---
tags:
  - wordpress
  - lamp
  - cms
  - ubuntu
  - apache
  - php
---

# Installing WordPress on a LAMP Stack

This guide walks you through installing WordPress, the world's most popular Content Management System (CMS), on top of the LAMP stack you previously configured.

## 1. Prerequisites

You must have a fully functional LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack.

*   **Reference:** [[Ubuntu-LAMP-Setup|Setting Up a LAMP Stack on Ubuntu]]

## 2. Create a Database for WordPress

WordPress uses a MySQL database to store all of your site's content. We need to create a dedicated database and a user for it.

1.  **Log into MySQL:**
    ```bash
    sudo mysql
    ```
2.  **Create the database:**
    ```sql
    CREATE DATABASE wordpress DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_unicode_ci;
    ```
3.  **Create a dedicated user:**
    *   Replace `your_strong_password` with a secure password.
    ```sql
    CREATE USER 'wp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_strong_password';
    ```
4.  **Grant the user permissions:**
    ```sql
    GRANT ALL ON wordpress.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost';
    ```
5.  **Apply the changes and exit:**
    ```sql
    FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
    EXIT;
    ```

## 3. Download and Deploy WordPress Files

Next, we'll download the latest version of WordPress and place it in Apache's web root directory.

1.  **Navigate to a temporary folder and download WordPress:**
    ```bash
    cd /tmp
    curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
    ```
2.  **Extract the archive:**
    ```bash
    tar xzvf latest.tar.gz
    ```
3.  **Copy the files to the web root:**
    *   This command moves the WordPress core files into the directory that Apache serves to the public.
    ```bash
    sudo cp -a /tmp/wordpress/. /var/www/html/
    ```
4.  **Set correct ownership and permissions:**
    *   This is a critical security step. It allows Apache to manage the WordPress files.
    ```bash
    sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/
    sudo find /var/www/html/ -type d -exec chmod 750 {} \;
    sudo find /var/www/html/ -type f -exec chmod 640 {} \;
    ```

## 4. The Famous 5-Minute Install

With the backend configured, you can now complete the installation through the web interface.

1.  **Navigate to your site:** Open your browser and go to `http://localhost`.
2.  **Select your language** and click **Continue**.
3.  On the database connection screen, enter the credentials you created in Step 2:
    *   **Database Name:** `wordpress`
    *   **Username:** `wp_user`
    *   **Password:** `your_strong_password`
    *   **Database Host:** `localhost`
4.  Click **Submit**. If the details are correct, you'll see a success screen. Click **Run the installation**.
5.  **Fill out your site information:** Provide a site title, create an admin username, and set a strong password for your WordPress dashboard.
6.  **Log In:** Once complete, you can log in to your new WordPress dashboard at `http://localhost/wp-admin`.

## 5. Post-Installation: Enable Pretty Permalinks

By default, WordPress URLs look like `?p=123`. To enable user-friendly URLs (e.g., `/hello-world/`), you need to enable Apache's `mod_rewrite`.

1.  **Enable the module:**
    ```bash
    sudo a2enmod rewrite
    ```
2.  **Restart Apache:**
    ```bash
    sudo service apache2 restart
    ```

You can now go to **Settings -> Permalinks** in your WordPress dashboard and choose the "Post name" structure.