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I would like to start a single WordPress Blog. As I already have some experience with one provider and as it is really cheap, I would like to use the same service for my planned blog. They offer:

  • 1 GB webspace: I will not upload many big pictures and I guess almost no audio/video files, so I guess this is more than enough
  • PHP 5.1 and PERL scripts: PHP 5.3.6 seems to be the latest version. Although they say on their website, that they support PHP 5.1, phpinfo() tells me they actually have 5.2.17-pl0-gentoo.
  • MySQL: according to phpinfo(): Client API version: 5.1.56. The latest MySQL-Version is 5.5.14
  • mod_rewrite: I guess it is enabled. This website uses mod_rewrite, doesn't it? I know that it is hosted by the provider I'd like to chose, so if mod_rewrite works there, it will work for me, too.
  • .htaccess files may be used
  • FTP access only! No ssh! No execution of binaries.

The requirements-page of worpress states:

  • PHP 5.2.4 or greater
  • MySQL 5.0 or greater
  • The mod_rewrite Apache module

I would now like to know if it is easily possible to update wordpress when I only have FTP-access and phpMyAdmin. I would also like to know if it is easily possible to make backups.

(I ask, because I made the experience that creating backups with MediaWiki is impossible (or at least extremly difficult and laborious) without ssh access or mysqldump. It's the same for upgrading MediaWiki)

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I would now like to know if it is easily possible to update wordpress when I only have FTP-access and phpMyAdmin.

WordPress has automatic update feature, that will do its best to perform update without you having to upload new version manually. It is not perfect, but it is quite robust and works on most configurations.

If changes to database are required for new version, WordPress will perform them by itself, you won't ever need to use phpMyAdmin for that.

I would also like to know if it is easily possible to make backups.

There are numerous backup plugins for WordPress available, both free and paid. They differ in what is backed up (files and/or database), backup destinations (local/email/cloud/etc) and additional features (restore/migration/whatever).

It will take some research to pick one for your needs (especially if you are looking among free solutions only), but this is definitely not a problem with WP.

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  • Thanks for your answer. According to the link you gave me, "your files all need to be owned by the user under which your Apache server executes". How can I do this only with FTP access? If I set the rights to 777 it should also work, but I don't think its needed. I would like to restrict the rights as much as possible. Do you have a link which explains this?
    – Martin Thoma
    Jul 24, 2011 at 16:32
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    @moose I hadn't looked in the details of the process. It either just works or prompts for FTP credentials to use. There is number of related constants that can be put in configuration to tweak the process.
    – Rarst
    Jul 24, 2011 at 16:54

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