How to enable WordPress 3.0 to run multiple websites

WordPress 3.0 has merged single user WordPress and WordPress Multi-user together. I’m still a little scared about the merge because I mostly run WPMU sites. There is a section in the codex to create a network but I found it very confusing.

My WPMU websites that are running WPMU 2.9+ all received the upgrade notification and download link for wordpress-mu, it was a different download link then the download link you will get from a normal WordPress 2.9 blog.

According to the codex, the wordpress-mu download already has the network configured.

Download WordPress-mu 3.0 here. I noticed that mu.wordpress.org still has a 2.9.2 download link.

Download WordPress 3.0 be going to wordpress.org.

This tutorial is for the a person with a normal WordPress 3.0 blog then wants to enable many websites.

Step 1 – Do a normal WordPress install

The codex makes it sound like you make the changes before the install, but you don’t. Do a normal install, and then log into the admin section. It will look like a normal WP admin section. Click on the Tools menu item and you will NOT see network.

Step 2 – Configure wp-config.php for multisite.

Open the wp-config.php file, located in the root of the install directory and add this line to it.

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE',true);

Save the file and refresh the admin section.

You will now see “network” in the Tools menu

Step 3 – Choose your domain mapping.

I prefer subdomains, and I’ll be posting some blog posts later on how to run WordPress with Top level domains soon. I don’t think you can do that with folders. In order to run subdomains, you need to have the main domain name set up with a wildcard DNS. You set the wildcard at your domain name registrar. A wildcard is simply *.domainname.com, which allows for anything to be used as a subdomain. After you set the wildcard on your domain name, you might have to wait a few hours before the wildcard takes effect.

Step 4 – Reconfigure your website

Make a new directory called blogs.dir in wp-content. Give it Web Server access because WordPress will store all the files uploaded by users to the directory. DO NOTgive it 777 permission… If you need help with setting Web Server access, just let me know, I’ll help you out.

After you choose your domain mapping, you will be given a few lines to copy back into your wp-config.php file. You can remove the old define of WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE. I think that displays the network link, so leave it if you want, even though you cannot reconfigure your domain setttings after you add websites. You will also update the .htaccess file. You only copy the new code above the line that says “# add a trailing slash to /wp-admin”. Leave everything after that line.

Save the .htaccess file and refresh the page, you will have to login again, but this time you will be Super Admin, and believe me, it will feel good!

To test things out, go to Super Admin->Sites and try to create a new website. Should work fine.

That’s it for this tutorial, I see I’m going to have to do some learning because WPMU used sites and blogs for different uses. while WordPress 3.0 looks like it only defines sites… This should be interesting.

I’ll be testing top level domains on this install, so stay tuned to that tutorial.