Install and Control Multiple Sites in WordPress 3.0

WordPress 3.0 has released and people are crazy to use it as many new features have been included in WordPress 3.0. One of them is multiple site installation and control. If you’ve installed or upgraded to WordPress 3.0 version then you can install many sites without installing the WP again. You can install those extra sites from your existing site enabling the multisite property. Once you have done, you can control all the sites from the parent site.
If you have not yet installed WP 3.0 then download WordPress 3.0 and install.
After installing that, open the wp-config.ph file from your root directory and add the following code.

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);

• Now go to the dashboard > Tools menu and click on “Network”.

• You will get a window showing the installation path details. Also it will show a warning asking to enable the mod_rewrite feature in your Apache server. But you are using WordPress in your server and I can assume that your Apache server is mod_rewrite enabled. If not then contact your hosting authority.

You can see there are two options to install the new site either in a subdomain or in a subfolder. You can chose any one. But the subdomain must be available in your hosting account. Any way I’ll install the new site in a sub directory here.
At the below of the window you can see the network details field. Put the details and click on the “Install” button.
Now in upcoming window you will get the instructions in details to complete the installation.

1. Create a directory “blogs.dir” under the wp-content directory. This directory will be used to store uploaded media of the new sites.
2. You will get a code which you will have to paste in the wp-config.php file. Paste the total code above the line

   "/* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */"

3. Below of that you will get another code which you will have to put in the .htaccess file under /public_html directory replacing the existing WordPress rules.

After completing the above steps your configuration will complete and you will have to login again in WordPress. After logging in you can find another menu “Super Admin” has been added at the left side.

From the Super Admin menu you can add new sites, create new user, mange themes etc. But From the normal Dashboard you can’t add sites or create new user.
Now to add a new site click on “Sites” under “Super Admin”. Now under the “Add site” field type the site name, admin user name, email adress and then click on “Add Site”.

Your new site will be added. Assume your new site is Child. Then the address of this site will be http://yourdomain.com/child.
Generally, the normal dash board controls the parent site but for switching to the child site go to Super Admin > Sites. You will get the list of your sites here. Chose the site which you want to manage, publish posts etc and click on “Backend”

That’s all to install and manage multiple sites by one installation of WorPress 3.0.
If you want to test this feature of WP 3.0 locally then you can install Wamp Server in Windows system and then install WordPress there. But you have to enable mod_rewrite feature in the local Apache server.