PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function wp_kses_normalize_entities() in new wordpress installation

Question

I'm trying to install Wordpress 5.3.2 on NetBSD (unix). phpinfo() tells me I am running Apache/2.4.33 (Unix) PHP/7.2.6

/wp-admin/setup-config.php?step=1 has a message at the bottom of the window (below the "submit" button) saying "There has been a critical error on your website".

Thinking to set WP_DEBUG to "true" in the hope of getting an error message, I manually configured wp-config.php, but on install.php I get a blank screen.

The server log says "Call to undefined function wp_kses_normalize_entities()".

I've tried using /wp-admin/setup-config.php to configure php-config.php as well, and looking up the server log I see other errors: "Call to undefined function mysql_connect()" (from wp-includes/wp-db.php) and "Call to undefined function json_encode()" from wp-includes/functions.php:3820

As this is at the installation stage, so the only thing I have altered is wp-config.php (each time editing from the default file).I've not got as far as a Wordpress dashboard, so there are no plugins to disable. What do I do?

Answer 1

I know it is long since you posted this but let's get into it. This error happens when WordPress installation is not successful or not complete. I suggest trying to install your Wordpress using its auto-installer which will do the necessary changes to necessary files. Using this method avoids you from editing even the wp-config by yourself which I have always found a better way unless you have your own reasons for manually doing the database set-up.

Answer 2

also php7.2, look at the new wordpress website and what they recommend

Probably works also, however should be 7.4+ , I still use 7.4 with wordpress cause when developing, 8.1 its full of warnings if we have debug on