trouble installing wordpress on dreamhost

If you’re using Dreamhost’s one-click install, you might get a more definitive answer in Dreamhost’s forums. A lot of people here can help with “normal” installations, and with some of the more common control panels used by a lot of other hosts, but as Dreamhost use their own methods, there won’t be as many people who can advise you…

I’m with Dreamhost, but I’ve always done manual installs, so I don’t know if there’s anything unusual you have to do.

According to their Wiki, you should get an email with instructions on finishing the install. Did you get that?

The email from them gives me a link to https://my-website.com/wp-admin/install.php

My website is showing still parked.

I’ll ask in their forum. This makes no sense.

This happened to me I sent in a request for help to dreamhost and they deleted the wp setup and I reinstalled it. If you use the easy install then you have to wait a long time after activating the dreamhost acct before using the one click install. My problem now is how the heck can I transfer my stuff from wordpress to my own WP installation on dreamhost?

I just tried it with a 2nd domain.. same thing.

Gonna delete them and try it manually.

I’ve done dozens of one-click installs of WP on DreamHost… far easier than manually… you’re working too hard at it.

(1) Be sure your website is live, that the domain has made its way around the internet. You should be able to go to the website (or directory where you want to install WP) and see an Index of listing, with no files.

(2) When you use the one click install at DreamHost, they create the mysql database, install the software, and configure the wp-config.php file. So you don’t have to change the dbname, hostname, etc., at all. They do it. Just wait 10 minutes and point your browser at your website, it’s ready for WP to create the tables, ask your email address, and give you a password to get you going.

Note, to start, point at the root directory (where you installed WP), not the wp-admin directory. Not install.php. Just go to the installation directory or domain root, i.e., krazitrain.com/ … and let WP do its thing.

(3) Sometimes at DreamHost, their control panel gets slow. Or it has trouble connecting with the mysql server to set up your table. If that happens, anxiety will be of little use. (I’ve tried that.) Just wait a couple of hours and try again. It will probably fly.

(4) FYI, localhost is probably not your hostname. In fact, with the DreamHost system, it’s probably more like krazihost.krazitrain.com depending on what you selected at the one-click install panel, and after automatic reformatting for DreamHost. The beauty is that they set it up for you, so when you do the one-click install and really let them do it, it just works! We could debate forever whether DreamHost ‘ought’ to do it that way, but they did, and it works for them, and once you get it, it’s dynamite.

(5) It’s probably a good idea, after doing the one-click install, to ftp the wp-config.php file (with your configuration data) down to your local workstation as a backup and reference, just in case.

I’ve done one-click installs that were running as quickly as two minutes later (proving I get anxious at times). Usually it takes a bit longer. Ten minutes will almost always be long enough. So, go get a cup of coffee. Decaf, if you’re anxious.