How to Install Joomla

This tutorial will show you how to install Joomla manually. Alternatively, you can install Joomla using an Auto-Installer tool like Fantastico. You can also get a free professional Joomla installation with your Joomla hosting account at SiteGround.com.

How to Manually Install Joomla 1.5

To install Joomla manually follow the steps below:

Step 1.Create a MySQL database for your Joomla installation and add a new user to it. This can be done easily with cPanel by following the MySQL database tutorial. In case you are not using cPanel you can refer to the MySQL manual on creating databases and adding users to it.

Step 2. Create a folder called upload on your computer.

Step 3.Go to the Joomla download page. Download the .zip file with the latest version to the upload folder and extract it there.

Step 4.Upload all the content from upload to the directory on the server where Joomla 1.5 will be installed. SiteGround recommends using FTP for this purpose and the FTP tutorial will guide you through the necessary steps.

Step 5.Open the URL of the newly uploaded Joomla files. This will be either http://your_domain_name.com or a subdirectory such as http://your_domain_name.com/example.

Step 6.You will be redirected to the Joomla installation page:

On the first page of the installation you will be able to choose the Language for the installation.

The selected language will be valid only for the installation process. Once installed Joomla will be back in English.

We recommend selecting "English" in order to follow easier the next steps from the tutorial.
Step 7.Joomla will perform a pre-installation check of the system environment. Failing to meet a requirement or recommendation may cause functional and security problems later.
Here is a screenshot of all Joomla 1.5 requirements met on a standard SiteGround hosting account:

Step 8.Once you make sure all requirements are met, click on the [Next] button from the top right menu.
Step 9.Next you will have to accept Joomla's license and click on [Next] to continue.
Step 10. The following page will ask about the MySQL details for the new Joomla 1.5 installation.
Here are some example entries and explanations for these fields in case you have difficulties understanding exactly what information you should enter:

Step 11. Next you will have to configure your File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Leave it to the default settings and just click [Next] from the top right menu.
Step 12. From the page that appears you will be able to complete the final Joomla 1.5 settings specifying your email and specifying the admin password. Click on [Next] to proceed.

In our example we will not use the option Install Sample Data because it may cause confusion and require time to remove all the data populated later.

Step 13. In the last page of the installation wizard you will receive a confirmation that Joomla has been successfully installed.
Before being able to access your new Joomla 1.5 you must delete the installation directory. For this purpose use FTP as described in Step 3.
Well done! Your Joomla website is now installed.

How to Install Moodle

Requirements

Moodle is primarily developed in Linux using Apache, MySQL and PHP (also sometimes known as the LAMP platform). If in doubt, this is the safest combination (if for no other reason than being the most common). There are other options - see the Software section that follows:
The basic requirements for Moodle are as follows:

Hardware

• Disk space: 160MB free (min) plus as much as you need to store your materials. 5GB is probably a realistic minimum.
• Backups: at least the same again (at a remote location preferably) as above to keep backups of your site
• Memory: 256MB (min), 1GB or more is strongly recommended. The general rule of thumb is that Moodle can support 10 to 20 concurrent users for every 1GB of RAM, but this will vary depending on your specific hardware and software combination and the type of use. 'Concurrent' really means web server processes in memory at the same time (i.e. users interacting with the system within a window of a few seconds). It does NOT mean people 'logged in'.

Software

• An operating system (!). Anything that runs the following software; although the choice will most likely depend on the performance you need and the skills you have available. Linux and Windows are the most common choices (and good support is available). If you have a free choice, Linux is generally regarded to be the optimal platform. Moodle is also regularly tested with Windows XP/2000/2003, Solaris 10 (Sparc and x64), Mac OS X and Netware 6 operating systems.
• Web server. Primarily Apache or IIS. Not fully tested (or supported) but should work are lightttpd, nginx, cherokee, zeus and LiteSpeed. Moodle will refuse to install on any other web server. Your web server needs to be correctly configured to serve PHP files.The version is not critical but try to use the newest web server build available to you.
• PHP - The minimum version is currently 5.3.2. A number of extensions are required; see the PHP page for full details. Installation will halt at the environment check if any of the required extensions are missing.
• A database. MySQL and PostgreSQL are the primary development database, the most comprehensively tested and have extensive documentation and support. Oracle and MSSQL are fully supported (note that optional plugins may be untested with these databases) but documentation and online help are not as comprehensive as MySQL/PostgreSQL. If in doubt use MySQL (more documentation) or PostgreSQL (better stability/performance). You will need the appropriate PHP extension (configured if need be) for your chosen database.
  • MySQL - minimum version 5.1.33
  • PostgreSQL - minimum version 8.3
  • MSSQL - minimum version 9.0
  • Oracle - minimum version 10.2
  • SQLite - minimum version 2.0
• Minimum browser for accessing Moodle: Firefox 4, Internet Explorer 8, Safari 5, Google Chrome 11, Opera 9 plus whatever plugins and applications you will need for the content you plan to use.

Set up your server

...or desktop computer, if you are just evaluating Moodle. There are lots of possibilities for installing the basic server software depending on your particular choices. Some links and pointers are at Installing AMP
If you are using a hosted server all this should be done for you. However, (especially on shared hosting) make sure you understand or find out how to change PHP settings (e.g. file upload maximums). This can vary a huge amount from host to host.

Download and copy files into place

IMPORTANT: While there are now a number of places you can get the Moodle code, you are strongly advised to obtain Moodle from moodle.org. If you run into problems it will be a great deal easier to support you.
You have two options:

• Download your required version from http://moodle.org/downloads and unzip/unpack...
• OR Pull the code from the Git repository (recommended for developers and also makes upgrading very simple):

$ git clone -b MOODLE_23_STABLE git://git.moodle.org/moodle.git 

...this fetches a complete copy of the Moodle repository and then switches to the 2.3 Stable branch (latest weekly build). For a fuller discussion see Git for Administrators. Either of the above should result in a directory called moodle, containing a number of files and folders.
You can either place the whole folder in your web server documents directory, in which case the site will be located at http://yourwebserver.com/moodle, or you can copy all the contents straight into the main web server documents directory, in which case the site will be simply http://yourwebserver.com. See the documentation for your system and/or web server if you are unsure.

Tip: If you are downloading Moodle to your local computer and then uploading it to your hosted web site, if possible upload the compressed file and decompress at the remote end (check your 'file manager'). Failing that, watch FTP progress carefully for errors or missed files.

Secure the Moodle files

It is vital that the files are not writeable by the web server user. For example, on Unix/Linux (as root):

# chown -R root /path/to/moodle
# chmod -R 0755 /path/to/moodle

(files are owned by the administrator/superuser and are only writeable by them - readable by everyone else)
In Windows make sure your 'IUSR' user(s) only have read permissions, definitely not modify.
Don't skip this step. Your site is vulnerable to hackers if you do.

Create an empty database

Next create a new, empty database for your installation. You need to find and make a note of following information for use during the final installation stage:

• dbhost - the database server hostname. Probably localhost if the database and web server are the same machine, otherwise the name of the database server
• dbname - the database name. Whatever you called it, e.g. moodle
• dbuser - the username for the database. Whatever you assigned, e.g. moodleuser - do not use the root/superuser account. Create a proper account with the minimum permissions needed.
• dbpass - the password for the above user

If your site is hosted you should find a web-based administration page for databases as part of the control panel (or ask your administrator). For everyone else or for detailed instructions, see the page for your chosen database server:

• MySQL
• PostgreSQL
• MSSQL
• Oracle

Create the (moodledata) data directory

Moodle requires a directory to store all of its files (all your site's uploaded files, temporary data, session data etc.). The web server needs to be able to write to this directory. On larger systems consider how much free space you are going to use when allocating this directory.
IMPORTANT: This directory must NOT be accessible directly via the web. This would be a serious security hole. Do not try to place it inside your web root or inside your Moodle program files directory. Moodle will not install. It can go anywhere else convenient.
Here is an example (Unix/Linux) of creating the directory and setting the permissions for anyone on the server to write here. This is only appropriate for Moodle servers that are not shared. Discuss this with your server administrator for other scenarios...

# mkdir /path/to/moodledata
# chmod 0777 /path/to/moodledata

Securing moodledata in a web directory

If you are using a hosted site and you have no option but to place 'moodledata' in a web accessible directory. You may be able to secure it by creating an .htaccess file in the 'moodledata' directory. This does not work on all systems - see your host/administrator. Create a file called .htaccess containing only the following lines:

order deny,allow
deny from all

Start Moodle install

It's now time to run the installer to create the database tables and configure your new site. The recommended method is to use the command line installer. If you cannot do this for any reason (e.g. on a Windows server) the web based installer is still available.

Command line installer

It's best to run the command line installer as your system's web user. You need to know what that is - see your system's documentation (e.g. Ubuntu/Debian is 'www-data', Centos is 'apache')

• Example of using the command-line installer (as root - substitute 'www-data' for your web user):

# chown www-data /path/to/moodle
# cd /path/to/moodle/admin/cli
# sudo -u www-data /usr/bin/php install.php
# chown -R root /path/to/moodle

The chowns allow the script to write a new config.php file. More information about the options can be found using

# php install.php --help

You will be asked for other settings that have not been discussed on this page - if unsure just accept the defaults. For a full discussion see Administration via command line

Web based installer

To run the web installer script, just go to your Moodle's main URL using a web browser.
The installation process will take you through a number of pages. You should be asked to confirm the copyright, see the database tables being created, supply administrator account details and supply the site details. The database creation can take some time - please be patient. You should eventually end up at the Moodle front page with an invitation to create a new course.
It is very likely that you will be asked to download the new config.php file and upload it to your Moodle installation - just follow the on-screen instructions.

Final configuration

Settings within Moodle

There are a number of options within the Moodle Site Administration screens (accessible from the 'Site administration' tab in the 'Settings' block. Here are a few of the more important ones that you will probably want to check:

• Settings > Site administration > Server > Email: Set your smtp server and authentication if required (so your Moodle site can send emails). The support contact for your site is also set on this page.
• Settings > Site administration > Server > System paths: Set the paths to du, dot and aspell binaries.
• Settings > Site administration > Server > HTTP: If you are behind a firewall you may need to set your proxy credentials in the 'Web proxy' section.
• Settings > Site administration > Location > Update timezones: Run this to make sure your timezone information is up to date.

Remaining tasks

• Configure Cron: Moodle's background tasks (e.g. sending out forum emails and performing course backups) are performed by a script which you can set to execute at specific times of the day. This is known as a cron script. Please refer to the Cron instructions.
• Set up backups: See Site backup and Automated course backup.
• Check mail works: Create a test user with a valid email address and send them a message. Do they receive an email copy of the message? If not, check the settings in Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Email.
• Secure your Moodle site: Read the Security recommendations.

Installation is complete :)

• Create a new course: You can now create a new course and have a play ;-)

If something goes wrong...

Here are some things you should try...

• Check the Installation FAQ
• Check your file permissions carefully. Can your web server read (but not write) the Moodle program files? Can your web server read and write your Moodle data directory?
• Check your database permissions. Have you set up your database user with the correct rights and permissions for your configuration (especially if the web server and database server are different machines)?
• If you are having trouble creating a Configuration file (config.php), you can do it manually by copying config-dist.php (in the root of the Moodle program directory) to config.php, editing it and setting your database/site options there. Installation will continue from the right place.
• Once you have a config.php (see previous tip) you can edit it to turn on debugging (in section 8). This may give you extra information to help track down a problem. If you have access, check your web server error log(s).
• Re-check your php.ini / .htaccess settings. Are they appropriate (e.g. memory_limit), did you edit the correct php.ini / .htaccess file and (if required) did you re-start the web server after making changes?
• Did you include any non-core (optional) plugins, themes or other code before starting the installation script? If so, remove it and try again (it may be broken or incompatible).
• Explain your problem in the Installation problems forum. PLEASE list your software versions; explain what you did, what happened and what error messages you saw (if any); explain what you tried. There is no such thing as 'nothing', even a blank page is something!

How to Install XAMPP

1. Download the software from: http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html#641
   Select the Installer option under the Basic Package. You may be taken to a page that presents you with a bunch of different download locations. Just click one of the download buttons, and then save the file to your desktop. Once downloaded, the installer works like most Windows installers.
   
   In Internet Explorer, you may get a warning about downloading the file. Click the yellow information bar that appears above the Web page in IE, and choose Download File…
2. Double-click the .exe file you downloaded.
   A window opens, asking you to select the language you’d like to use.
   
   If a warning dialog appears click the "Allow" option to install XAMPP.
3. Choose a language from the menu, and then click OK.
   A Setup Wizard window appears, ready to step you through the setup process.
   
   In Vista you may see a message warning you that XAMPP may not work when installed in the C:\Program Files directory. The default installation is in C:\XAMPP so you don’t have to worry about this problem.
4. Click the Next button.
   The installer suggests putting the application on your main drive at C:\XAMPP. You can pretty much install it anywhere, but with the Vista operating system you may encounter problems if you install it in C:\Program Files.
   
5. Click the Next button once again.
   The XAMPP Options window appears (see below). In most cases, it’s fine to leave all the window’s checkboxes just as you see; see the note below for details.
   
   If you plan on doing a lot of development, day in and day out, you might want to turn on the “Install Apache as service” and “Install MySQL as service” checkboxes. A service starts up every time you turn on your computer, so Apache, PHP, and MySQL are always running. However, if you won’t be building database sites frequently, or you don’t have a lot of RAM in your computer, don’t turn on these boxes (you’ll just have to manually start the servers when you wish to build dynamic pages, using the XAMPP control panel described on the next page).
   
6. Click Install.
   The installer places all the files onto your system. This process takes a while, since a lot of programs and files are being installed.
   
7. Finally, click the Finish button.
   A window appears “congratulating” you (way to double-click the installer program!), and asking whether you wish to start the XAMPP Control panel.
   
8. Click Yes, to open the XAMPP Control Panel (see screenshot below).
   The XAMPP Control Panel lets you start and stop the Apache Web server and MySQL database server.
   
   In this figure, both Apache and MySQL are currently NOT running, as indicated by the word Start to the right of their names. Click the Start buttons to turn the servers on. You can open the Control Panel by clicking the XAMPP Control Panel shortcut on your desktop.
   
9. If the buttons to the right of Apache and MySQL say Start, click them to start the Web server and the MySQL database server.
   You probably get a Windows security alert about both MySQL and Apache: Click the Unblock button in both cases. This action allows the two servers to run, and tells the Windows firewall protection service that everything is OK.If Apache and MySQL are already running, these buttons say Stop. (Clicking them turns off the Web server and MySQL.) Whenever you start Apache, PHP automatically starts as well. At this point, you should have a complete testing server running on your machine. You just need to make sure it’s working.
   
10. To do so, launch a Web browser, and, in the Location bar, type http://localhost/.
    You encounter a page that lists a bunch of languages; click the language you prefer, and you’re taken to a kind of Web-based control panel for XAMPP (see screenshot below).
    
    Once installed, you can view your XAMPP home page from http://localhost/xampp/. From the left-hand list of links, you can access helpful programs and information, such as phpMyAdmin (for working with the MySQL database) and phpinfo() for finding out more about the server setup.
    

Once you’ve installed XAMPP, you’ll see a shortcut called XAMPP Control Panel on your desktop. Double-click this icon to control the servers you’ve just installed—you can turn the servers off and on, as well as turn them into services (which launch each time you start up your computer).
To uninstall XAMPP, just go to the location where you installed XAMPP (like C:\XAMPP\) and run the program named Uninstall.exe. This action, however, deletes any databases you created, and destroys any Web pages that you placed on the server. To prevent this process, just follow these steps: First, use phpMyAdmin to export any database you wish to save (you can find instructions at http://php.about.com/od/learnmysql/ss/mysql_backup_3.htm), and then make a copy of your Web pages which are located in the C:\XAMPP\htdocs folder.

How to Install XAMPP

1. Download the software from: http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html#641
   Select the Installer option under the Basic Package. You may be taken to a page that presents you with a bunch of different download locations. Just click one of the download buttons, and then save the file to your desktop. Once downloaded, the installer works like most Windows installers.
   
   In Internet Explorer, you may get a warning about downloading the file. Click the yellow information bar that appears above the Web page in IE, and choose Download File…
2. Double-click the .exe file you downloaded.
   A window opens, asking you to select the language you’d like to use.
   
   If a warning dialog appears click the "Allow" option to install XAMPP.
3. Choose a language from the menu, and then click OK.
   A Setup Wizard window appears, ready to step you through the setup process.
   
   In Vista you may see a message warning you that XAMPP may not work when installed in the C:\Program Files directory. The default installation is in C:\XAMPP so you don’t have to worry about this problem.
4. Click the Next button.
   The installer suggests putting the application on your main drive at C:\XAMPP. You can pretty much install it anywhere, but with the Vista operating system you may encounter problems if you install it in C:\Program Files.
   
5. Click the Next button once again.
   The XAMPP Options window appears (see below). In most cases, it’s fine to leave all the window’s checkboxes just as you see; see the note below for details.
   
   If you plan on doing a lot of development, day in and day out, you might want to turn on the “Install Apache as service” and “Install MySQL as service” checkboxes. A service starts up every time you turn on your computer, so Apache, PHP, and MySQL are always running. However, if you won’t be building database sites frequently, or you don’t have a lot of RAM in your computer, don’t turn on these boxes (you’ll just have to manually start the servers when you wish to build dynamic pages, using the XAMPP control panel described on the next page).
   
6. Click Install.
   The installer places all the files onto your system. This process takes a while, since a lot of programs and files are being installed.
   
7. Finally, click the Finish button.
   A window appears “congratulating” you (way to double-click the installer program!), and asking whether you wish to start the XAMPP Control panel.
   
8. Click Yes, to open the XAMPP Control Panel (see screenshot below).
   The XAMPP Control Panel lets you start and stop the Apache Web server and MySQL database server.
   
   In this figure, both Apache and MySQL are currently NOT running, as indicated by the word Start to the right of their names. Click the Start buttons to turn the servers on. You can open the Control Panel by clicking the XAMPP Control Panel shortcut on your desktop.
   
9. If the buttons to the right of Apache and MySQL say Start, click them to start the Web server and the MySQL database server.
   You probably get a Windows security alert about both MySQL and Apache: Click the Unblock button in both cases. This action allows the two servers to run, and tells the Windows firewall protection service that everything is OK.If Apache and MySQL are already running, these buttons say Stop. (Clicking them turns off the Web server and MySQL.) Whenever you start Apache, PHP automatically starts as well. At this point, you should have a complete testing server running on your machine. You just need to make sure it’s working.
   
10. To do so, launch a Web browser, and, in the Location bar, type http://localhost/.
    You encounter a page that lists a bunch of languages; click the language you prefer, and you’re taken to a kind of Web-based control panel for XAMPP (see screenshot below).
    
    Once installed, you can view your XAMPP home page from http://localhost/xampp/. From the left-hand list of links, you can access helpful programs and information, such as phpMyAdmin (for working with the MySQL database) and phpinfo() for finding out more about the server setup.
    

Once you’ve installed XAMPP, you’ll see a shortcut called XAMPP Control Panel on your desktop. Double-click this icon to control the servers you’ve just installed—you can turn the servers off and on, as well as turn them into services (which launch each time you start up your computer).
To uninstall XAMPP, just go to the location where you installed XAMPP (like C:\XAMPP\) and run the program named Uninstall.exe. This action, however, deletes any databases you created, and destroys any Web pages that you placed on the server. To prevent this process, just follow these steps: First, use phpMyAdmin to export any database you wish to save (you can find instructions at http://php.about.com/od/learnmysql/ss/mysql_backup_3.htm), and then make a copy of your Web pages which are located in the C:\XAMPP\htdocs folder.

How to Install WordPress

WordPress is known as the most popular blogging platform and content management system. New users are often surprised when we tell them that WordPress is also well known for its ease of installation. All best WordPress web hosting companies allow you to install WordPress within few clicks. In most circumstances, installing WordPress is a simple process that takes less than five minutes to complete. In this WordPress installation tutorial, our goal is to offer a comprehensive WordPress installation tutorial for beginners and advanced users alike. We will show you how to install WordPress using Fantastico, Softaculous, and SimpleScripts for beginners. We will explain how to install WordPress manually for our intermediate users. Lastly for our beginner developer and designers, we will show you how to install WordPress on a local computer (Windows, Mac, and Linux).

Things You Need Before Installing WordPress:

You will need to have a domain name and a good web hosting company that knows WordPress. We highly recommend that you use Bluehost because they will give you a free domain and 50% off their hosting plan (special for WPBeginner users). Bluehost is also an officially recommended hosting provider of WordPress.
Since this is a very long and detailed tutorial, please use the navigation below to get to the appropriate section.

• How to Install WordPress using SimpleScripts
• How to Install WordPress using Softaculous
• How to Install WordPress using Fantastico
• How to Install WordPress using FTP
• How to Install WordPress in your Computer

How to Install WordPress using SimpleScripts

SimpleScripts allows web hosting companies to offer a one-click installer for WordPress. Bluehost is one of the many web hosting companies that offers 1-click installs of WordPress using SimpleScripts. To use SimpleScripts, your hosting company must have it installed in their servers. You will see it when you log into their control panel. Look for an icon like this:

In most web hosting companies, you will just see the SimpleScripts icon. The above screenshot is taken from the Bluehost cPanel which offers direct 1-click installs of WordPress. No matter which icon you click, you will be taken to SimpleScripts page like this:

When you click on WordPress, you will be prompted to a page with an install button. This is also the page where you would manage all your WordPress installs if you had any.

Once you click on the install button, you will be taken to a page to select your installation preference. You can choose the location where you want to install WordPress (i.e your main site or a sub directory). You will choose your blog title here (don’t worry you can always change it later). You also have the option to choose your user credentials (just click on the link that says Click here to show more).

Scroll down and accept the terms of service and hit complete. It will work behind the scenes to install your WordPress and once completed, you will receive a success page like this:

Use the login link that they gave you, and login using the username and password. You will see the WordPress dashboard which can be a little confusing at first. This is why we have created a free WordPress video tutorial series, so use it to your advantage. Most places are charging around $300+ for the same video training.

How to Install WordPress using Softaculous

Like SimpleScripts, Softaculous allow hosting companies to offer 1-click install for WordPress. InMotion Hosting is one of the many companies that are using Softaculous To use Softaculous to install WordPress, your hosting company must have it installed in their servers. When you log into your control panel, look for an icon like this:

Upon clicking on the Softaculous icon, you will be redirected to the Softaculous dashboard. On the left hand side menu, you should see a list of software categories. Click on the “Blogs” category and then select WordPress.

Now you will see a briefo verview of the software. Click on the big blue “install” button to start the process.

The install process will require you fill in some important information. First thing you need to do is choose the domain name you want to install WordPress on. After that select the directory you want WordPress in. If you want WordPress to be on your main domain, then you need to leave the “In Directory” field blank. Next, enter a database name for your WordPress installation (no one will see this, so you don’t have to be creative). Under the Database settings, you need to modify the table prefix to enhance your site security. We recommend that you change the default wp_ prefix to something like wp_y0urs1t3_
Then enter your site name description. Since this is a simple WordPress install, you sohuld leave the WPMU box unchecked unless you know what you are doing.

Further down the page, you will see the screen to create your WordPress administrator account. Please do not use the default “admin” username. Create something original for yourself. Also, don’t forget to create a strong password. Enter your best email and click on the install button.

Once you click the install button, within seconds WordPress will be installed and ready to go. All you need to do after that is go to yourdomain.com/admin/ and enter your login information to get into your WordPress dashboard. The WordPress dashboard can be confusing at once which is why we have created a free WordPress video tutorial series, so use it to your advantage. Most places are charging around $300+ for the same WordPress training.

How to Install WordPress using Fantastico

Fantastico is a very popular script installing service that is bundled with most cPanel web hosting like HostGator and others. For sometime, Fantastico was the elite script installer that users cherished however now there are many competitors like SimpleScripts and Softaculous. If your hosting company has Fantastico, then this is how you can use it to install WordPress.
Login to your control panel and look for an icon like this:

Click on the icon, and you will be redirected to the Fantastico control panel. On the left hand side menu, you will see WordPress under the Blogs section. Click on it, and it will show you the WordPress information screen. To install WordPress using fantastico, click on the “New Installation” link.

Select which domain you want to install WordPress on. Next, enter the directory name if you don’t want the blog to be on the main domain. If you want the blog to be on the main domain, then leave this field blank. Under the admin access data, enter the username and password that you would like to use to access your WordPress dashboard. Make sure that your username is NOT admin and that you use a strong password. Enter your admin nickname and a valid email address. Enter a site title and description (don’t worry, you can modify this later if you don’t like it). Once you have entered all the information, click on the Install WordPress button.

The next page will ask you to confirm all the information that you have entered. Click on the Finish installation button to complete your WordPress install.

After this step, your WordPress install is complete. Go to yourdomain.com/admin/ and enter your login information to get into your WordPress dashboard. We know that the WordPress dashboard can be confusing which is why we have created a free WordPress video tutorial series, so use it to your advantage. Most places are charging about $300+ for the same WordPress training.

How to Install WordPress using FTP

To install WordPress using FTP, you need to have a FTP software (Read our tutorial on how to use FTP).
First thing you need to do is download the latest version of WordPress. Unzip the file, and use the FTP software to upload the files into your web host directory of your choice.
If you want to install WordPress in the main domain, then you want to install it in your /public_html/ directory. If you want it in a subfolder, then upload it in a folder /public_html/foldername/
Once you are done uploading WordPress, go to your hosting control panel to create a database. We are using cPanel web hosting, so our screenshots will be of cPanel. In your cPanel, find the icon like this:

You will see a field to create a new database. Enter your database name, and click “Create Database”

Now that you have created your database, it is time to run the install. Go to the URL where you uploaded WordPress. If it is in the main domain, then you will simply go to yoursite.com.
You will see a page like this:

Click on the button to create the configuration page. The next screen will show you the information you need to have (database name, database username and password, database host, and table prefix). Simply click on the Let’s go button. Next you will see the form to enter all the information.

Once you enter the information, click on the submit button. It will take you the page that has the button to Run the Install. Click on it.

On the next screen, you will see the form to enter your website’s information. This information would be your site’s title, your username, password, and email.

Click Install WordPress, and you are golden. On the next screen, you will see the Success note with your username and password. Click on the login button and start writing. If you need help learning the WordPress dashboard, then check out our free WordPress video tutorial series.

How to Install WordPress in your Computer

Often beginners ask us the question, if they could install WordPress in their computers first. The correct answer to that question is YES, you can install WordPress in your computers however most beginners should not. The reason why most folks install WordPress in a local server environment is to build themes, plugins, or to test things out. If you want to run a blog for other people to see, then you do not install WordPress in your computer. IF you install WordPress locally in your computer, then the only person who can see the site is you. To make your WordPress site available to the internet (rest of the world), then your you need to get a web hosting account and install WordPress by using one of the four methods we showed above.
Having that said, if you are really interested in install WordPress locally in your computer to learn more about theme development, test plugins etc, then we highly encourage you to do so.
If you are using a Windows computer, then we recommend that you download & setup WAMP. If you are using a Mac, then you need to download and setup Mamp.
We have created a set of videos for each type of OS that will guide you on how to install WordPress. Although these videos are a bit old, but the general concept still stays the same. Watch the videos on how to install WordPress on a local server environment.

How Install Wampserver

There are times when we are so anxious to jump into creating something new that we forget to cover the basics. For web developers it is important, actually vital, to have the ability to test your projects locally before they go live.

While much of the web relies on a Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP stack, or LAMP, to power applications and dynamic websites, not everyone codes in a Linux environment.
Those who prefer Windows can still replicate how their code will work by using WAMP to replicate a live web environment right on their own computer with the only difference being substituting the Linux operating system in the stack for Windows.

Obtain a copy of WAMP

Before you do anything you need to download WAMP from http://www.wampserver.com/en/download.php. You will have the  option to choose wither a 32 or 64-bit environment depending upon your computer’s configuration. In addition to Apache, PHP and MySQL this download includes phpMyAdmin and SQLBuddy to better help you manage your databases through web based GUI rather than having to use a terminal interface.

Install the software

Once you have downloaded and uncompressed your WAMP executable you will need to go ahead and launch it to start the installation process.

When you click next you will be asked to accept the license agreement. Since it is a GPL license you are free to do just about anything with it so you can go ahead and accept.
The next step requires you to select the folder where you would like to install your WAMP server. The default will be c:\wamp however you can change this to install the server into any directory or partition you choose.

Chose where to install the software

After you choose your directory you will have the option to setup icons. Once you decide on this click Next and then confirm the installation settings again by clicking Install.
Once the installation runs its course you will be asked to choose your default browser. Internet Explorer is the default choice but you can navigate your way to any other browser of your choosing.
NB – if your Windows firewall pops up at this point make sure to grant Apache access.
The next decision you will have to make is to set the PHP mail parameters. Many people leave this set to the defaults when setting up a testing server on their local computer. If you wish to configure it to connect to your SMTP server you may do so here but unless you plan on testing email capabilities the default entries can be left and all you need to do is click Next.

Setting the SMTP server (optional)

Congratulations, WAMP is now installed on your local computer.

Testing the installation

Now that everything has been installed let’s test everything out.
Using one of the icons you created, or Start –> All Programs –> WampServer –> start WampServer, you can launch the management console. Once opened, it will appear in the lower right hand corner of your screen.

The WAMP management console

If WAMP is not started go ahead and click Start All Services. If you are not sure whether or not WAMP is running, look for the small green W icon in your toolbar. If it is red, WAMP services are stopped, green means everything is running while orange means some services are running.
Now we want to test to see if everything was installed correctly. In the WAMP management console, click on Localhost. If you see the following screen pop up in your browser then everything is working!

WAMP services are running

Configuring phpMyAdmin

The last step is to set a password for phpMyAdmin. Many people forgo this step because the server is not going to be live so they don’t see the need to protect the database if it is only sample data. You can decide what practice to follow.
In order to change the password you will need to navigate to your phpMyAdmin file, located at C:/wamp/apps/phpmyadmin3.x.x and open the config.inc.php file for editing.
Once opened, navigate to the lines that read,

$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user'] = 'root';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password'] = 'xxxxx';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowNoPassword'] = true;

Where the example reads xxxxx insert your password. Under AllowNoPassword, change the value to false.

What do I do next?

Now that everything is installed and working you can upload test websites to your root or even install third-party web applications like WordPress, Moodle, Drupal, etc. to this location. You now have a sandbox in which to work on your development projects! Have fun with it.