Complete Guide How-to: Install WordPress with MySQL Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04 GCP Server

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Learn how to Install WordPress with MySQL Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04 GCP server. Step-by-step guide covering database setup, web server configuration, and WordPress deployment on Google Cloud Platform.

Installing WordPress on GCP Prerequisites

  • A GCP Ubuntu 24.04 VM instance (e.g., Compute Engine).
  • A domain name pointed to your VM’s public IP (optional but recommended).
  • SSH access to the VM (via GCP Console or an SSH client).
  • Sudo privileges for the user.
  • Basic familiarity with Linux terminal commands.

Step 1: Set Up and Secure the Server

  1. SSH into Your VM:
    In GCP Console, go to Compute Engine > VM instances, select your instance, and click SSH to open a terminal.
  2. Update the System:
    Bash
    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
    [note type=”warning” title=”Important Warning” icon=”fa-exclamation-triangle”]Ensure HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) are allowed in GCP’s firewall[/note]

Step 2: Install Nginx

  1. Install Nginx:
    Bash
    sudo apt install nginx -y

  2. Start and Enable Nginx:
    Bash
    sudo systemctl start nginx sudo systemctl enable nginx

  3. Verify Nginx:
    Bash
    curl http://localhost
    Or open a browser and navigate to http://. You should see the Nginx welcome page.

Step 3: Install MySQL

  1. Install MySQL Server:
    Bash
    sudo apt install mysql-server -y
  2. Secure MySQL Installation:
    Bash
    sudo mysql_secure_installation
    Follow prompts:
    – Set a root password (choose a strong one).
    – Remove anonymous users: [inline_code type=”success”]Y[/inline_code].
    – Disallow root login remotely: [inline_code type=”success”]Y[/inline_code].
    – Remove test database: [inline_code type=”success”]Y[/inline_code].
    – Reload privilege tables: [inline_code type=”success”]Y[/inline_code].
  3. Create a WordPress Database and User:
    Bash
    sudo mysql -u root -p
    In the MySQL prompt:
    sql
    CREATE DATABASE wordpress;
CREATE USER ‘wordpressuser’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘your_strong_password’;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO ‘wordpressuser’@’localhost’;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
    Replace [inline_code type=”warning”]your_strong_password[/inline_code] with a secure password.

Step 4: Install PHP and Required Extensions

  1. Install PHP and Extensions: WordPress requires PHP and specific extensions for functionality.
    Bash
    sudo apt install php8.3-fpm php8.3-mysql php8.3-common php8.3-xml php8.3-curl php8.3-gd php8.3-mbstring php8.3-opcache php8.3-zip php8.3-intl -y

  2. Verify PHP:
    Bash
    php –version

  3. Configure PHP for WordPress:
  • Edit [inline_code type=”warning”]php.ini[/inline_code] to increase upload limits:
    Bash
    sudo nano /etc/php/8.3/fpm/php.ini

    Find and set:
    Text
    upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M

  • Restart PHP-FPM:
    Bash
    sudo systemctl restart php8.3-fpm

Step 5: Install WordPress

  1. Download WordPress:
    Bash
    cd /tmp
wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz
  2. Move WordPress Files:
    Bash
    sudo mv wordpress /var/www/html/wordpress
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/wordpress
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/wordpress
  3. Configure WordPress Database Settings:
    Bash
    cd /var/www/html/wordpress
sudo cp wp-config-sample.php wp-config.php
sudo nano wp-config.php

    Update the following lines with your database details:
    Bash
    define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘wordpress’);
define(‘DB_USER’, ‘wordpressuser’);
define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘your_strong_password’);
define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’);

    Save and exit.

Step 6: Configure Nginx for WordPress

  1. Create an Nginx Server Block:
    Bash
    sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/wordpress

    Add the following configuration (replace [inline_code type=”warning”]example.com[/inline_code] with your domain or server IP):
server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    root /var/www/html/wordpress;
    index index.php index.html index.htm;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    client_max_body_size 64M;

    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;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

Save and exit.

2. Enable the Site:

Bash
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/wordpress /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

3. Test and Reload Nginx:

Bash
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

  1. Install Certbot:
    Bash
    sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
  2. Obtain and Install SSL Certificate:
    Bash
    sudo certbot –nginx –agree-tos –redirect –hsts –staple-ocsp –email your_email@example.com -d example.com -d www.example.com
    – Replace [inline_code type=”warning”]your_email@example.com[/inline_code] and [inline_code type=”warning”]example.com[/inline_code] with your email and domain.
    – This automatically configures Nginx for HTTPS and redirects HTTP to HTTPS.
  3. Verify HTTPS:
    – Visit [inline_code type=”warning”]https://example.com[/inline_code]. You should see the WordPress setup wizard.

Step 8: Complete WordPress Installation

Access WordPress:

  • Open a browser and navigate to [inline_code type=”warning”]http://<your-server-ip>/wordpress[/inline_code] or [inline_code type=”warning”]https://example.com[/inline_code] (if SSL is configured).
  • Follow the WordPress setup wizard:
    • Select your language.
    • Enter site title, admin username (avoid “admin” for security), password, and email.
    • Click Install WordPress.

Log In:

  • Go to [inline_code type=”warning”]http://<your-server-ip>/wordpress/wp-admin[/inline_code] or [inline_code type=”warning”]https://example.com/wp-admin[/inline_code].
  • Log in with your admin credentials.

Step 9: Post-Installation Steps

  1. Set Up DNS (if using a domain):
    – Point your domain’s A record to your GCP VM’s public IP in your DNS provider’s settings.
    – Wait for DNS propagation (may take up to 48 hours).
  2. Secure File Permissions:
    Bash
    sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/wordpress
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/wordpress
sudo chmod 640 /var/www/html/wordpress/wp-config.php
  3. Enable Caching (Optional):
    – Install a caching plugin like [inline_code type=”success”]W3 Total Cache[/inline_code] or [inline_code type=”success”]WP Super Cache[/inline_code] via the WordPress dashboard.
    – For advanced caching, configure Nginx FastCGI Cache or Redis (requires additional setup).

Troubleshooting Tips

Nginx Welcome Page Instead of WordPress:

  • Ensure the Nginx server block points to [inline_code type=”warning”]/var/www/html/wordpress[/inline_code] and is enabled.
  • Remove the default Nginx site:
Bash
sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Database Connection Error:

  • Verify [inline_code type=”warning”]wp-config.php[/inline_code] credentials match the MySQL database/user settings.
  • Ensure MySQL is running:
Bash
sudo systemctl status mysql

Wizard Not Loading:

  • Install missing PHP extensions:
Bash
sudo apt install php8.3-imagick php8.3-bcmath -y
sudo systemctl restart php8.3-fpm

Permission Issues:

  • Double-check ownership (www-data) and permissions (755 for directories, 644 for files, 640 for wp-config.php).
Bash
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/wordpress
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/wordpress

[note type=”success” title=”Notes:” icon=”fa-check-circle”]Backup Strategy: Regularly back up your WordPress files (/var/www/html/wordpress) and MySQL database using tools like mysqldump or plugins like UpdraftPlus.
Performance: Nginx is lightweight and ideal for high-traffic WordPress sites. Consider using a CDN (e.g., Cloudflare) for further optimization.
Security: Keep your server, WordPress, and plugins updated. Use strong passwords and consider a security plugin like Wordfence.[/note]

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