2. Installing WordPress

The famed 5-minute installation is one of the most-talked-about aspects of WordPress. I’ve installed WordPress several times (a good thing, because I’m writing a book about it), and the process has always been painless, but knowing a few things will make it much smoother for those who are new to WordPress.

The most common way to install WordPress involves using a remote server—a computer that’s set up to serve Web sites to anyone who wants to visit them. I concentrate on this option for most of the book.

You can also do what is known as a local install of WordPress by using your own computer as a local server. This installation isn’t accessible to other folks but is good for testing. I won’t be covering local installs ...

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