STACKSCRIPT: WORDPRESS 3 with NGINX, Caching & FURLS: VPS BIBLE




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Run this WordPress for LEMP * script on your Ubuntu/Debian distro & simply login to your blog. It automatically creates and connects WordPress to your MySQL database, adds the virtual host with caching, tweaks the permalink rewrites and sets super-tight permissions.

* Linux-Nginx-MySQL-PHP

This no-hassle 2 minute stackscript allows you to add a WordPress blog to your virtual private server in the easiest possible way and, if you want more blogs, simply run it again.

The WordPress 3 Series: Choices Choices!

There are 4 options in the WP3 series:-

Single WP Sites

Just want the WordPress CMS?

WP MultiSites

Prefer a Community?

The stackscripts considerably fast-track the manual process but follow the same variable-driven code of their copy/paste alternatives. The manual install guides have more detail and provide a cracking cure for insomnia.

The multi-sites process opts for sub-domains, not sub-directories, and is a more involved process, but still noob-friendy.

Single sites can later be upgraded to multi-sites.

Setup Unmanaged VPS: The Ubuntu-Nginx Guide

Take your virtual private server from zero to hero

  .. from blank box to cute-as server ..  

with this easy-to-follow copy/paste guide.

22+ parts with video, here’s the index.

WordPress Single Site (manual or stack): Spec

This WordPress install results in a securely hosted blog. Here’s the deal:-

  • update and safe-upgrade your Linux distribution
  • setup pretty permalinks
  • setup caching for WP Super Cache
  • backup any site files & virtual host with a matching domain and path
  • setup your blog’s configuration file (virtual host)
  • .. linking that to Nginx with a symlink
  • setup the database
  • setup the website folder structure and log files
  • download and install WordPress
  • create the wp-config.php file
  • connect the database
  • assign least privilege file permissions
  • restart Nginx web server
  • restart either PHP-FPM or PHP-FastCGI

WordPress 3 Installation: Backup

Files

This process, whether manual or scripted, creates your new blog’s web directory structure but only after moving any existing site and its corresponding virtual host file. These will be found at:-

  • Old Site  /home/USER/public_html/YourDomain.tld_OLD
  • Old vhost  /usr/local/nginx/sites-available/YourDomain.tld_OLD

Note: if you run this process a second time for the same domain the secondary site and vhost backup will overwrite the initial backup. If in doubt, backup your web files yourself:-


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Database

Don’t use an existing database, create a new one.

If you later wish to import data from an existing database you may find it easier to match the table prefix variable.

There are guides linked from the Admin section of the Ubuntu-Nginx index for how to export and import data.

WordPress 3 Installation Variables

To make life easier all the vpsBible WP3 installations utilise the same set of variables. They’re pretty self-explanatory but to shed any doubt ..

A typical variable entry reads:-

export USER=”vpsUsername”

Only change text inside “quotation marks”. Ie, only change vpsUsername.

Values must not be left blank.

Some special characters – &,/,!,(,),{,} AFAIK – disable script functionality unless commented with a backslash “” beforehand.


export DOMAIN=”yourblog.com”  The domain name.

export USER=”vpsUsername”  Your VPS username.

export MYSQLPASSWORD=”mysqlPassword”  Your root MySQL password.

export WPDB=”dbName”  Choose a WordPress database name.

export WPDBUSER=”dbUsername”  Choose a WordPress database username.

export WPDBPASS=”dbPassword”  Choose a WordPress database password.

export WPVER=”3.0?  The latest WordPress version.

export WPDBPREFIX=”somePrefix_”  It’s best to change the db table prefix from default wp.

Let’s go.

Add a New Domain Zone

If you’ve not already done so, register your domain to your IP by adding DNS records:-

WordPress Stackscript: How to Execute

Firstly, copy the script to a plain text editor and edit the values:-


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Assume Super-User Privileges

Logged into the VPS via a terminal, elevate to root:-


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Run the WordPress 3 Stack

Open a new file:-


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In there paste CTRL-SHIFT-v the entire contents of the script with your variables.

Save and close the file .. CTRL-x > y > ENTER

Give root permissions to execute the file:-


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Chocks away:-


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After a couple of minutes (more like 1 on my Linode 512) the script runs out of things to do and you’ll see its completion message.

Browse to your site before someone else does.

Logging into your WordPress Blog

Just add your site title, choose a WordPress username (not the same as the db username), choose a WordPress password (not the same as the db password) and an email address. Click through to the login page.

Pretty Permalinks for WordPress Sites

Setup a FURL structure here:-

  • Dashboard > Settings > Permalinks

For example, check the Custom Structure and type /%category%/%postname%/.

WP Super Cache for WordPress Multi-Sites

Grab the plugin in the regular way:-

  • Dashboard > Plugins > Add New

Enter Super Cache in the search box, hit return and from the search results click Install next to WP Super Cache.

When WordPress freaks out you’ll either have to enter S/FTP details or else elevate Nginx permissions which, for security’s sake, we’ve set pretty tight. Here’s my preferred method:-

WP Upgrades and Plugin Installs Assistance

Optionally, add a couple of command line shortcuts ..

If you haven’t set up SFTP, don’t like FTP but subscribe to this post’s use of least privilege permissions you will have problems upgrading or updating from within the WP Dashboard.

This happens because Nginx doesn’t have sufficient access to the WordPress application. For security reasons this is good.

.. But it is a problem when you want to do things like add or upgrade plugins.

No longer!

The chunk of code below adds two super-handy bashrc alias shortcuts that replace the equivalent commands that are hard to remember.

Now, when you want to upgrade WordPress or plugins, install stuff, upload stuff, type this first in your terminal:-

wpupgrade

That does NOT change permissions, but makes Nginx the owner of your WordPress wp-admin & wp-content files ONLY.

When you are done it is important to revert this.

wpsafe

Cool.

If you’re a vpsBible veteran you may already have the code. Check by opening the file:-


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Scroll to the bottom and look for code identical to that below. The aliases wpupgrade and wpsafe are good clues.

Like bashrc? Find out more.

Enough spiel. If you want this easy permissions switch, crunch the code. To make sure they are still exporting, edit the two variables first to match your above values, then paste the lot:-


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So, elevate your permissions with wpupgrade and, once the plugin is downloaded and installed, activate it before resetting your permissions with wpsafe.

Delete the Stackscript

Bin the script now. It’s a liability:-


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Leave root:-


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And blog-tastic.

Setting up More Standalone WordPress Sites

If you want more individual .com WordPress domains, change the variables, rinse and repeat.

If you want to enable sub-domains later on you can by following Setup WordPress 3 for Sub-Sites on LEMP, filling in this tutorial’s blanks to enable a network. It would help to gauge that tutorial not against this one but against it’s equivalent Setup WordPress 3 for Single Sites on LEMP which, not being in stack format, is more comprehensively stepped out.

Setup Unmanaged VPS: The Ubuntu-Nginx Guide

Take your virtual private server from zero to hero

with this easy-to-follow copy/paste guide.

“My local PC runs Windows” Show me for Linux/Mac

22+ parts with video, here’s the index ..

Manage Unmanaged VPS: Ubuntu-Nginx Administration

Already set it up? We’d best maintain it then.

Toggle to the ..  Ubuntu-Nginx Admin Index

Manage Unmanaged VPS: Ubuntu-Nginx Administration

Maintain your virtual private server with ..

.. cheatsheets, tutorials, tips & guides.

Head back to the ..  Ubuntu-Nginx Installation Index

Nginx Admin: In the Works ..

This lot’s marked for addition already:-

  • Setup or Edit DNS using Bind
  • Network Tools Troubleshooting Guide
  • The Comprehensive Permissions Guide
  • Configuring Nginx Rewrites
  • Custom Website Error Page
  • Setting up Cron Jobs
  • Rsync for Incremental Remote-to-Local Backup
  • Cron & Rsync for Automatic Backup
  • Cron & mysqldump for Auto DB Backup
  • Safeguard Bandwidth with Hotlink Protection
  • Block Access with Nginx’ IP Deny



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