Trying to install wordpress. Possibly messed up the Public_HTML folder

[RamiPiiroinen]

Hi there,

I am completely new with cPanel and hosting a website. My problem is that I installed Wordpress in the Public_html folder. I did this manually as my webhost provider did not provide fantastico or any other tool to install it automatically.

I have not been able to make the page work. I can open wordpress normally, but nothing I write or do will not be seen in the actual homepage - Removed -. The cPanel keeps giving this error message:

[Tue Jun 24 14:34:21 2014] [error] [client 85.76.116.107] File does not exist: /home/smaps/public_html/404.shtml
[Tue Jun 24 14:34:21 2014] [error] [client 85.76.116.107] File does not exist: /home/smaps/public_html/favicon.ico

Is it possible that I have destroyed some folders accidentally during the installation of wordpress and that is the reason it will not work?

Sorry for possibly stupid questions. I have been trying to make this work for months but there are no solutions found. Wordpress forum has not been very helpful thus far.

Thank you!
- Rami

 

[Infopro]

Those errors you mention are normal, if you do not have error pages and a favicon.ico in your public_html. They have nothing to do with your wordpress site working or not though.

If I was to guess, I'd say that permissions are not setup on your files and folders properly. Possibly uploaded incorrectly and had permissions get changed in the process. Preferably, files should be set to 644 permissions and directories to 755.

You should be able to quickly check this via the cPanel File Manager by opening the public_html directory and then look to the far right for the permissions column. If needed, you may have to check each directory in your wordpress installation.

 

[RamiPiiroinen]

Thank you Infopro,

I learned something about cPanel and not to worry about the error pages.

I checked the permissions and they are correctly set up. I also did the fixes that were suggested at the Wordpress forum, but they did not help thus far.

Is it technically even possible that the problem is with cPanel (server) or should I just concentrate on working with the wordpress files. I am thinking that could it have something to do with the MySQL database. I mean the installation file wants information of the database define('DB_NAME', 'name_here'); <- should I write here literally only the name of the database as I created it or should there be some path to this database also. The installation videos do not show it..

Thank you,
Rami

 

[Infopro]

Thank you Infopro,

I learned something about cPanel and not to worry about the error pages.

You're certainly welcome, but, that's incorrect. You should add error pages to your account. And a favicon.

Since you mention learning, and I'm here to help, let me try and help here a bit more.

In your cPanel. find the search box and type in: error and then click Error Pages icon in the result.
Next, click the tab called Show all HTTP Error Status Codes. Here you see all the error pages you might want to consider adding to your account. More on Error Pages here:

Error Pages - cPanel Documentation

As for favicons, google: image to favicon
Find or create an image that represents your site and turn it into a favicon using one of those tools you find googling that and place it in the public_html directory.

If you look at the tab on your browser for these forums, you should see a small orange cP, that's our cPanel favicon.

I checked the permissions and they are correctly set up. I also did the fixes that were suggested at the Wordpress forum, but they did not help thus far.

Is it technically even possible that the problem is with cPanel (server) or should I just concentrate on working with the wordpress files. I am thinking that could it have something to do with the MySQL database. I mean the installation file wants information of the database define('DB_NAME', 'name_here'); <- should I write here literally only the name of the database as I created it or should there be some path to this database also. The installation videos do not show it..

Thank you,
Rami

Well, this comment above by you, doesn't match your earlier comment. The earlier comment read like you had it installed properly.

I have not been able to make the page work. I can open wordpress normally, but nothing I write or do will not be seen in the actual homepage

But you don't. It's not installed yet, apparently.

the installation file wants information of the database define('DB_NAME', 'name_here');

That's a completely different situation than file permissions.

The Wordpress docs should be useful:
Installing WordPress « WordPress Codex

You need to create the database manually, first. Wordpress needs a database to work, it needs a database to even install. So do that first, and take note of the details when you do. You need to add them to the installer to run it.

localhost
database: username_username
databasepass: yourpassword
database user: username_usernamewhatever

Once you've got the Database, details for it, and the files are uploaded and permissions are fine as we now know, run the installer and you're off to the races. The next big blog is installed and ready to go.


BTW, your Hosting Provider is really the one who should be explaining these sorts of things to you. These are basics. You pay them money.


GL!