Hello. I'm new to WordPress MU, but am familiar with the basic WordPress. I know the setup guide says not to install using an IP address as the server address, but here's my situation: the domain I plan to use is currently pointing to a server with our current (soon-to-be-old-) host. I have the new server set up with a new host, but it's currently just an IP address with no domain while I get everything set up first. I'll point the domain over to the new server later, once everything's ready.
I've read similar topics:
http://mu.wordpress.org/forums/topic/12554?replies=3
http://mu.wordpress.org/forums/topic/11598?replies=3
... but both of those didn't get any further replies. I'd like to go through this with as few bumps as possible.
Am I going to run into problems with installation that can be avoided before I start? If so, any pointers before I dive in would be helpful. Thanks.
WPMU needs a hostname.
So if you're going to set up it up local and then move the domain over I'd suggest you fake that domain on your local machine and then do the install. That way all the stuff inside the database will be written with the right domain name.
Yep, was just going to suggest the same thing. :D
Go into the hosts file on your computer, add the new IP and the old domain name. Then when you visit the domain in a web broswer, it will show you (and only you) the new server.
undo your hosts file change when you want to look at the old site.
(I'm in the middle of doing something similar)
Thanks for the replies!
Do you have a link to a good tutorial for this? The last time I tried to do a local install of WordPress MU, I had errors relating to the use of subdomains (couldn't tell you offhand what it was). I'm relatively new to server lingo and local installs (though I can handle a local install of the normal WordPress just fine), but I'm using a bunch of resources to help get me up to speed.
You can't easily do subdomains on a local box unless you manually edit the hosts file for each subdomain or install something like dnsmasq and tell it to handle the wildcarded domain locally.
Ah, understood. So to keep things simple, I basically can't worry about user accounts on a separate subdomain, at least not until the final thing is uploaded.
Can I simply just ignore the error, then? It's not going to cause any complications later on?
OK, I managed to edit the hosts file on my Mac so that it shows the new server, and I managed to install MU. It's giving me the Wildcard DNS warning that it might not be configured correctly.
Obviously, I'll address this once I point the real domain name over, but this won't cause a problem in the future, right? I can go back and fix this after the fact without having to uninstall/reinstall WordPress, correct?
You can yes. if you just want to install the primary blog and get your plugins and themes sorted out you can just carry on and then when you are ready export and transfer the Database and copy your WPMU folder structure to the live box.
Well, that's the thing. I'm actually not using a local install, I've just edited the hosts file on my Mac so that when I enter the to-be domain in my browser, it shows what's currently on the remote server (otherwise accessible on the web via its IP address).
So basically, assuming I can update the wildcard DNS settings with respect to WordPress, this is the install I would like to use as my final install. That can be changed after the fact and WordPress will still be fine, right? Or will I need to change a bunch of things in the database because it didn't pick up the wildcard setting upon install? Or worse, will I need to re-install once the domain is pointed over?
Yeah, that'll work. the wildcard stuff isn't in the database, just the actual blog names.
(I'm in the middle of doing this myself, moving my old blog into MU)
I think your trying to do the same thing as me I have wpmu on a new server installed with my domain, but how do I move my domain name from my old server to the new server so when example.com points to new wpmu install ?
