Building a VPS with WordPress on a LEMP Stack

This guide shows how to cost-effectively host small WordPress sites using a self-managed VPS and a LEMP stack, achieving performance comparable to managed WordPress hosting. While managed services like WP Engine offer convenience, they can be expensive (starting around $30/month). This approach offers a viable alternative for users comfortable with basic server administration.

Key Benefits:

• Affordable WordPress hosting.
• Performance matching managed hosting solutions.
• Control over your server environment.

Setting up Your DigitalOcean VPS:

This tutorial uses DigitalOcean, but Linode, Vultr, and others are equally suitable. The steps are largely the same regardless of provider.

1. Create a DigitalOcean account at https://www.php.cn/link/1be9573be51135cd5be1e191f44e09f8.

2. Create a Droplet (VPS) using these recommended settings:

   • Hostname: A descriptive name (e.g., your company name).
   • Image: Ubuntu 14.04 x64 (default).
   • Size: The $5/month option (512 MB RAM, 1 CPU, 20 GB SSD, 1000 GB transfer) is a good starting point.
   • Region: Choose a region close to your target audience.
   • Backups: Enable this for data protection.

   

3. Note the IP address and root password (sent via email).

Accessing Your VPS via SSH:

• Windows: Use PuTTY. Enter the IP address, select SSH, and connect. Accept the security alert. Log in as root using the emailed password.
• macOS: Use Terminal. Execute ssh root@<ip_address></ip_address>. Accept the server key and enter your password.

Change the root password immediately for enhanced security.

Installing and Configuring the LEMP Stack:

1. Update the package manager: sudo apt-get update
2. Install the LEMP stack: sudo apt-get install nginx mysql-server php5-fpm php5-mysql php5-curl php5-gd php5-cgi
3. Configure MySQL: Set a strong root password, remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, remove the test database, and reload privilege tables using sudo mysql_install_db, sudo mysql_secure_installation. Create a dedicated WordPress database and user (e.g., wordpress database, wordpress user) with a strong password. The command mysql -u root -p will allow you to interact with the mysql command line.
4. Configure PHP: Edit /etc/php5/fpm/php.ini and set cgi.fix_pathinfo=0.
5. Configure nginx: Replace the default nginx configuration (/etc/nginx/sites-available/default) with a configuration tailored for WordPress, ensuring you replace domain.com with your actual domain name. The provided configuration includes gzip compression and caching for static assets.
6. Create a non-root user for WordPress (sudo adduser wordpress) and add it to the www-data group (sudo usermod -a -G wordpress www-data). Change the PHP-FPM user to wordpress in /etc/php5/fpm/pool.d/www.conf.
7. Restart the server: reboot

Installing WordPress:

1. Download and install WordPress using cd /usr/share/nginx; wget http://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz; tar xfz latest.tar.gz; mv wordpress/* ./; rm latest.tar.gz; rmdir wordpress.
2. Set appropriate file permissions: sudo chmod g w /usr/share/nginx -R; sudo chown -R wordpress:www-data /usr/share/nginx
3. Access the WordPress installation via your browser using the server's IP address. Complete the installation process.

Post-Installation: Regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins. Use strong passwords, security plugins, backups, and performance monitoring for optimal security and performance. Multiple WordPress sites can be hosted on a single VPS using nginx virtual hosts. The FAQ section addresses common questions about security, optimization, and troubleshooting.

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