How do you change a Wordpress directory URL?

Question

I will be working on a website soon, they currently have a normal website but are looking to convert to Wordpress. I want to keep the current website functioning but work on Wordpress behind the scenes on a seperate directory like mywebsite.com/wordpress. But when Finished then change the directory to the main url e.g "mywebsite.com" but I am worried by changing the Directory after creating everything I will mess up all the installation, or failing that no even be able to move it. Any tips or pointers on a smooth directory move?

Answer 1

I would do it like this: if you're using cpanel or a panel that allows you to compress, then go to the current sites root folder, select all files and folders and click the 'compress' function. If you don't have a compress function, then go here: http://www.net2ftp.com/ and enter your ftp details.

Log in via net2ftp and select all files and folders, then select compress.

Now download that comrpressed folder to your PC. This is a back up of your sites current files, and won't affect the current site which will still be online.

Now create a folder for wordpress in the root folder and install wordpress. So now you should have your current site and wordpress at eg. www.site.com/wordpress.

Edit your site until you're ready for the move, then delete all the files and folders in the root directory EXCEPT the wordpress folder. Open the wp folder, select all files and folders, then select move, move them to the root directory and check the site in your browser. As i really don't like wordpress, i've never installed it, so not sure if there is anything about the config that relies on the precise url, but if the site doesn't work properly, wordpress creates a config file during installation. Check this to see if anything refers to the exact url and change it if necessary to your new root. Also, before moving it, check the site settings and if there is a url setting, change it to the new url before moving.

Apart from the config and site settings there should be no problems in moving it, but feel free to add me and email me if you do get problems.

As a suggestion, if you can add sub domains to your current account, why not create a sub domain, create a folder for wordpress inside the subs root then do the install and move the files as a test run? If it all works, you're ready to go for it on the main domain!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Actually there's no reason why you can't install Wordpress in the root directory of a current website. I've done it before. Wordpress files, and folders can exist among other files, and folders. The only issue would be if the other root files, and folders would have the same name. This is slim since most, at least on my installations, have a wp in the beginning. However there may be issues with index.php, the frontpage of a Wordpress blog. Make sure the current websites homepage isn't an index with php at the end. If it's an html or other extension it can co-exist with another index file. Although depending on the webserver there might be an issue as to what one will show up as the websites current homepage. It wouldn't hurt just to install Wordpress to see, and if it doesn't work out uninstall it.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

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Answer 6

-using ssh to log into your server (nano is a server preinstalled text editor)

-$ nano /var/www/books/wp-content/themes/twentyeleven/functions.php

-add lines just after


update_option('siteurl','http://your.site.url:port/yourblog');

update_option('home','http://your.site.url:port/yourblog');



-refresh your web browser using your external site url



http://your.site.url:port/yourblog



-$ nano /var/www/books/wp-content/themes/twentyeleven/functions.php

-remove those lines you just added (or comment them out)

-access your router (these steps are for pfSense, other routers should have similar settings to look for/watch out for)

-add to firewall/nat table a line like this



wan/tcp/port/LAN.server.IP/80



-add to firewall/rules table a line like this



tcp/*/port/LAN.server.IP/port/*



-uncheck the box at System/advanced/network address translation/Disable NAT Reflection



"Disables the automatic creation of NAT redirect rules for access to your public IP addresses from within your internal networks. Note: Reflection only works on port forward type items and does not work for large ranges > 500 ports."



Then go do something for ten minutes and when you get back see if the external url http://your.site.url:port/yourblog from a LAN browser brings the page up correctly.