the database.

3. Connecting Your WordPress With Database – Now after you have successfully done the above, now you will need to connect both the files you uploaded and your new database together, To do this, you need to edit one of the files you have uploaded, which is the  “wp-config-sample.php” file,

Here is how you need to edit it:

– open the file in editing mode (I use notepad++, you can use ordinary Notepad)
– Now write your database name, username and password where ever it asks you to

 [php]

 /** The name of the database for WordPress */

define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘database_name_here’); <strong><- HERE</strong>

/** MySQL database username */

define(‘DB_USER’, ‘username_here’); <strong><- HERE</strong>

/** MySQL database password */

define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘password_here’); <strong><- AND HERE</strong>

[/php]

– Now save and rename the file to wp-config.php
 
– Then re-upload it to your control panel where you have others uploaded,( in-case you want to edit the file from the control-panel, just rename the file to wp-config.php after editing. then you are done.

Creating WordPress in a sub-Directory

Now let say you have successfully done as i said above and the site you are installing for is www.mysite.com, Go to your control panel, you can go through any FTP tool, go to your root directory, so if you want to install the WordPress site in a different directory apart from the root directory like this:

www.mysite.com/blog

Lets say the WordPress directory you intend putting it is “blog” then create the directory and upload your files there or move the ones you have done already to the folder. Then all you files will be visible in that folder.

You are almost done.

Now visit your site directly

www.mysite.com or www.mysite.com.blog

In-case you haven’t edited the wp-config.php file as i said above, you will get an error that there’s been an error with your config file. Click to create it, then you can click create it, then submit you database details then create your admin user (use a complex password) and that’s it.

Some people prefer softaculous for auto-instalation, but i have been using fantastico all the while, and its smooth for me.