How to Install WordPress on Ubuntu 24.04

In this guide, we will walk through the steps to set up a WordPress site using the LEMP stack (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP).

Quick Navigation

• Step 1: Install PHP and Nginx
• Step 2: Configure the Database
• Step 3: Nginx Configuration
• Summary

Step 1: Install PHP and Nginx

First, we need to update our repositories and install the web server and PHP processor.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx php-fpm php-mysql -y

Step 2: Configure the Database

WordPress needs a MySQL database to store your posts and settings. Enter your MySQL prompt and run the following:

CREATE DATABASE wordpress_db;
CREATE USER 'wp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_strong_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress_db.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 3: Nginx Configuration

Create a new configuration file for your site (e.g., /etc/nginx/sites-available/wordpress).

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;
    root /var/www/wordpress;

    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
    }
}

Summary

You have successfully installed the foundation for WordPress. Next, visit your domain in a browser to finish the "Famous 5-Minute Install." Be sure to set your folder permissions so WordPress can upload files:

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