WordPress Multisite - is this possible?

Question

I've found documentation on multisite a little sparse so I'm hoping someone will be able to answer some of my questions.

What I'm trying to achieve:

• A main admin user that can look at all networked sites.
• Network sites on a subdomain or on their own domain
• All sites running on the same theme but with different theme options.
• Each network site only has one user, they can only access one site on the network that is assigned to them.

If anyone could give me a heads up or point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

It sounds like you have an ideal situation for a multisite. You do not even need to have the sites running the same theme. Your theme however would be exactly the same for each site so you couldn't modify a theme for an individual one (they are at the base of the multisite not on each site).

The only limits you might find frustrating are that plugins need to be added by the super admin and that some plugins might not work on multisite. Multisites also use more memory and can potentially overtax a database. That said, WordPress.com is essentially one big Multisite so if they can do it ...

Here is a decent article on the subject: Wordpress Multisite pros and cons

Answer 2

I've found documentation on Multisite a little sparse

Make sure you research all the Codex and here at WPSE too. The forums are also full of solutions to different issues. Check the tag wiki for multisite and the e-books linked there.

• A main admin user that can look at all networked sites.

That's the Super Admin, see Multisite_Network_Administration#User_Access

• Network sites on a subdomain or on their own domain

Use a subdomain installation with the plugin WordPress MU Domain Mapping

• All sites running on the same theme but with different theme options.

Use Child Themes and define extra theme options in its functions.php

• Each network site only has one user, they can only access one site on the network that is assigned to them

Every user of the network has Subscriber access to all other sites. One of the motives to not use Multisite is the need of a completely separated user base (see the article Don't use Multisite, linked in the wiki). It's possible to apply fixes to this and there are posts here dealing with the issue(s).