How to Install WordPress on a Virtualmin Server (Step-by-Step Guide)

Looking to set up a WordPress site on your Virtualmin-managed VPS or dedicated server? This guide walks you through the complete process of installing WordPress on a Virtualmin server running Apache, PHP, and MySQL/MariaDB.

Whether you’re hosting multiple domains or running a single site, Virtualmin makes server management easier — and installing WordPress is straightforward once you know the steps.

✅ Requirements Before You Start

Make sure you have the following ready:

• A Virtualmin server (VPS or dedicated)
• Apache, PHP, and MySQL/MariaDB installed
• A registered domain pointed to the server
• Root or sudo SSH access

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🔧 Step 1: Create a New Virtual Server

1. Log in to Virtualmin at https://your-server-ip:10000
2. Go to Create Virtual Server
3. Fill out:
   • Domain Name
   • Admin Password
4. Under Enabled features, make sure:
   • Apache webserver
   • MySQL database
   • PHP (FPM preferred) are checked
5. Click Create Server

🔧 Step 2: Download WordPress

SSH into your server and run:

cd /home/yourdomain/public_html
wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
tar -xzf latest.tar.gz
mv wordpress/* .
rm -rf wordpress latest.tar.gz

This puts WordPress in the correct web root directory.

🔧 Step 3: Set File Permissions

chown -R yourdomain:yourdomain /home/yourdomain/public_html
chmod -R 755 /home/yourdomain/public_html

Replace yourdomain with your actual system username from Virtualmin.

🔧 Step 4: Create the WordPress Database

1. In Virtualmin, go to your virtual server
2. Click Edit Databases
3. Click Create a new database
4. Give it a name like wordpress
5. Note the database name, username, and password

🔧 Step 5: Configure wp-config.php

cd /home/yourdomain/public_html
cp wp-config-sample.php wp-config.php
nano wp-config.php

Update the DB details:

phpCopyEditdefine( 'DB_NAME', 'your_db_name' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'your_db_user' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'your_db_password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

Save and exit.

🔧 Step 6: Run the WordPress Installer

Visit your domain in a browser:

arduinoCopyEdithttp://yourdomain.com

You’ll be guided through:

• Site title
• Admin username/password
• Language selection

After submitting the form, WordPress will be installed!

⚙️ Optional: Enable HTTPS (SSL)

1. In Virtualmin, go to Server Configuration > SSL Certificate
2. Click Let’s Encrypt
3. Request a certificate for your domain
4. Once done, redirect HTTP to HTTPS by editing .htaccess or enabling it via Virtualmin.

🛡️ Security Tip

• Always keep WordPress, plugins, and themes updated
• Use a plugin like Wordfence or iThemes Security
• Disable XML-RPC if not used

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