How to Install WordPress on a Debian Server

In my previous article, I explained how I launch a Debian server on AWS, secure it, and test it with Apache. Now, I’ll take it a step further and show you how I install WordPress on that server.

WordPress is one of the most popular website platforms, and with a few simple steps, you can get it running on your own instance.

1. Install the Required Packages

WordPress needs a web server, database, and PHP to run. Since we already have Apache, let’s install MySQL and PHP:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y mysql-server php php-mysql libapache2-mod-php php-cli unzip curl

This gives us everything WordPress needs to talk to the database and serve dynamic pages.

2. Secure MySQL and Create a Database

Set up MySQL securely with:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Then log into MySQL:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Inside the MySQL shell, create a database and user for WordPress:

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

3. Download and Configure WordPress

Grab the latest WordPress release:

cd /tmp
curl -O https://wordpress.org/latest.zip
unzip latest.zip

Move it into the web directory:

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

4. Configure Apache

Create a new site config:

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

Add:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/wordpress
    ServerName yourdomain.com

    <Directory /var/www/html/wordpress/>
        AllowOverride All
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable it:

sudo a2ensite wordpress
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl reload apache2

5. Connect WordPress to the Database

Copy the sample config file:

cd /var/www/html/wordpress
cp wp-config-sample.php wp-config.php
nano wp-config.php

Edit these lines:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'wordpress' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'wpuser' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'strongpassword' );

Save and exit.

6. Complete Installation in the Browser

Now go to http://yourdomain.com in your browser. You should see the WordPress setup screen where you can:

Choose your site title
Create the admin username/password
Log into your new WordPress dashboard 🎉

Conclusion

With just a few commands, you now have WordPress running on your Debian server. From here, you can install themes, add plugins, and start building your site.