How to Install WordPress on Ubuntu: A Step-by-Step Guide

WordPress is one of the most widely used platforms for building websites due to its flexibility and ease of use. If you are looking to set up your own website, WordPress is an excellent choice on Ubuntu. This guide will walk you through the process with easy steps. Beginners and advanced users can both follow this guide. 

Prerequisites to Install WordPress on Ubuntu

Before you install WordPress on Ubuntu, you need to take care of these requirements: 

1. Ubuntu Server

A physical system that is running Ubuntu 20.4/22.04 with root or sudo access. 

2. A Non-Root User with Sudo Privileges

You can use a non-root user with sudo access to execute commands for security. 

3. System Updates

Update your system to the latest package using: 

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

4. LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)

• Apache Web Server: Handles HTTP requests.
• MySQL or MariaDB: Stores WordPress data.
• PHP: Processes WordPress scripts.

5. MySQL Database and User

Use a dedicated database and user for WordPress. 

6. Firewall Configuration (If Enabled)

If UFW is active, allow web traffic using:

sudo ufw allow ‘Apache Full’

7. Domain Name and SSL Certificate (Optional but Recommended)

Securing a domain name and SSL certificate is recommended for better accessibility. 

How to Install WordPress on Ubuntu

To install WordPress on Ubuntu, you can follow these simple steps. 

Step 1: Update and Upgrade the System

Before installing a new software, you need to update your package list and upgrade the existing packages to the latest versions. 

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

This ensures you have the latest security patches and bug fixes.

Step 2: Install LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)

To install WordPress on Ubuntu, you need to install Apache Web Server. 

Install Apache Web Server

The most commonly used web server for WordPress is Apache. You can install and enable it with the following commands: 

sudo apt install apache2 -y

sudo systemctl enable apache2

sudo systemctl start apache2

To verify that Apache is running smoothing, open your browser and go to http://your_server_IP. 

If you are using the UFW Firewall, allow Apache traffic, run the command: 

sudo ufw allow ‘Apache Full’

Install MySQL Database Server

WordPress needs a secure database to store content. You can install MySQL by using this command: 

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Secure the MySQL installation by running:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

• Set a root password (if prompted).
• Remove anonymous users and test databases for security.

Verify MySQL is running:

sudo systemctl status mysql

Install PHP and Required Extensions

Install PHP along with all the essential extensions: 

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-curl php-xml php-mbstring php-zip php-gd -y

Check if PHP is installed:

php -v

It should display the installed PHP version.

Step 3: Download and Configure WordPress

Download WordPress

Move to the Apache web directory and download WordPress:

cd /var/www/html

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

Extract the archive and remove the tar file:

sudo tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz

sudo rm latest.tar.gz

Rename the WordPress folder (optional):

sudo mv wordpress mywebsite

Set Proper Permissions

Change ownership and set the correct file permissions to avoid issues at the last minute. 

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

sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/mywebsite

Create a WordPress Database

Log into MySQL:
sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a new database for WordPress:
CREATE DATABASE wordpress;

Create a new user and grant privileges:
CREATE USER ‘wpuser’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘your_password’;

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO ‘wpuser’@’localhost’;

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

EXIT;

Step 4: Configure Apache for WordPress

Create a Virtual Host File for WordPress

Create a new Apache configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/wordpress.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>

    ServerAdmin [email protected]

    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/mywebsite

    ServerName your_domain_or_IP

    <Directory /var/www/html/mywebsite>

        AllowOverride All

    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log

    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

</VirtualHost>

Save and exit (Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter).

Enable the WordPress Site and Required Modules

sudo a2ensite wordpress.conf

sudo a2enmod rewrite

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 5:  Complete the WordPress Installation via Web Interface

1. Open your browser and go to http://your_domain_or_IP.
2. Select your preferred language and click Continue.
3. Enter the database details:
   • Database Name: wordpress
   • Username: wpuser
   • Password: your_password
   • Database Host: localhost
   • Table Prefix: wp_ (default)
4. Click Submit, then Run the installation.
5. Set up the following:
   • Site Title
   • Admin Username & Password
   • Your Email Address
6. Click Install WordPress, then log in to your WordPress admin panel through (http://your_domain_or_IP/wp-admin).

Step 6: Secure Your WordPress Installation

Enable UFW Firewall (If Not Enabled)

sudo ufw enable

sudo ufw allow ‘Apache Full’

Install SSL Certificate (Recommended for Security)

Make use of CyberPanel free SSL certificate.

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

sudo certbot –apache -d your_domain_or_IP

Follow the prompts to configure SSL and automatically redirect HTTP to HTTPS.

Disable XML-RPC (Prevent Attacks)

WordPress’s XML-RPC features are often targeted by attackers. Disable it by adding this line in Apache’s .htaccess file:

<Files xmlrpc.php>

    Order Allow,Deny

    Deny from all

</Files>

Save the file and restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Troubleshooting Common Issues – Install WordPress on Ubuntu

Issue	Possible Cause	Troubleshooting Steps
High CPU Load	Too many processes consuming CPU	– Use top or htop to identify CPU-hungry processes.- Kill unnecessary processes with kill -9 PID.- Optimize applications or adjust scheduling priorities (nice, renice).
High I/O Wait (High Disk Usage)	Slow or overloaded disk operations	– Check disk usage with iostat -x, iotop, or df -h.- Optimize disk performance using SSDs or RAID.- Reduce disk writes and optimize database queries.
Too Many Runnable Processes	Excessive background tasks	– Use `ps -eo stat,pid,cmd
Memory Shortage (High Swap Usage)	Insufficient RAM, excessive paging	– Check memory usage with free -m or vmstat.- Increase RAM if needed.- Tune swappiness to reduce swap dependency (sysctl vm.swappiness=10).
Network Bottlenecks	High network traffic affecting system	– Monitor network usage with iftop or nload.- Limit bandwidth for processes using tc (traffic control).- Optimize network configurations.
Misconfigured Applications	Poorly optimized software consuming resources	– Check logs for errors (/var/log/syslog, /var/log/dmesg).- Update or reconfigure applications.- Optimize database queries and caching mechanisms.

Wrapping Up – Install WordPress on Ubuntu 

Using this guide, you can easily install WordPress on Ubuntu with full configurations and security permissions and optimizations. With WordPress now installed, the next steps involve customizing the website, installing themes and plugins, and optimizing performance through caching and database tuning. No matter if you are a beginner or a technical user, this guide will help you out!