Hosting multiple WordPress sites on single server – best practices?

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I rent some webserver space (Linux, MySql, PHP, Apache) and host several WordPress websites (for different clients, with different needs)
What would be the best way to Host multiple wordpress sites on a single machine, what I’m looking for here, is saving on diskspace and number of databases needed as well as simplifying maintenance.

  • Yes this should be for a single wordpress version.
  • Each site should be able to have different plugins included and activated
  • Each site should be able to have it’s own themes (some shared some not)
  • No crossing between sites – users and content not shared in any way.
  • Easily Upgradable
  • Single Super Admin is a plus but not essential
    (I know how to install and manage wordpress, I can’t figure out if WordPress MU is what I need, if so how to set it up so that my requirements are met, can I enable/disable features per user/blog created with MU).

Thank you!

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Based on your needs, yes: you should probably be using a Network (WordPress with MultiSite enabled).

  • All network sites run the same version of WordPress
  • Each network site can activate its own Plugins. You can explicitly allow each site to manage its own Plugins.
  • Each network site can have access to different Themes (though you will have to manage access to each Theme via the Network Admin.
  • Users can be managed such that each sites users are mutually exclusive
  • Upgrades of WordPress core, Themes, Plugins, and network sites is all managed from a single location in the Network Admin
  • Super Admin is part of a Network install, and allows granular control over each network site, Plugins, Themes, and users.

As for how to set up a Network, everything is incredibly well-documented in the Codex.

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