WordPress Local Install Guide For Linux

WordPress is an open source blog tool and publishing platform powered by PHP and MySQL. It's often customized into a Content Management System (CMS). It has many features including a plug-in architecture and a template system.

As you might already know you need a web host to be able to install WordPress. In this tutorial however, we’ll learn how to install WordPress locally. Having a local installation of WordPress allows us to quickly test any plugin or theme without having to worry if it’ll work on your live site or not. It is also a great way of working on your theme development while you’re on the road, as you won’t be needing an Internet connection.

Environment

OS : OpenSUSE-11.2
IP : Stable IP located: 192.168.252.131
Services : Apache2, PHP5, MySql, FTP

Prepare

1. Download WordPress Package
The WordPress package can be download at http://wordpress.org, many languages can be chose.

2. Download Xampp
Xampp for Linux (Lampp) can be download at http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html, this software uses to setup an Apache+PHP+SQL environment, which can make user access and test WordPress in local host. 

3. Super User
Make sure we have the root loggin power, like su, sudo.

Install and Build Environment

1. Unpackage the WordPress to local disk Both are right if use command line or GUI software, after unpackaged, we’ve got a folder named "wordpress". 

2. Install Xampp
During this time, first switch to root

how@linux-SUSE:~> su
Password:
linux-SUSE:/home/how #

After switched to root, we are ready to install Xampp, I download it to my user’s $HOME/Software folder

linux-SUSE:/home/how # cd Software/
linux-SUSE:/home/how/Software # tar xvfz xampp-linux-1.7.4.tar.gz -C /opt

BTW, please do NOT use unzip software in Microsoft Windows OS, it is useless. After install, just type /opt/lampp/lampp start, then you can see:

linux-SUSE:/home/how/Software # /opt/lampp/lampp start
Starting XAMPP for Linux 1.7.4...
XAMPP: Starting Apache with SSL (and PHP5)...
XAMPP: Starting MySQL...
XAMPP: Starting ProFTPD...
XAMPP for Linux started.

Okay now, open your favorite browser, Chrome, FireFox, or something else, type http://localhost in address window, then we will see:

If want to stop service, just type /opt/lampp/lampp stop, then, Xampp will STOP:

linux-SUSE:/home/how/Software # /opt/lampp/lampp stop
Stopping XAMPP for Linux 1.7.4...
XAMPP: Stopping Apache with SSL...
XAMPP: Stopping MySQL...
XAMPP: Stopping ProFTPD...
XAMPP stopped.

3. Prepare WordPress
Copy the unzipped wordpress folder to /opt/lampp/htdocs/, and make the wordpress folder has full access permissions

linux-SUSE:/home/how/Software # cp -r wordpress/ /opt/lampp/htdocs/
linux-SUSE:/home/how/Software # cd /opt/lampp/htdocs/
linux-SUSE:/opt/lampp/htdocs # chmod 777 -R wordpress/
linux-SUSE:/opt/lampp/htdocs # ll
total 48
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 30894 2007-05-11 20:40 favicon.ico
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 256 2009-02-06 05:04 index.php
drwxr-xr-x 2 nobody root 4096 2009-07-15 17:24 webalizer
drwxrwxrwx 5 root root 4096 2011-01-28 15:13 wordpress
drwxr-xr-x 7 root root 4096 2011-01-07 16:48 xampp

Untill now, all environment setup steps are finished.

Install WordPress

Before install, some little things to do, edit the file wp-config.php, which located in /opt/lampp/htdocs/wordpress/, find follows:

define('DB_NAME', '')
define('DB_USER', '')
define('DB_PASSWORD', '')
define('DB_HOST', '')

Change them to:

define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress') /* whatever you want */
define('DB_USER', 'root') /* must root */
define('DB_PASSWORD', '') /* leave it to blank */
define('DB_HOST', '192.168.252.131') /* change to your local IP */

After edited this files, just following next few steps:

1. Launch Xampp first, and use browser to access http://localhost, click the phpMyAdmin under the Tools section.
2. In the MySQL localhost part, input the datebase name, which you prefer, I used "wordpress".
3. In the both “Collation” list and “MySQL connection collation“, select “utf8_unicode_ci“.
4. After first 3 steps, click the HOME button at the left above corner, looks like a house .
5. Click Priviages tab card, if there is no User named wordpress, just click Add a new User.
6. This step likes fill in the blank, type a user name, which you like, in User name, I still use "wordpress". Type IP address in HOST, my local IP is 192.168.252.131, and then input a password you like. Finally, press GO button.
7. To ensure that we can fully test and access not only our home web page, but also others pages entries on any others computer, which in the same local network.Similar as previous step, but this time, we select the “root” user. In the Change Login Information/Copy User section, we type the “root” in User Name window. Type our local IP address in HOST. Leave the Password blank.  Select keep the old one in the Create a new user with the same privileges and… section. Press GO button again.
8. OK, we almost there, in the Database-specific privileges section, obviously, choose "wordpress" in the list, which we crated before.Then it will automaticly fresh out the wordpress database access privileges and just click Check All. Press GO button again, in fact, last time 
9. Finial step, open a new browser tab, and type http://192.168.252.131/wordpress in address window, and you will see WordPress registration page.