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Creating a WordPress Site

This guide explains how to quickly create a WordPress development site using the dvs create wordpress command.

Overview​

The dvs create wordpress command allows you to set up a complete WordPress environment with a single command. You can either use existing source code or let DevSpaces download and install a specific WordPress version.

Basic Usage​

Navigate to your project directory and run:

dvs create wordpress -i <version>

The -i (or --install) option is required to specify the WordPress version to install.

To see all available WordPress versions and their compatible PHP versions, use:

dvs help create wordpress

Or:

dvs create wordpress --help

This will display a matrix showing WordPress versions and their recommended PHP versions.

Quick Installation with Options​

For a faster setup, you can specify options directly:

dvs create wordpress -w 'www' -i 6.4 -p 8.1 -l fr_FR

This command will:

  • -w 'www': Set the web root to the www folder
  • -i 6.4: Install WordPress version 6.4
  • -p 8.1: Use PHP 8.1
  • -l fr_FR: Set locale to French

Available Options​

Application Name​

By default, the application name is automatically constructed from the current directory name. You can override this by specifying a custom name:

dvs create wordpress -i 6.4 -n my-wordpress

Options:

  • -n, --name: Application name (default: current directory name)

The application name is used for:

  • The site URL: https://<app-name>.dvs.sh
  • Database name (if not specified with -D)
  • Database user (if not specified with -U)
  • Container and configuration names

Web Root​

Specify the folder containing your WordPress source code:

dvs create wordpress -i 6.4 -w 'www'

Options:

  • -w, --web-root: Folder containing source, must be relative to current folder (default: ./)
  • The folder must exist. Default is ./.

PHP Version​

Choose the PHP version compatible with your WordPress version:

dvs create wordpress -i 6.4 -p 8.1

If you don't specify a PHP version with -p, DevSpaces will automatically select the highest compatible PHP version for the WordPress version you're installing.

WordPress typically works with PHP 7.4 and higher. To see the complete compatibility matrix for all versions, use dvs help create wordpress.

WordPress Version​

Install a specific WordPress version automatically:

dvs create wordpress -i 6.4

The -i (or --install) option is required when creating a new WordPress installation. To see all available versions and their PHP compatibility:

dvs help create wordpress

Or:

dvs create wordpress --help

Locale​

Set the locale for WordPress installation:

dvs create wordpress -i 6.4 -l fr_FR

Options:

  • -l, --locale: Change the default locale installed (default: en_US)

Common locales:

  • en_US - English (US)
  • fr_FR - French
  • de_DE - German
  • es_ES - Spanish

Database Configuration​

By default, DevSpaces will:

  • Use the first installed SQL service (or mysql if none installed)
  • Create a database with the app name
  • Create a user with the app name
  • Generate password automatically

You can override these defaults:

dvs create wordpress -i 6.4 -H mysql -D my_database -U my_user -P my_password

Options:

  • -H, --sql-host: SQL service name to use (default: first SQL service found, or mysql)
  • -D, --sql-dbname: MySQL database name (default: app name)
  • -U, --sql-user: MySQL user name (default: app name)
  • -P, --sql-pass: MySQL password (default: auto-generated)

Automatic Installation​

When you specify the -i option with a version number, DevSpaces will:

  1. Download the specified WordPress version
  2. Extract it to the web root directory
  3. Create the wp-config.php file
  4. Run the WordPress installation
  5. Create an admin user with credentials

After installation, you'll see the admin credentials:

https://<app-name>.dvs.sh/wp-admin
  user: <app-name>@<domain>
  pass: <generated-password>

After Creation​

Once the site is created, the command will display the admin panel access information, including:

  • Admin panel URL: https://<app-name>.dvs.sh/wp-admin
  • Admin account credentials (email and password)

You can then:

  • Access your site at https://<app-name>.dvs.sh
  • Access the admin panel using the credentials displayed
  • View application info with dvs info

Managing User Accounts​

To manage user/admin accounts:

  • List all users: Use dvs user-list to see all registered user accounts
  • Change user password: Use dvs user-password <email|id> <password> to update a user's password

For more details, see the user-list and user-password command documentation.

Using WP-CLI​

DevSpaces provides a shortcut to WP-CLI commands:

dvs wp <command>

For example:

# List all plugins
dvs wp plugin list

# Install a plugin
dvs wp plugin install akismet

# Update WordPress core
dvs wp core update

Next Steps​

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