How to Install WPMU Subdomains
WPMU is an extension of the popular Wordpress software that powers more than 50 million blogs worldwide. Using WPMU, now referred to as "Multisite Support," users are able to create websites where they can build their own blogs and share their insights. One popular feature of the program is the ability to setup "on the fly" subdomains for each new user. For example, the username "blogmaster" would become blogmaster.yourwebsite.com. In order to setup automatic subdomain creation, webmasters are required to have their hosts activate wildcard DNS and then setup the subdomain feature via their standard Wordpress activation.
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Instructions
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Call your hosting company and ask them to activate Wildcard DNS on your server. They will need to add the following line to the servers httpd.conf file:
"ServerAlias *.example.com"
Next, have the following line added to the servers DNS files:
"A *.example.com"
If you tell your hosting provider that you are setting up a Wordpress Multisite with subdomains, they should already know what files to add.
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Login to your server and choose the option to "Create a New MySql Database." This process will vary based on your individual hosting company. Call customer service if help is required.
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Name your MySQL database and create a username and password for the database. Write down the database name, username and password.
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Visit the Wordpress download page and download the newest version of Wordress with multisite support.
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Unzip the Wordpress .zip file on your desktop. Upload the files to your website's root directory, using an FTP program. Make sure to retain the directory and file structure.
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Wait for all file transfers to end and open the file, "WP-Config-sample.php," which you will rename as, "WP-Config.php." Save the file to your computer.
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Edit the WP-Config file to match your newly created MySql database information. You will change the 'putyourdbnamehere,' 'usernamehere,' 'yourpasswordhere' and 'localhost' options found next to their DB_ options output.
// ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** //
/** The name of the database for WordPress */
define('DB_NAME', 'putyourdbnamehere');
/** MySQL database username */
define('DB_USER', 'usernamehere');
/** MySQL database password */
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'yourpasswordhere');
/** MySQL hostname */
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
Please note that 'localhost' for many databases will remain as 'localhost' and will not be changed. Check with your hosting provider if you are not sure about their localhost setup.
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Add the following line to your Wordpress WP-Config.php file to add multisite support:
"define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);"
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Save the WP-Config.php file to your desktop and then move it to the root directory where you found the original sample file on your server.
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Login into your site by visiting YourWebsite.com/wp-admin. "YourWebsite.com" refers to the domain where you have installed Wordpress. Follow the directions to setup your username and password and other site details.
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Navigate to Administration > Tools > Network in the administration area of your website.
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Choose the button that reads: "Sub-Domains," such as "site1.websocialsites.com" or "site2.websocialsites." Please note that the "Sub-Domain" example URLs change sometimes and may be different.
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Fill in the option, "Server Address," with the URL for your website, such as example.com, without the "http://" component of the URL, then enter the "Network Title" with the official name of your new multisite network, followed by your administration email.
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Navigate to the "WP-Content" folder via the FTP, then create a directory called "blogs.dir" and log back into your website. The process is now complete and you and your users should be able to create new blogs on your website with the blog.website.com structure.
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Tips & Warnings
Wordpress will sometimes change the way in which multisite support is setup. If this process does not work in the future, be sure to visit the Wordpress Multisite Setup link on this page for updated information.
