wordpress installation for beginners sheila bergman sheila@bergmanmediaservices..com

WordPress Installation for Beginners

Sheila Bergmansheila@bergmanmediaservices..com

Overview

Things You Will Need Domains and Web Hosting Installation Resources

Text Editor

Note Pad (Windows) Free Text Edit (Mac) Free Microsoft Word, Open Office, Pages Sublime Edit 2 (Windows/Mac/Linux) Free

Web Browser

Chrome (29%) Internet Explorer (22%) does not support the

latest web standards Firefox (19%) used by most developers Safari (16%) Android (5%)

FTP Software

Allows you to transfer files between your local computer and your webhost's server on the internet

Built into your webhost cPanel Filezilla (Windows/Mac/Linux) Free CyberDuck (Windows/Mac) Free

Domain Registration through your web host (easiest)

It can take a couple of days for Domains to

Registration Through an Independent Domain Registrar

Point the nameservers to your web host from your Domain Registration account.

Web Host: Recommended Hosts

free hosting for nonprofits, custom panel, offers domain registration

standard Cpanel, 1 free domain

Standard cpanel, no domain registrations

Web Host: Account

Ftp (file transfer protocol) access to web file directory

Control panel access to: account domains MySQL databases users Email Ftp ( usually clumsy)

Web Host: FTP Access

Follow your web host's instructions. It might be preconfigured.

Login to control panel to manage web root directory ftp username and password other options, use defaults if unsure

One Button Installs

Fantastico and other one button installers Vulnerable file in the root directory Uses default database table prefixes Uses Admin username Easy to find and easy access to Hackers

Installing WordPress

Download and unzip WordPress Upload WordPress files to the server Create MySQL database Configure WordPress wp-config.php file Login to the new site

Download WordPress

Unzip the WordPress folder on your local computer

Connect to your web server

Using the ftp login from your web host

Ftp the WordPress Files to the Top Level (Root) Directory.

The root directory is often called public_html, or it might have your domain name.

Create Database in Web Host Control Panel

Use a strong password!

Store this info in a safe place!

Rename wp-config.php

wp-config.php: Database Configure the database settingsUse Text Edit, Note Pad, Filezilla not Microsoft Word

wp-config.php Keys

Copy and paste the random security Keys from the given url.

wp-config.php: Optional Edits

More secure: set the database table prefix to something other than wp_ Save db clutter: limit the number of saved post revisions.

wp-config.php: Upload Edited File to Server

Set the database table prefix to something other than wp_ Optional Bonus: limit the number of saved revisions.

Go To Your Site and Login!

Runs the WordPress set up script. Do not use Admin for the default user name!

Troubleshooting: Most often it is a database configuration problem

Did you use a text editor that left hidden characters? Verify the db host, db name, db user, db password Google “WordPress common installation problems”

Post Install Check List Update the Settings (Set a date and time format, Modify Reading

and Writing settings Edit Discussion settings, Modify Permalinks structure, etc.) Edit Links/Blogroll Edit the "Hello World" post to something that fits your new site. Edit the About page (Add your info) Create additional pages (Advertise, Contact, etc.) Create categories and posts, or pages and parent structure Upload and Activate Plugins Edit Plugin Settings Upload Your Theme

Resources

MSP WordPress User group mspwordpress.com

Last Thursday evening of the month MSP St Paul WordPress google group

Helpful forum WordPress.org codex and forums, no really.

Google search "WordPress how to…" or "best …."

YouTube search “installing WordPress on 'your host company'”