To recap: In the last post, Full Guide to WordPress Internal Blogs – Setup, I showed you how to set up a WordPress.com blog. If you didn’t want to use a WordPress.com blog but wanted to host a WordPress on your domain then you were instructed to come here. For those who wanted to continue with the WordPress.com guide jump to Full Guide to WordPress Internal Blogs – Configuration (Coming Soon)

Setting Up and External WordPress

Before downloading the external files go to your server host’s backend and check if there is a way to automatically  install a WordPress. I use IXWebHosting and they offer a service call EasyApps that can install over 30 CMS/Galleries/ShoppingCarts including WordPress. If something like that exists, use it, it’ll save you some time. In the event that you have GoDaddy I did a little research and found this for you from them: Installing WordPress on Your Hosting Account. If it’s worked, check your version (it’ll be somewhere on your dashboard) if it’s less then 2.7 you need to download a plug-in called “WordPress Automatic Upgrade”. I’ll get you the link and how to set up plug-ins later in Full guide to WordPress External Blogs – Configuration (Coming Soon), by the way for you automated people, your done with the content of this post so feel free to jump ahead to WordPress External Blogs – Configuration (Coming Soon).

No automated option, it’s okay here’s the walk through. First do you have a Linux server? If you don’t know but you purchased a server from a main stream hosting company, then you have a Linux server. If your still unsure the contact your server provider. The reason you need a Linux Server verses a Windows Server is because WordPress uses PHP as it’s language & MySQL for the data storage to which needs Apache to work. Once you know that your server can accept WordPress download a copy of the most recent WordPress at Directly.

First unzip the files and grab your text editor (i.e. Notepad, Text Edit, Dreamweaver, Go live [if you still have it], etc. ). Once the program is ready you open up the wp-config-sample.php file and re-save it (save as) as just wp-config.php. The reason to change it is WordPress doesn’t recognize wp-config-sample.php but will work to tell you that the database isn’t set up. If you load the wp-config.php as is you’ll receive a “Error establishing a database connection”. Before you can configure the wp-config file you need information to fill it including the database name. So minimize your text editor and open your browser. Go to your server provider. You’ll need to go to one of two area’s: MySQL Server (Do to security protocol, most server providers make you go through this method to keep control over then settings) or phpMyAdmin (this is where you create the database when you have full access over your server, like when using a virtual server like MAMP). If forced to use MySQL Server then the server provider will supply a walk-through or support. Unfortunately each provider has a different process so I can’t help you out but here’s what you’ll need: a database name (usually it will have a prefix on it), a username (it may be given to you or it may not, if not don’t use one of your standard usernames), a password (same conditions as the username, if given make sure to write/copy it down), and finally the hostname (my be localhost). When you have that information you ad it into the wp-config.php

// ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** //
/** The name of the database for WordPress */
define('DB_NAME', 'putyourdbnamehere');

/** MySQL database username */
define('DB_USER', 'usernamehere');

/** MySQL database password */
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'yourpasswordhere');

/** MySQL hostname */
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Once you got that plugged in, save and send it to your server. Then quickly go into your browser and go to the location of the WordPress.
You’ll now see what’s on the right. It’s asks for 3 things: Blog Title (This will be the official name for the blog), Your E-mail (VERY IMPORTANT right your e-mail in which you want to receive updates from your WordPress like new users or comments), and Allow my blog to appear in search engines like Google and Technorati (If you want to be found then leave it check if this is your kids blog and you want to keep it away the random traffic un-check it. What the checkbox does is sets the robots.txt file to follow or nofollow). Then you receive your new admin password.
Copy or write down the new password but don’t worry you’ll be able to change it shortly. Click on the login button, type admin for username then the randomly generated password as the password. Once in the WordPress you’ll be prompted to change your password, DO SO IMMEDIATELY, if you don’t and you lose the random password you won’t be able to access the blog. To change the password go to the user panel > Your Profile and scroll to the bottom and there will be 2 field to change it with.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 20092009-09-02T06:40:40Zl, F jS, Y at 1:40 am2009-09-02T06:40:40Zg:i a and is filed under Tutorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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