Installing and running WordPress (activity 3)
Written by: Jonathan Briggs
October 14, 2008 [1030 views]
Congratulations to all of you who have now got your shiny new server space and domain name. As you will have seen if you chose a host with Fanastico there are now many applications and software tools that you can install and run without any further cost. Feel free to install, try and uninstall any of them and particularly TikiWiki. Coppermine image gallery. phpBB2, dotProjekt and perhaps Joomla.
For this week’s exercise I want you to install and start to use WordPress. This is a popular and extremely powerful blogging/publishing tool written in PhP.
Part 1: Deadline: Monday 19th October, Midnight
One of the reasons for choosing WordPress is that the documentation, tutorials and help forums are excellent. I will not therefore try and replicate these here. Instead I will ask you to follow the instructions here… Always read or watch carefully before you start to make sure you have everything you need.
Preparing and installation
http://codex.wordpress.org/New_To_WordPress_-_Where_to_Start but note that if you have Fantastico, all of the installation will be handled for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfmQIsBz5S0 Here is a video of installation with Fantastico – Watch this!
http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_cPanel Here are some alternative instructions
Finding your way around
http://codex.wordpress.org/First_Steps_With_WordPress
What should you be able to do by the end of this activity?
- Be able to use the admin tools
- Be able to create, edit and view a post
- Be able to publish your blog online and access it from the web
To complete this part of this activity you just have to fill in the online survey as normal with your answers to the following?
- Provide the full URL to your new blog (with at least 2 posts)
- Describe any problems you had in the installation process and how you overcame them
- Add any questions
Here is the link to feedback your answers for Part 1
Part 2: Deadline: Tuesday 21st October, Midnight
You have now done lots of practical work and its time to reflect on what is going on? Don’t worry if you don’t know the exact answer. You will get the marks from sensible attempts to answer. Feel free to use Google to try and search for answers to the questions if you really don’t know.
- How would you explain WordPress to a friend who had not heard of it? What does it do?
- What do you think was going on while you installed the application? (describe it in your own words)
- Where do you think WordPress stores the text for your blog?
- What sorts of things do you look forward to doing using WordPress?
Here is the link to feedback your answers for Part 2
What do you think?
