Setting Up a WordPress Server: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’re looking to set up a WordPress server for your website, this guide will walk you through the entire process, from domain configuration to security best practices. The steps outlined here are designed for everyone, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned tech enthusiast.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the setup process, ensure you have the following ready

• A Debian Linux server with an attached data disk. Debian is preferred due to its minimal packages and lightweight nature.
• Docker, Nginx, and Certbot installed on the server.
• A registered domain name (e.g., karthiks.com).

Step 1: Configure DNS Records

Add the following DNS records to point your domain to your server

A Record

Type: A

Name: @

Value: Public IP of your server (e.g., 123.456.789.101)

TTL: Default (1 Hour)

CNAME Record

Type: CNAME

Name: www

Value: Your root domain name (e.g., karthiks.com)

TTL: Default (1 Hour)

Step 2: Create a Docker Compose File

Create a compose.yml file with the following contents

version: '3.1'

services:
  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:6.7.0
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - 8080:80
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: <your-database-username>
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: <your-database-passowrd>
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: <your-database-name>
    volumes:
      - ./wordpress:/var/www/html

  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      MYSQL_DATABASE: <your-database-name>
      MYSQL_USER: <your-database-username>
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: <your-database-passowrd>
      MYSQL_RANDOM_ROOT_PASSWORD: '1'
    volumes:
      - ./db:/var/lib/mysql

Step 3: Create Folders for Persistent Storage

Run the following command to create folders for storing WordPress and database data

mkdir wordpress db

Step 4: Configure Nginx

Create an Nginx configuration file with the following content

# Redirect non-www to www  
server {  
    listen 80;  
    server_name karthiks.com;  

    return 301 http://www.karthiks.com$request_uri;  
}  

server {  
    server_name www.karthiks.com;  

    location / {  
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;  
        proxy_set_header Host $host;  
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;  
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;  
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;  
    }  
}

Make sure to change karthiks.com and www.karthiks.com to your domain name.

Link this configuration file to Nginx

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-config /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/  
sudo nginx -t  
sudo systemctl restart nginx 

Step 5: Enable SSL with Certbot

Run the following command to configure SSL

sudo certbot --nginx -d karthiks.com -d www.karthiks.com

Make sure to change karthiks.com and www.karthiks.com to your domain name.

Step 6: Finalize WordPress Setup

Access your domain in a browser (e.g., http://www.karthiks.com) and complete the WordPress setup by entering the desired username, password, and site details.

Security Best Practices

Protecting wp-login.php

To secure the WordPress login page, whitelist only authorized IP addresses.

Open the .htaccess file located in your WordPress directory and Add the following lines

# Block access to wp-login.php.
<Files wp-login.php>
    order deny,allow
    allow from 203.0.113.15
    deny from all
</Files>

Restart the Docker container using the following command

docker compose restart

Your WordPress Server Is Ready!

You’ve successfully set up a secure and reliable WordPress server with Debian, Docker, and Nginx. Enjoy managing your site with peace of mind.

For any issues or additional customization, feel free to tweak the configurations as needed.