Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download Wordpress via SSH: A Complete Guide

Wordpress is one of the most popular content management systems in the world, powering more than 30% of all websites. While it's possible to install Wordpress manually using FTP or cPanel, downloading it via SSH is often faster and more secure. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to download Wordpress via SSH.

What is SSH?

Secure Shell (SSH) is a network protocol that allows you to securely connect to a remote server. It provides an encrypted channel through which you can send commands and transfer files between two computers. SSH is commonly used by developers, system administrators, and webmasters to access and manage remote servers.

Prerequisites

Before you can download Wordpress via SSH, you'll need the following:

• A remote server with SSH access
• A command-line interface (CLI) such as Terminal (Mac) or PuTTY (Windows)
• A text editor such as nano or vim

Step 1: Connect to your server via SSH

To connect to your remote server via SSH, open your CLI and type the following command:

ssh [username]@[server name or IP address]

Replace [username] with your username on the remote server, and [server name or IP address] with the server's hostname or IP address. If this is your first time connecting to the server, you may be prompted to verify the server's fingerprint and enter your password.

Step 2: Navigate to your web directory

Once you're connected to the server, navigate to the directory where your Wordpress files will be stored. This directory is typically located in the /var/www/html or /var/www/ directory. To navigate to a directory, use the cd command followed by the directory name. For example:

cd /var/www/html

Step 3: Download the latest version of Wordpress

To download the latest version of Wordpress, use the following command:

wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz

This will download the latest version of Wordpress as a compressed file to your current directory.

Step 4: Extract the Wordpress files

To extract the Wordpress files from the compressed file, use the following command:

tar -zxvf latest.tar.gz

This will extract the files to a new directory called wordpress in your current directory.

Step 5: Rename the Wordpress directory

To make it easier to manage your Wordpress installation, you can rename the wordpress directory to something more meaningful. Use the following command to rename the directory:

mv wordpress [new name]

Replace [new name] with the name you want to give the directory.

Step 6: Configure Wordpress

Now that you've downloaded Wordpress and renamed the directory, you can configure it for your needs. To begin the installation process, navigate to the new Wordpress directory:

cd [new name]

From there, you can edit the wp-config.php file to configure Wordpress for your server environment.

Conclusion

Downloading Wordpress via SSH is a quick and secure way to install the world's most popular content management system. By following these simple steps, you can get Wordpress up and running on your remote server in no time. Happy blogging!