Installing WordPress on Ubuntu 22.04: A Journey from Shared Hosting

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share my experience in installing WordPress on Ubuntu 22.04 after transitioning from shared hosting. WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems, offering flexibility and customization for website owners. Whether you’re a blogger, a small business owner, or anyone looking to run a WordPress website on their own server, this step-by-step tutorial will help you make the switch. I’ll also discuss the benefits of hosting a website on an anonymous web host for added security and privacy.

Prerequisites:

Before we begin, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

1. A server running Ubuntu 22.04.
2. SSH access to your server.
3. A domain name pointed to your server’s IP address (optional but recommended).
4. Basic command-line knowledge.

Step 1: Connect to Your Server

Start by connecting to your Ubuntu 22.04 server using SSH. Open your terminal and run the following command, replacing your_username and your_server_ip with your server’s credentials:

ssh your_username@your_server_ip

Step 2: Update Your System

Before installing WordPress, ensure your server is up-to-date. Run the following commands to update the package list and upgrade your system:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

This ensures your server has the latest packages and security updates.

Step 3: Install LAMP Stack

WordPress requires a web server, a database server, and PHP. You can set up a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) stack to meet these requirements. Install the LAMP stack with the following command:

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php

During the MySQL installation, you’ll be prompted to set a password for the MySQL root user.

Step 4: Secure MySQL Installation

For added security, run the MySQL security script to secure your MySQL installation:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

This script will guide you through various security settings, including setting a root password, removing anonymous users, and disallowing remote root login.

Step 5: Create a MySQL Database and User

To create a MySQL database and user for WordPress, log in to the MySQL server:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Enter your MySQL root password when prompted.

Now, create a new database and user, and grant the user privileges. Replace yourdbname, youruser, and yourpassword with your desired database name, username, and password:

CREATE DATABASE yourdbname;

CREATE USER ‘youruser’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘yourpassword’;

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON yourdbname.* TO ‘youruser’@’localhost’;

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

EXIT;

Step 6: Download and Extract WordPress

Change to your Apache web server’s document root directory:

cd /var/www/html

Download the latest version of WordPress:

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

Extract the downloaded file:

sudo tar -xzvf latest.tar.gz

This will create a wordpress directory with WordPress files.

Step 7: Configure WordPress

Copy the sample configuration file:

sudo cp /var/www/html/wordpress/wp-config-sample.php /var/www/html/wordpress/wp-config.php

Now, open the configuration file for editing:

sudo nano /var/www/html/wordpress/wp-config.php

In the file, provide the database information you created earlier. Modify the following lines:

define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘yourdbname’);

define(‘DB_USER’, ‘youruser’);

define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘yourpassword’);

Save and exit the text editor.

Step 8: Set File Permissions

For security reasons, adjust file and directory permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/wordpress

sudo find /var/www/html/wordpress -type d -exec chmod 750 {} \;

sudo find /var/www/html/wordpress -type f -exec chmod 640 {} \;

Step 9: Create an Apache Configuration File

Create a new Apache configuration file for your WordPress site:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/yourdomain.com.conf

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name or IP address, and add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>

ServerAdmin webmaster@yourdomain.com

DocumentRoot /var/www/html/wordpress

ServerName yourdomain.com

ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com

<Directory /var/www/html/wordpress/>

Options FollowSymLinks

AllowOverride All

Require all granted

</Directory>

ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/yourdomain.com_error.log

CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/yourdomain.com_access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

Save and exit the text editor.

Step 10: Enable the New Site and Apache Modules

Enable the new site configuration:

sudo a2ensite yourdomain.com.conf

Enable the Apache rewrite module, which is required for WordPress pretty permalinks:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

Restart Apache for the changes to take effect:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 11: Complete WordPress Installation

You can now access your WordPress site by visiting your domain name or server IP address in a web browser. You will be prompted to complete the installation by providing some basic information such as your site title, username, and password.

Once you complete the installation, you’ll have a fully functional WordPress site on your Ubuntu 22.04 server.

Hosting on an Anonymous Web Host:

Hosting your website on an anonymous web host can provide an extra layer of security and privacy. When you host your site anonymously, you don’t need to share your personal data, such as your name, address, or contact details. This can help protect your identity and reduce the risk of your personal information falling into the wrong hands. Additionally, anonymous web hosts often offer secure and reliable hosting services that prioritize user privacy and data protection.

By hosting my website on an anonymous web host, I’ve ensured that my site runs securely and reliably on WordPress on Ubuntu 22.04 without compromising my personal information.

If you now use shared hosting, switching to hosting your own WordPress site on Ubuntu 22.04 will give you increased control, flexibility, and security over your website. You can effectively set up a WordPress site on your own server if you follow these steps and do so in a step-by-step manner. In addition, having your website stored on an anonymous web server provides an additional layer of privacy and protection, so assuring that your website will continue to be safe.

Once you have your WordPress site up and running, you have the flexibility to personalize it, scale it, and manage it according to your preferences. Good luck with your new WordPress journey on Ubuntu 22.04!