Installing WordPress in a Subdirectory

If others have posted about this already, I couldn't find it last night.

We're converting a domain for a client from hosting some demo content to hosting a WordPress site. In the process, we need to keep the previous URLs valid, but let WP provide the document-root. I also like to keep things organized, so WP will live in its own directory (/WP).

First, extract WordPress to the /WP directory, and update its configuration per the manual. Your life will be easier if you STOP before step 6 (install.php), and setup these rewrite rules first...

For this situation we have two .htaccess files.

One at the document root...

# /var/www/default/.htaccess

RewriteEngine On

RewriteBase /

# by default, /wp-admin redirects to the full

# path to /wp-admin/ - in this case /WP/wp-admin/

# which is BAD, and breaks login.

# this rewrite preempts that by adding the

# trailing slash, so that wp-admin goes directly

# to login without the path

RewriteRule ^(.*)wp-admin$ $1wp-admin/ [R=302,L]

# Shortcut for directory index

RewriteRule ^$ /WP/ [PT,L]

RewriteRule ^/$ /WP/ [PT,L]

# Pass all non-file queries to WordPress

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /WP/$1 [PT]

And one for WordPress...

# /var/www/default/WP/.htaccess

# managed by WP, essentially its default

# BEGIN WordPress

RewriteEngine On

RewriteBase /

RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

# END WordPress

OK, you can now proceed with step 6 on the manual - install, without using /WP in the URL.

(2010-08-13: update for directory index shortcuts)