What is WordPress?

WordPress is a powerful open-source Content Management System (CMS) that allows users to build and manage websites without complex coding.

It powers over 40% of websites globally, making it the most popular website platform in the world.

WordPress is used for:

• Business websites
• Blogs
• E-commerce stores
• News portals
• Portfolio websites

Why Use WordPress for Your Website?

1. Easy Website Development Without Coding

Problem:

Building a website from scratch requires knowledge of:

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• PHP
• Database configuration

Solution:

WordPress provides:

• Ready-made admin dashboard
• Theme customization
• Built-in database structure
• Plugin-based functionality

This significantly reduces development time and cost.

2. Easy Content Management

Problem:

Non-technical users struggle to update website content.

Solution:

WordPress provides a simple dashboard where users can:

• Create pages
• Publish blog posts
• Upload images
• Manage categories
• Edit content anytime

No developer required for daily updates.

Extend Website Functionality with Plugins

Problem:

Custom feature development takes time and money.

Solution:

WordPress has thousands of plugins for:

• E-commerce → WooCommerce
• Security → Wordfence
• Caching & Speed → WP Super Cache
• Contact Forms
• Payment Gateways
• Membership Systems

Install and activate — no coding required.

What Problems Does WordPress Solve?

Introduction

If you want to deploy a secure and SEO-friendly website, installing WordPress on Ubuntu Server is one of the best solutions.

This guide will help you set up:

• Ubuntu Server (20.04 / 22.04)
• Apache Web Server
• MySQL Database
• PHP
• SEO-friendly configuration

Prerequisites

Before installing WordPress on Ubuntu, make sure:

• Ubuntu Server installed
• Sudo/root access available
• Domain pointed to your server IP
• Ports 80 and 443 are open in the firewall

Update your server:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 1: Install Apache Web Server

Install Apache:

sudo apt install apache2 -y

sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Verify Apache status:

sudo systemctl status apache2

Step 2: Install MySQL Server

Install MySQL:

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Secure MySQL:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Log in to MySQL:

sudo mysql

Create database and user:

CREATE DATABASE wordpress;
CREATE USER 'wpuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO 'wpuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 3: Install PHP and Required Extensions

Install PHP with required modules:

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

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Check PHP version:

php -v

Step 4: Download WordPress

Move to web directory:

cd /var/www/

Download the latest WordPress:

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

Extract:

sudo tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz

Set correct permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data wordpress
sudo chmod -R 755 wordpress

Step 5: Configure Apache Virtual Host

Create a new configuration file:

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

Add:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/wordpress  

    <Directory /var/www/wordpress>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/wordpress_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/wordpress_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable site and rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite yourdomain.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 6: Complete WordPress Installation

Open:

http://yourdomain.com

Enter database details:

• Database Name:
• Username:
• Password:
• Database Host:

Click Install WordPress.

Issues and Troubleshooting Guide

During the installation or operation of WordPress on Ubuntu Server, some common issues may occur. Below are standard problems and their solutions.

1️⃣ Website Not Loading (Apache Not Running)

Issue:

The website does not open in the browser.

Possible Cause:

Apache service is stopped.

Solution:

Check Apache status:

sudo systemctl status apache2

2️⃣ Database Connection Error

Issue:

“Error Establishing a Database Connection”

Possible Causes:

• Wrong database name
• Incorrect username/password
• MySQL service is not running

Solution:

Check MySQL status:

sudo systemctl status mysql

sudo systemctl restart mysql

Verify database credentials inside:

/var/www/wordpress/wp-config.php

3️⃣ 500 Internal Server Error

Issue:

Server shows 500 error.

Possible Causes:

• Incorrect file permissions
• .htaccess issue
• mod_rewrite not enabled

Solution:

Enable rewrite module:

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Fix permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/wordpress
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/wordpress

Check Apache logs:

sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

4️⃣ CSS or JS Not Loading Properly

Issue:

Website design appears broken.

Possible Causes:

• Incorrect DocumentRoot
• Permission issues
• Mixed HTTP/HTTPS content

Solution:

• Verify Apache virtual host configuration
• Ensure SSL redirect is correct
• Clear browser cache

5️⃣Permission Denied Errors

Issue:

Unable to upload themes/plugins.

Solution:

Set correct ownership:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/wordpress

Conclusion

In this user manual, we have completed the installation and configuration of WordPress on an Ubuntu Server environment.

The setup included:

• Apache Web Server configuration
• MySQL database setup
• PHP installation and required extensions
• WordPress deployment

With this configuration, the website is now:

✔ SEO-ready
✔ Scalable and production-ready
✔ Easy to manage via WordPress dashboard

This deployment ensures a stable, high-performance, and cost-effective website solution suitable for business, blogging, or e-commerce purposes.

For long-term performance and security, it is recommended to:

• Keep Ubuntu packages updated
• Regularly update WordPress themes and plugins
• Monitor server logs
• Perform periodic backups
• Use security and caching plugins

By following this guide, administrators can efficiently deploy and manage a WordPress website on Ubuntu Server with confidence.