---
tags:
  - rclone
  - backup
  - restore
  - wordpress
  - cloud
  - ubuntu
  - disaster-recovery
---

# Restoring a WordPress Site from an `rclone` Cloud Backup

This guide covers the disaster recovery process: your server has failed, and you need to rebuild your WordPress site from scratch using the off-site backups stored in your cloud provider via `rclone`.

## 1. Prerequisites: A New Server

This scenario assumes you are starting with a fresh, clean Ubuntu server.

1.  **Set up a LAMP Stack:** You need Apache, MySQL, and PHP installed.
    *   **Reference:** [[Ubuntu-LAMP-Setup|Setting Up a LAMP Stack on Ubuntu]]
2.  **Install and Configure `rclone`:** You must install `rclone` and configure it with the *exact same remote* you used for your backups (e.g., `gdrive`).
    *   **Reference:** [[Ubuntu-Rclone-Backups|Syncing Backups to the Cloud with `rclone`]] (Follow steps 2 and 3).

## 2. Step 1: Download Backups from the Cloud

First, we need to pull the backup files from your cloud storage down to your new server.

1.  **Create a local backup directory:**
    ```bash
    sudo mkdir -p /var/backups/wordpress
    ```
2.  **Sync from the cloud:**
    *   This command copies the contents of the `WordPressBackups` folder in your `gdrive` remote to your local backup directory.
    ```bash
    rclone sync gdrive:WordPressBackups /var/backups/wordpress
    ```
3.  **Verify:** Use `ls -l /var/backups/wordpress` to confirm your `.sql` and `.tar.gz` files have been downloaded.

## 3. Step 2: Restore the WordPress Database

Before restoring the files, set up the database that WordPress will use.

1.  **Create a new database and user:** Follow the exact steps from the original installation guide to create the `wordpress` database and the `wp_user`.
    *   **Reference:** [[Ubuntu-WordPress-Setup|Installing WordPress on a LAMP Stack]] (Follow Step 2 only).
2.  **Import the database backup:**
    *   Find the name of your latest `.sql` file.
    *   Replace `your_strong_password` with your actual database password.
    ```bash
    mysql -u wp_user -p'your_strong_password' wordpress < /var/backups/wordpress/db_backup_YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS.sql
    ```
    *(Note: There is no space between `-p` and the password).*

## 4. Step 3: Restore the WordPress Files

Now, extract the archived website files into Apache's web root.

1.  **Clear the default web root:**
    ```bash
    sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/*
    ```
2.  **Extract the backup:**
    *   Find the name of your latest `.tar.gz` file.
    *   The `-C /` flag is crucial; it tells `tar` to extract files relative to the root directory, preserving the `var/www/html` path.
    ```bash
    sudo tar -xzf /var/backups/wordpress/files_backup_YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS.tar.gz -C /
    ```

## 5. Step 4: Fix Ownership and Permissions

This is the final, critical step. Files restored from a backup often have incorrect permissions, which will cause your site to show errors.

1.  **Set correct ownership:** The web server (`www-data`) needs to own the files.
    ```bash
    sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html
    ```
2.  **Set correct permissions:** Apply the standard secure permissions for WordPress.
    ```bash
    sudo find /var/www/html/ -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
    sudo find /var/www/html/ -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
    sudo chmod 600 /var/www/html/wp-config.php
    ```
    *   **Reference:** [[Ubuntu-WordPress-Security|Securing a WordPress Installation]]

Your site should now be live and fully restored. Navigate to your domain to verify that everything is working as expected.