WP MU with multiple domains (via subdirs) on GoDaddy VPS

  • Resolved SpikeTheLobster

    (@spikethelobster)


    11 years, 8 months ago

    I’ve tried and tried. Really, I have. I admit to knowing “just enough” about domains – I can set up my own domains, install WP and look into (and understand) why things don’t work. But I’m not a server geek so I sometimes get a bit lost when people start talking about A Names, CNames and that sort of thing. Just so you know.

    Background:

    I’m trying to convert a number of similar sites into one blog network, so that it’s easier for me to manage, run and generation interaction between them. At the moment, they don’t use WP but I’m switching them all over. (Data mapping, oh joy!)

    Each site currently has a domain name, a WHM account, a cPanel and all the other stuff sites normally have. They’re all on the same GoDaddy account and the same VPS server (and therefore IP). They all work properly. ??

    The problem:

    I’ve set up two simple blogs to try out the multisite thing and domain mapping (using WordPress MU Domain Mapping – https://www.ads-software.com/extend/plugins/wordpress-mu-domain-mapping/).

    They both work independently, as https://www.mainsite.com and https://www.subsite.com (for want of better names).

    I then convert https://www.mainsite.com to multisite. Choose subdirs option. That’s fine.

    I then create the second blog in the usual WPMU way. That’s fine. I understand that I will have to migrate the content from https://www.subsite.com to the new MU version (which sucks, since I’d rather just have it point to the old one and save myself the hassle, but hey).

    The problem comes when I try to add domain mapping. When I add the mapping for the second site, I tell WP that I want it to point to https://www.subsite.com. This looks perfectly correct in the WP panel: the primary domain is the TLD and not the https://www.mainsite.com/subsite option.

    So as I understand it, opening https://www.subsite.com in my browser should point me to the new multisite version of the blog… but it doesn’t. It still goes to the old, separate domain. I’ve waited overnight in case it was a propagation thing, but nothing changes.

    I even deleted the https://www.subsite.com account on WHM, just in case it was somehow taking priority, but all I get now is a stand-in page that says “if you’re seeing this, it’s because there’s no site here”.

    I don’t understand where I’m going wrong. I’ve read and read and read but I can’t seem to figure it out. Any help would be appreciated.

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
  • Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    So as I understand it, opening https://www.subsite.com in my browser should point me to the new multisite version of the blog… but it doesn’t. It still goes to the old, separate domain. I’ve waited overnight in case it was a propagation thing, but nothing changes.

    Well … yeah ?? Domain mapping plugin tells WORDPRESS ‘When someone comes knocking asking for secondsite.com, show them mainsite.com/secondsite.’

    But you still have to edit your DNS to point to the server where mainsite.com is, and the vhosts file. In most cases, you can do this by parking a domain, but I don’t know how GoDaddy handles that.

    Thread Starter SpikeTheLobster

    (@spikethelobster)

    Aha… that’s the hole in my knowledge!

    They’re on the same VPS so the IP’s the same, nameservers are set to the same address (even when there were two sites).

    So I just log into WHM and park https://www.subsite.com onto the same account as https://www.mainsite.com? I’ve done that before (with .net and .org addresses to the same TLD) – easy peasy.

    I’ll do that, wait a bit and see if it works. Thanks very much for filling in the gap… fingers crossed!

    Thread Starter SpikeTheLobster

    (@spikethelobster)

    Incidentally, could I just point the second domain at the subdir and not bother with mapping? I’m the only person who’ll be managing that stuff so I don’t need something friendly for sub-net admins or anything.

    I have a feeling that would confuse matters and be more error-prone (especially for me) but thought I should ask. ??

    @mike, thanks for what you do for this forum.
    In my experience with shared hosting, “Parking a domain on GoDaddy” forfeits control of the content and it’s a page of adverts generating revenue for GoDaddy.
    Is the WP subfolder Network similar to WP subdomain Network, in that the request for sub.domain.tld needs to arrive at the index.php that ‘runs’ WP?
    If yes, again on shared hosting, you add a subdomain to your GoDaddy hosting account specifying the folder of WP’s index.php. Behind the scenes, GoDaddy adds an A record to the domain’s zone file.
    On a virtual private server, with static IP, wildcard DNS would handle all sub domains and DNS for them would be available immediately.
    @spike, have you considered configuring your browser machine so its primary DNS server is the same one who answers authoritatively for your domain.tld? You should be able to view DNS changes ‘live.’

    Thread Starter SpikeTheLobster

    (@spikethelobster)

    @mika: Update – it worked a treat, thank you. Now if I could just get the www version of the sub-site to work as well, I’d be sorted.

    @derrick: There are two different “park” options on GoDaddy (and with most hosts). The one that points to a bunch of ads is the “park this domain because I have no content” option done through their domain manager; the one I’m using is the WHM one on the VPS, which parks one domain on top of another. I guess the shared hosting equivalent is redirection or something.

    For the wildcard domains thing, I thought that was for the subdomain version of the MU setup – I’m using the subdir setup.

    As far as that “configuring the machine” thing is concerned, I’m afraid it’s all in Chinese for me. :o\

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    Spike – Map both www and NON www to the same site on WP to make that work ??

    Thread Starter SpikeTheLobster

    (@spikethelobster)

    @mika – yeah, that was more a note to myself than anything. ??

    My main problem now is that MU sucks for setting up most of the plugins I need (since they have either hardcoded directory paths or caches). Very annoying that there isn’t just a “unified login” for normal WP, really. So much extra work to get one or two features. Ah, well.

    At least the domain mapping thing is sorted. Thanks. ??

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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