How to master the Network Solutions VPS with Wordpress?

January 31, 2011 11:41 AM

Facing the unenviable situation of setting up Wordpress on the Network Solutions VPS plan. Any tips on how to make this work?

Passionately loyal to NetSol, a client insisted on choosing the company's Virtual Private Server plan rather than switching to a friendlier host.

When I used the site's auto-installer, it set up an obsolete v2.0 of Wordpress. I installed my own newer copy, but somehow I can't figure out how to make it talk to the localhost database -- it's like Network Solutions is restricting it to just its own official installation.

I want to fix some of this using a Unix ssh shell but can't figure out how to activate this (and the IT guy isn't helping.) The dorky Plesk control panel literally has more options for re-skinning it in nice new colors than for doing things.

Does anyone out there have any tips on how to get the upper hand on this VPS and/or Wordpress on NetSol? Until now I have been using friendlier services like Dreamhost -- and even GoDaddy is starting to look pretty good in comparison.

posted by Victorvacendak to technology (7 answers total)

Have you tried installing the auto update plugin and letting that do it's thing?
posted by theichibun at 12:22 PM on January 31, 2011

Thanks, interesting idea -- are you talking about this? http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-automatic-upgrade/
posted by Victorvacendak at 12:26 PM on January 31, 2011

Yep, makes updating as simple as the WordPress install is the first time. I've never tried to make it work from a WordPress version as old as you've got installed now, but I would assume it would play nicely.

The worst that happens is that you'll need to go download WordPress and upload that version instead of using the auto-installer from the host. The hardest part of that is believing how fast it actually goes. It really makes me wonder why hosts have the auto-installer anyway...
posted by theichibun at 12:37 PM on January 31, 2011

Depending on how the server's permissions are configured you may need SSH support for the auto-update plugin to do its work.

Besides, it sounds like the real issue is that you're having issue getting the database connectivity to work. (I installed my own newer copy, but somehow I can't figure out how to make it talk to the localhost database) If the old ver works but yours doesn't my suspicion is that they're running the MySQL server on a non-standard port.

Look at the configuration file in the old-ass version they auto-installed. You should be able to consults its parameters to see whether you need to tweak them on your own install.
posted by phearlez at 12:40 PM on January 31, 2011

I'd give them a shout on Twitter - if you get to the right level they'll walk you through anything.
posted by soma lkzx at 12:41 PM on January 31, 2011

:( The "automatic upgrade" plugin told me that "we're still making it work on servers like yours." Wonder how to expand zip files and archives on this system? The File Manager seems like crippleware.
posted by Victorvacendak at 12:46 PM on January 31, 2011

(meant to type, "working on getting it to work on servers like yours")
posted by Victorvacendak at 12:47 PM on January 31, 2011