WordPress Installation Problem

wp-admin/install.php file appears in cPanel but can't trigger installation

[Webwork]

This is the first time I'm installing WP "by hand" (versus using Fantastico). I've been following WP's famous "5 Minute Installation" instructions. I started 125 minutes ago, so I guess as long as the final # ends in "5" they're right. ;)

What I have done so far: I have created the virtual for Example.com using WHManager. I created a database using cPanel. I downloaded, unzipped, amended the sample-config file, renamed it to config.php and uploaded all the latest WP (2.6.3) files to the root of Example.com. The uploaded files all appear in cPanel's file manager located at / (root).

When I attempt to initiate the installation, by browsing as instructed to http://example.com/wp-admin/install.php, I receive the following message:

Not Found
The requested URL /wp-admin/install.php was not found on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache/1.3.37 Server at <EXAMPLE>.com Port 80

I'm confused. The install.php file "is there" at /wp-admin/install.php when viewed in the cPanel FileManager.

Any suggestions where I might be going wrong?

[sonjay]

You need to upload all the files into the public_html directory. It sounds like you uploaded them into your user home directory. Go down into the public_html directory and upload your files there.

[Webwork]

Thank you, sonjay, that worked like a charm. :)

Someone correct me (educate me): Is it a basic idea that everything "public" ~ browse-able by "the public" - goes, by default, into the public_html directory?

[sonjay]

That's correct, Webwork. Anything that's not inside the public_html directory is not available through a standard http call. Lots of people use their main user directory, above public_html, for db connection scripts, include files, and other things that they want to keep private.

[ergophobe]

Sonjay to the rescue. Sorry Jeff, I was out trick or treating and then sinking into a diabetic coma (okay, not really).

So now you have WP installed and it's in public_html. So everything works. Now two things happen
- the flood of spam comments begins
- the constant upgrade process follows

For the former, make sure to activate the Akismet plugin that ships with WP. I back this up with hashcash for reasons I've explained elsewhere [webmasterworld.com].

Now for the constant upgrade process, install the "wordpress automatic update plugin" (that google search should bring it right up, if not let us know). This allows you to upgrade a single wordpress site straight from your admin interface without ever needing a shell login or FTP or anything. It literally does take only five minutes.

If you're running many WP installs, there is a shell script that will upgrade them all simultaneously, but that's probably not worth it unless you have more than a few.