WordPress

WordPress is the world’s most popular open-source content management system, powering over 40% of all websites. This image ships a complete LAMP stack (Apache, MariaDB, and PHP) with WordPress pre-installed and ready to configure.

Note

PHP’s mail() function and the local mail transfer agent deliver mail directly over port 25, which is blocked by default. Use an SMTP plugin or authenticated relay on port 587, or see SMTP Port 25 to request access.

Software included

Component	Version
WordPress	7.x (latest)
Apache	2.4.x
MariaDB	10.x
PHP	8.3
Ubuntu	24.04 LTS

Environment variables

Set these when deploying WordPress from the marketplace. SITE_URL and ADMIN_EMAIL must contain your deployment’s real values. You can leave ADMIN_USER and ADMIN_PASSWORD blank to have secure random values generated automatically.

Variable	Description
SITE_URL	Public URL of the site
ADMIN_USER	Administrator username
ADMIN_PASSWORD	Administrator password
ADMIN_EMAIL	Administrator email address

Getting started

1. Connect to your VM

ssh ubuntu@<your-vm-ip>

2. Wait for first-boot configuration

On the first boot, a setup script runs automatically. It:

• Creates the WordPress database and a dedicated database user with a randomly generated password
• Writes wp-config.php with the database credentials and unique secret keys

This takes under 30 seconds. Track progress:

journalctl -u wordpress-first-boot.service -f

3. Complete the WordPress setup wizard

Open a browser and navigate to:

http://<your-vm-ip>

The WordPress setup wizard will guide you through:

1. Selecting your language
2. Setting your site title
3. Creating your WordPress admin username and password
4. Entering your admin email address

Caution

Choose a strong admin password. This is the account that controls your entire WordPress site.

4. Log in to the WordPress dashboard

After completing the wizard, log in at:

http://<your-vm-ip>/wp-admin

Managing WordPress

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Restart MariaDB:

sudo systemctl restart mariadb

WordPress files are located in /var/www/wordpress/.

PHP configuration: /etc/php/8.3/apache2/php.ini

Apache virtual host: /etc/apache2/sites-available/wordpress.conf

Setting up HTTPS

WordPress is served on port 80 (HTTP) by default. To enable HTTPS:

1. Point a domain name at your VM’s IP address
2. Install Certbot: sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache
3. Run: sudo certbot --apache -d yourdomain.com

Certbot will automatically configure Apache for HTTPS and set up certificate renewal.

Security

Port 80 is open by default. UFW is enabled.

After setting up HTTPS, restrict HTTP traffic:

sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw delete allow 80/tcp

Caution

Change the WordPress admin password immediately after setup. Install a security plugin such as Wordfence to monitor for threats and limit login attempts.

Next steps

• WordPress documentation
• WordPress theme directory
• WordPress plugin directory