Install Wordpress sites

1. Install a wordpress container:

   ds pull wordpress

   ds init wordpress @wordpress1

   cd /var/ds/wordpress1/

   # vim settings.sh # optional

   ds make

2. Sites are managed with the command ds site. Let's initialize and install one:

   ds site

   ds site init site1.example.org

   ls

   ls site1.example.org

   ls apache2/sites-enabled/

   cat apache2/sites-enabled/site1.example.org.conf

   ls ../wsproxy/sites-enabled/

   cat ../wsproxy/sites-enabled/site1.example.org.conf

   Initializing a site with ds site init <domain> not only creates a directory for this site, but also creates the necessary VirtualHost configurations for it on the containers wsproxy and wordpress1 (the current container). It also gets a free SSL certificate from LetsEncrypt for this site/domain.

   After initializing the site, we can customize its settings.sh and then install wordpress in it (with ds site install):

   vim site1.example.org/settings.sh

   ds site install site1.example.org

   ls site1.example.org/

   Now you can open in browser https://site1.example.org and login as admin.

3. Installing another site on the same container is almost the same:

   ds site init site2.example.org

   ls

   ls site2.example.org

   ls apache2/sites-enabled/

   ls ../wsproxy/sites-enabled/

   vim site2.example.org/settings.sh

   ds site install site2.example.org

   ls site2.example.org/

4. Install a second container:

   ds init wordpress @wordpress2

   cd /var/ds/wordpress2/

   # vim settings.sh # optional

   ds make

5. Install a site on the second container

   cd /var/ds/wordpress2/

   ds site init site3.example.org

   vim site3.example.org/settings.sh

   ds site install site3.example.org

   ls site3.example.org/

Manage a Wordpress site

1. Backup site3:

   ds backup

   ds backup site3.example.org

   ls -lh backup/

2. Let's delete site3 and then try to restore it from the backup:

   ds site del site3.example.org

   ls

   ls apache2/sites-enabled/

   Before restoring, we have to initialize it:

   ds site init site3.example.org

   ls site3.example.org/

   ds restore

   ds restore site3.example.org backup/wordpress-site3.example.org-*.tgz

   ls site3.example.org/

3. Clone a site with ds site clone:

   ds site clone

   ds site clone site3.example.org site4.example.org

   Cloning a site to another one actually initializes the new site, then makes a backup on the source site and restores it on the target site, and finally fixes the options siteurl and home of the new site.

   Cloning a site might be useful when you want to try something new on the site, for example a new plugin or some configuration. Instead of applying it directly to the site, you may want to test it first on a clone.

4. Using wp-cli:

   ds wp

   ds wp site3.example.org

   ds wp site3.example.org option

   ds wp site3.example.org option list

   ds wp site3.example.org option get siteurl

   ds wp site3.example.org option get home

5. Working inside the container:

   ds shell

   ls

   cd site3.example.org

   wp

   wp option get siteurl

   wp option get home

Multiple sites vs. multiple containers

As we have seen, we can install multiple sites in a single Wordpress container, but we can also install a single site for each Wordpress container. Which one is better?

It depends.

When we consolidate multiple sites in a single Wordpress container we use less resources (RAM and disk space) then installing each site on its own container.

However if one of these sites is compromised (for example you install a plugin with a security hole) it can potentially compromise the other sites that are on the same container.

If each site is on its own container, they are better encapsulated from each-other.