Note – This article is split into two parts:
- Part 1: Why you should install WordPress manually.
- Part 2: Tutorial (video included) on how to install WordPress manually.
If you’re here to simply learn how to install WordPress manually, you may want to skip down to that part. Also, this tutorial is meant for new installs of WordPress only. If you want to learn how to “upgrade” WordPress manually, that video tutorial is coming real soon.
Part 1: Why you should install WordPress manually
To the right (and up) you’ll see the new WP Blog Host 125×125 gladiator banner ad. It’s meant to be a little funny, different, and most of all, let our prospective clients know we can make things easy for you as a new blogger.
I’m sure many of you have heard of the popular application installer, Fantastico. Although WP Blog Host does not use Fantastico, we have something very similar for easy installs of WordPress. Pretty much every blog I read out there advises newbie bloggers to find a web host with easy installs of WordPress.
I’m here to tell you that isn’t always the best way to go if you’re new to WordPress. The best way to go when you’re new is to take a stab at installing WordPress on your own, manually.
“What? Wait. No way, John. Are you trying to make my life more difficult?”
Trying to make your life more difficult, not exactly. What I’m trying to tell you is I’d rather teach you to fish than fish for you . . . or, you know – however that saying goes.
I’m always here for our customers, that’s part of the package deal for hosting with WP Blog Host – I’m right there to help. What new bloggers need to understand is that there is a huge learning curve when it comes to starting a blog. You not only need to learn how to blog and set up a time management system, you need to learn how WordPress works. And the best way to do that is to skip the easy “one-click” installer and install it yourself. It’ll teach you the basic organization of how WordPress is set up and configured.
As an example, I recently rebuilt my wife’s jewelry site. It’s built on a platform called Magento. Now I know a lot about WordPress, but Magento is a whole other beast – and I mean that literally. It was eating me alive!
I must of installed it 3 or 4 times before I got it all to work right. But you know what? I learned all about its foundation and how it works with a database by doing so.
If you use an application to install WordPress for the first time with no effort on your part (and you’re new to all this), you’ll probably have no idea what or why there is a thing called a database. By installing WordPress manually, you’ll understand how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Ok, enough rambling about what I think. Here’s the tutorial for you newbies out there.
Part 2: How to install WordPress manually
The tutorial has been split up into 4 videos do to time constraints put on video length with sites like YouTube and Blip.tv. Also, if you want to see what can happen to me when I drink 2 cups of coffee, click and watch the first 30 seconds of the 4th video.
Video 1
Video 2
Note for Video 2: For WP Blog Host customers, instead of logging into the database to get your Database Host, you could just click the pencil icon as shown below.
Video 3
Video 4
Links shown in the videos:
- Download WordPress: http://wordpress.org/download/
- WordPress 5-Minute Install: http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section below.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I never thought about installing Wordpress manually before. It seems like every time I sneeze on Wordpress, I ruin my blog (until I hire someone from ScriptLance to save the day). I will have to ponder this some more before I dive right in.
Carla´s last blog ..Thursday Link Love – green jobs, junk mail, vodka and more.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Hi Carla. You provide a perfect example of why I think it’s good for newbies to take a stab at manually installing WP on their own, because inevitably they will find they are having to deal with WP issues. So why not dive right in.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Hi John. I’m too chicken to watch these tutorials!
Well, not only that… just lack of time and focus to learn it right now. I’d rush through it and probably crash my blog. I trust your word that doing the manual install is a good thing to do and one day I WILL take this on. “I think I can…” I can appreciate this presentation you have created here John and I must confess — I did watch the first 30 seconds of the fourth video.
Davina´s last blog ..On the Edge of Being
July 6th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Hi John,
Like Davina I also watched the first 30 seconds of the fourth video to see “you” on too much coffee. Heehee.
I then ended up watching the whole video. Manual installations are intriguing to me, but they seem intimidating. I’ll have to come back and watch all of the videos when I have more time and see if that’s something I can do for myself.
Do these videos hold true for upgrades, as well?
BTW: It was nice hearing your voice. You sound like the kind soul I always thought you were.
July 7th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Davina & Barbara
Thanks for stopping by. It’s all good about not watching the videos. I don’t expect seasoned or already established bloggers to watch it unless this is something they want to try. It’s more for new bloggers searching online how to install WordPress on their own.
For the two of you, maybe give it a try one day just so you know you can do it. In the videos I make a small mistake and have to debug what I did. I purposely did not do a run through first so if this might happen people could watch how I find what my problem was (turns out I forgot to add my database username in video 2).
Thanks Barbara for the kind words.
Also, I will be doing a video shortly on how to upgrade WordPress manually. It’s slightly different only because you don’t have to deal with setting up a database and editing the wp-config.php file.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
LOL John – I tried to install Wordpress manually, several times. In the end I gave up and blogged on a blogger blog for a few months, until I learned about Fantastico.
Admittedly, I wish I knew more about Wordpress. The automatic upgrade isn’t working for me and I’m putting off doing it manually, incase the whole thing goes wrong.
Cath Lawson´s last blog ..Why Michael Jackson’s Funeral Tickets Shouldn’t Have Been Free
July 7th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Hi Cath. Let’s wait until 2.8.1 comes out before you upgrade because a lot of people have been having problems with 2.8.
When it’s out, I’ll send you an email and help you get that squared away.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I agree. It’s not that hard. You just need to work methodically.
It only makes sense that bloggers should be familiar with the behind-the-scenes of their blog.
Vered – MomGrind´s last blog ..Retouching As An Act Of Kindness
September 13th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Can’t imagine how long it took you to put these videos together… great explanation of all steps, superb visuals and all capped with what I can only describe as a professional voice-over voice.
I fully appreciate why you advise beginners to get involved with a manual install i.e. increasing your skills, understanding what you are doing etc, but my question is…. do you think installing with cPanel via Fantastico can cause problems?
Using cPanel looks so easy and with time commitments…. add your own excuses and justification here.
Bottom line… is it OK to install with cPanel or does it lead to problems later down the line?
September 13th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Hi Keith. Typically there should be no problems using Fantastico to install WordPress. I frequent the WordPress support forums and I have seen a few people mention an issue at times, but for the most part I think it’s safe.
Our company doesn’t use Fantastico, we have a similar auto installer. I’ve never had any issues using it to install WordPress on customer hosting accounts. In fact, it sometimes can be good to install it through the installer only because you can then do upgrades through it and if your upgrade breaks something, the auto-upgrade has a restore function.
It’s more about the learning curve. That’s why I mention beginners might want to take a stab at installing it on their own. It gives them a conceptual view of how WordPress is organized.
On another note, thanks for the good stuff you said about my video. It’s funny because I don’t like hearing my voice on there and yet I’ve had multiple people say I have a good voice for it. We’re our own worst critic, aren’t we?
September 13th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Appreciate your reply John, especially on a Sunday – no rest for the wicked!
I’ll be setting up my first Wordpress blog (more of a CMS site really) this afternoon… once I’ve cut the grass.
Keep up the great videos, and rest assured, all the ladies will be swooning at your voice-overs.
September 13th, 2009 at 7:32 am
No problem and you’re right, I never rest. I think in 0’s and 1’s LOL.
One little tip I don’t think I included in the video which can help increase security.
When installing WordPress, one of the things you need to do before you run the install script is edit your wp-config.php file with your database information (username, password, etc.). That’s in the video.
But when you’re editing that wp-config file, scroll down to where you see it say, $table_prefix = ‘wp_’;
Change the wp_ to something else, like 345LkeV_ or something. This is your database prefix and hackers know default installs of WordPress use wp_ so they can easily guess many WordPress user’s database info.
So make it look something like $table_prefix = ‘395KvsOW_’; or something.
Good luck and have fun cutting the grass. You know, I’m a part owner in a landscape company – but I just do the tech stuff. I’m not much into landscaping.
September 13th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Site up and running – basic Wordpress site but I’m going to use a great theme from “elegant themes”, which I’ve been looking at.
Site is http://easypublicspeaking.co.uk/
At this point, I have to come clean… I used cPanel – what a cowardy custard I am.
P.S. thanks for the additional tip in your comment.
September 13th, 2009 at 9:13 am
LOL it’s all good. It really is easier to do it that way.
You might want to check out my other video on cleaning up your root directory. By doing this, you can get all those pesky WP files and folders you never use out of your root directory.
September 13th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Cheers John.
Now please leave your computer alone and relax a little… I’m off for a white wine… or two!
Once my theme is installed, and the site looks acceptable, I’ll give you a link.
Please keep the videos coming.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Hi John,
I am a 99% newbie so I will take your advice and attempt to do my own manual installation. My BIG question is are the steps the same if this is my second WP blog install. Someone else did my first one. Please let me know if there is any step that are differnt.
I must admit it’s like driving on a very busy freeway and hope that you won’t get off at the wrong exit.
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. Waht is voice over?
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Hi Pat. It should work exactly the same. Just make sure you have a clean database for the new install. You can share databases, but I prefer creating new separate databases for each install.
Good luck.
Oh also, if you’re keeping existing files, back everything up. It’s always good to do. Files and databases.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 am
Thank you John,
I am legally blind so it will take me more than 5 minutes for sure.
Will let you know if I succeed.