A Step-by-Step Guide: Installing WordPress with LEMP on Ubuntu 22.04

Introduction:

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) used by millions of websites around the world. It provides a user-friendly interface for managing and publishing content. In this article, we will walk you through the process of installing WordPress with LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP) stack on Ubuntu 22.04. This powerful combination will enable you to create a robust and efficient WordPress website.

Prerequisites:

Before we begin, make sure you have the following requirements:

1. A server running Ubuntu 22.04.
2. SSH access to the server with root privileges.
3. Basic knowledge of the Linux command line.

Step 1: Update System Packages

To start, let’s update the system packages to their latest versions. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Nginx

Nginx is a high-performance web server that will serve as the frontend for our WordPress installation. Install Nginx by running the following command:

sudo apt install nginx

After the installation, start the Nginx service with the following command:

sudo systemctl start nginx

Step 3: Install MySQL

Next, we need to install the MySQL database server to store our WordPress data. Run the following command to install MySQL:

sudo apt install mysql-server

Once the installation is complete, secure the MySQL installation by running the command:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set the root password and improve the security of your MySQL installation.

Step 4: Install PHP and Required Extensions

PHP is the server-side scripting language used by WordPress. We’ll also need some PHP extensions for WordPress to function properly. Run the following command to install PHP and the necessary extensions:

sudo apt install php-fpm php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml php-xmlrpc php-zip

Step 5: Configure Nginx to Serve WordPress

Now, let’s configure Nginx to serve our WordPress website. Open the Nginx default configuration file using a text editor:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Inside the file, locate the server block and modify it as follows:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your_domain_or_IP_address;
    root /var/www/html;
    index index.php index.html index.htm;
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }
    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.0-fpm.sock;
    }
    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

Replace your_domain_or_IP_address with your server’s domain name or IP address. Save the changes and exit the editor.

Next, test the Nginx configuration for any syntax errors:

sudo nginx -t

If there are no errors, reload the Nginx configuration:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 6: Create a MySQL Database and User

To store WordPress data, we need to create a MySQL database and a dedicated user for it. Access the MySQL command-line interface:

sudo mysql

Create a new database:

CREATE DATABASE wordpress;

Create a new user and grant privileges on the database:

CREATE USER 'wordpressuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED

 BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO 'wordpressuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Remember to replace 'your_password' with a strong password of your choice.

Step 7: Download and Install WordPress

Navigate to the web server’s document root directory:

cd /var/www/html

Download the latest WordPress package using the following command:

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

Extract the downloaded archive:

sudo tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz

Rename the extracted folder to something more appropriate:

sudo mv wordpress your_domain_name

Step 8: Configure WordPress

Now, it’s time to configure WordPress. Create the WordPress configuration file by making a copy of the sample file:

cd your_domain_name
sudo cp wp-config-sample.php wp-config.php

Open wp-config.php in a text editor:

sudo nano wp-config.php

Locate the following lines and update them with the database details you created earlier:

define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress');
define('DB_USER', 'wordpressuser');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Save the changes and exit the editor.

Step 9: Complete the WordPress Installation

Open your web browser and navigate to http://your_domain_or_IP_address. You will be greeted with the WordPress installation page.

Provide the requested information, including the site title, admin username, password, and email. Click on the “Install WordPress” button to finalize the installation.

Conclusion:

Congratulations! You have successfully installed WordPress with the LEMP stack on Ubuntu 22.04. You can now begin customizing your website and adding content. Remember to regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins for better security and performance. Enjoy building your website with the power and flexibility of WordPress and the performance benefits of the LEMP stack!