Introduction

WordPress runs on a simple chain: your web server accepts requests, PHP generates pages, and the database stores state. If any link in that chain is misconfigured (wrong PHP handler, missing modules, broken SSL, bad ports), WordPress failures often look like "the site is down".

Quick Summary

Pick one primary stack and learn its control points (config file path, logs, reload command).
Validate configs before reload (nginx -t, apachectl configtest) to avoid self-inflicted outages.
Use SSL early; once HTTPS is working, you can safely enforce redirects.

Foundation: web server + PHP = WordPress engine

Which server + PHP combo is most recommended for WordPress performance?
Why should you remove info.php after testing?
What command tests Apache configuration?
What’s the difference between static and dynamic content?
Which PHP modules are essential for WordPress?

Mini Quiz

Task	Command
Check PHP version	`php -v`
List PHP modules	`php -m`
Restart Apache	`systemctl restart apache2`
Restart Nginx	`systemctl restart nginx`
Restart OLS	`systemctl restart lsws`
Test Apache config	`apache2ctl configtest`
Test Nginx config	`nginx -t`
Firewall rule	`ufw allow 'Apache Full'`

Cheat Sheet

Visit: http://your-server-ip:8088/test.php

ols-cheat-sheet.sh
# Install OLS + PHP 8.2
sudo apt install openlitespeed lsphp82 -y

# Check OLS service
systemctl status lsws

# Create test PHP file
echo "&lt;?php echo 'Hello WordPress Engine!'; ?>" > /usr/local/lsws/Example/html/test.php

Quick Lab

Issue	Cause	Fix
500 error	PHP misconfig	Check `php.ini` + logs
PHP file download	PHP-FPM not linked	Fix `fastcgi_pass` in Nginx
Apache blank page	Wrong PHP mod	`a2enmod php8.2`
OLS not starting	Port conflict	Stop Apache/Nginx or change port
`php` not found	Package missing	`sudo apt install php`

Troubleshooting Matrix

Test page (info.php) loads.
Virtual host configured for domain.
Firewall allows HTTP/HTTPS.
PHP installed and verified (php -v).
Web server running (systemctl status).

Go-Live Checklist

Dynamic Content: WordPress pages → PHP generates HTML from DB.
Static Content: HTML, CSS, JS → Served directly by web server.

Static vs dynamic

Use phpinfo() only for testing, then delete it.
Prefer OpenLiteSpeed + LSCache for WordPress performance.
Use nginx -t or apache2ctl configtest before restarting services.
Enable only required modules: mysqli, curl, mbstring, gd, zip.
Always install the latest PHP version supported by WordPress.

Best practices

PHP 8.2/8.3: Better performance, memory optimization, security.
OpenLiteSpeed: Modern, LSCache plugin, best for WordPress.
Nginx: High concurrency, reverse proxy support.
Apache: Stable, flexible, widely supported.

Benefits

Use Case: Confirm OLS bound to ports. Benefit: Ensure web traffic works.

tcp   LISTEN 0 128 *:8088 *:*
tcp   LISTEN 0 128 *:443  *:*

Output:

verify-ols-listening-ports.sh
ss -tuln | grep LISTEN | grep lsws

25. Verify OLS listening ports

Use Case: Open 80/443. Benefit: Production traffic enabled.

Rule added
Rule added (v6)

Output:

ufw-allow-openlitespeed-full.sh
ufw allow 'OpenLiteSpeed Full'

24. Firewall allow HTTP/HTTPS

Use Case: Enable default OLS web port. Benefit: Browser access to test page.

Rule added
Rule added (v6)

Output:

ufw-allow-ols-8088.sh
ufw allow 8088/tcp

23. Firewall allow OLS ports

Use Case: Hard reset server. Benefit: Recover from errors.

Stopping OpenLiteSpeed...
Starting OpenLiteSpeed...

Output:

lswsctrl-stop-start.sh
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl stop
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl start

22. Stop and start OLS manually

Use Case: Apply config safely. Benefit: No downtime reload.

Reloading OpenLiteSpeed succeeded.

Output:

lswsctrl-reload.sh
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl reload

21. Reload OLS without full restart

Use Case: Review vhost setup. Benefit: Debug domain issues.

docRoot                   /usr/local/lsws/Example/html/
vhDomain                  example.com

Output:

view-example-vhost-conf.sh
cat /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/Example/vhconf.conf

20. Inspect OLS vhost config

Use Case: Identify hosted sites. Benefit: Manage vhost configs.

Example
mydomain.com

Output:

list-ols-vhosts.sh
ls /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/

19. List OLS virtual hosts

Use Case: Ensure PHP + OLS integration. Benefit: Confirms site readiness.

Hello WordPress Engine!

Output:

curl-test-php-page.sh
curl "http://localhost:8088/test.php"

18. Fetch PHP test page

Use Case: Confirm PHP works. Benefit: Quick environment check.

/usr/local/lsws/Example/html/test.php

Output:

create-test-php-file.sh
echo "<?php echo 'Hello WordPress Engine!'; ?>" > /usr/local/lsws/Example/html/test.php

17. Create PHP test file

Use Case: Confirm OLS is serving requests. Benefit: Verify connectivity.

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Server: LiteSpeed

Output:

curl-head-localhost-8088.sh
curl -I "http://localhost:8088"

16. Test HTTP response

Output: Opens config file. Use Case: Change memory/upload limits. Benefit: Tune WordPress performance.

edit-lsphp-php-ini.sh
nano /usr/local/lsws/lsphp82/etc/php/8.2/litespeed/php.ini

15. Edit PHP configuration

Output: Full phpinfo() style config. Use Case: Inspect PHP environment. Benefit: Debug settings without browser.

lsphp-info.sh
lsphp -i | less

14. View PHP info in terminal

Use Case: Verify WordPress-required modules. Benefit: Prevent missing extension errors.

mysqli
curl
mbstring
gd
zip

Output:

list-lsphp-modules.sh
lsphp -m

13. Check loaded PHP modules

Use Case: Upgrade PHP quickly. Benefit: Stay up-to-date.

Switched to lsphp82 successfully.

Output:

lsup-switch-lsphp.sh
/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/lsup.sh -f lsphp82

12. Switch PHP version (OLS Admin GUI shortcut)

Use Case: See available PHP builds. Benefit: Choose best version for WordPress.

lsphp74  lsphp80  lsphp82

Output:

list-installed-lsphp-versions.sh
ls /usr/local/lsws/lsphp*

11. List installed PHP versions

Use Case: Verify PHP engine. Benefit: Ensure WordPress compatibility.

lsphp 8.2.12 (built: Sep 23 2025 14:01:17)

Output:

check-lsphp-version.sh
lsphp -v

10. Check LiteSpeed PHP version

Use Case: Monitor traffic. Benefit: Track real-time requests.

127.0.0.1 - - [29/Sep/2025:10:10:10] "GET /index.php HTTP/1.1" 200

Output:

tail-ols-access-log.sh
tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/access.log

9. Check access logs

Use Case: Debug server errors. Benefit: Faster troubleshooting.

[INFO] [12345] Server started on port 8088.

Output:

tail-ols-error-log.sh
tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log

8. Check OpenLiteSpeed logs

Use Case: Prevent OLS auto-start. Benefit: Save resources on dev servers.

Removed /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/lsws.service

Output:

disable-lsws-on-boot.sh
systemctl disable lsws

7. Disable OpenLiteSpeed on boot

Use Case: Auto-start OLS after reboot. Benefit: Avoids downtime.

Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/lsws.service

Output:

enable-lsws-on-boot.sh
systemctl enable lsws

6. Enable OpenLiteSpeed on boot

Use Case: Temporarily shut down. Benefit: Maintenance window.

● lsws.service - OpenLiteSpeed HTTP Server
   Active: inactive (dead)

Output:

stop-lsws.sh
systemctl stop lsws

5. Stop OpenLiteSpeed

Use Case: Apply configuration changes. Benefit: Reload without reboot.

● lsws.service - OpenLiteSpeed HTTP Server
   Active: active (running)

Output:

restart-lsws.sh
systemctl restart lsws

4. Restart OpenLiteSpeed

Use Case: Start OLS after reboot. Benefit: Bring server online.

● lsws.service - OpenLiteSpeed HTTP Server
   Active: active (running)

Output:

start-lsws.sh
systemctl start lsws

3. Start OpenLiteSpeed service

Use Case: Ensure OLS is running. Benefit: Detect downtime.

● lsws.service - OpenLiteSpeed HTTP Server
   Active: active (running) since Mon 2025-09-29 09:00:00

Output:

status-lsws.sh
systemctl status lsws

2. Check OpenLiteSpeed service status

Use Case: Confirm OLS installed. Benefit: Verify correct build.

LiteSpeed/1.8.1 Open (build: Sep 20 2025)

Output:

check-lshttpd-version.sh
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lshttpd -v

1. Check OpenLiteSpeed version

Command reference with examples

Command	Flag	Meaning	Example
`apache2ctl`	`configtest`	Test Apache config	`apache2ctl configtest`
`nginx`	`-t`	Test Nginx config	`nginx -t`
`systemctl`	`status`	Show service state	`systemctl status php8.2-fpm`
`php`	`-v`	Show PHP version	`php -v`
`php`	`-m`	List loaded modules	`php -m`
`lsphp`	`-v`	Show LiteSpeed PHP version	`lsphp -v`

Common options and flags

Visit: http://your-server-ip/info.php

create-phpinfo-file.sh
echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/info.php

PHP Info Test

service-control-examples.sh
systemctl status apache2
systemctl restart nginx
systemctl status lsws

Web Server Service Control

Mental model

Layer	Responsibility
Web server	Accepts HTTP(S), serves static assets, and routes PHP requests
PHP runtime	Executes WordPress PHP and generates HTML
Database	Stores posts/users/options and responds to queries
Cache (optional)	Reduces repeated PHP/DB work (page and object cache)
Filesystem	Stores `wp-content` (uploads/plugins/themes) and logs
OS resources	CPU/RAM/disk/network set the upper performance limit

Verify your stack quickly

example-php-version-and-modules.txt
PHP 8.2.12 (cli) (built: Sep 23 2025 14:01:17) (NTS)
Modules: mysqli, curl, gd, mbstring...

Expected Output:

verify-php-installation.sh
php -v
php -m
dpkg -l | grep php

Verify PHP installation:

install-webserver-and-php-examples.sh
# Apache + PHP
sudo apt update && sudo apt install apache2 libapache2-mod-php php -y

# Nginx + PHP-FPM
sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx php-fpm -y

# OpenLiteSpeed + PHP 8.2 (recommended for WordPress performance)
sudo apt update && sudo apt install openlitespeed lsphp82 -y

Installed Packages: Depending on your stack.
Access Level: sudo or root user.

How to use this section

Use this page as a reference:

Work through the quick labs when you're setting up a new VPS.
Use the cheat sheet and troubleshooting matrix when something breaks under real traffic.
Refer to the command examples when validating installs, ports, and service health.
Compare stacks (Apache, Nginx, OpenLiteSpeed) based on how you plan to operate and scale.
Keep the mental model in mind: web server + PHP + database + disk + network.
Treat phpinfo() and any test scripts as temporary diagnostics.
Document what you changed and how you verified it.

Outcome: you can install, validate, and debug the web server + PHP layer that powers WordPress.

Key concepts

PHP modules and packages

php -m lists the extensions loaded by the PHP binary you're running (typically the CLI). WordPress may run under a different PHP handler, so treat this as a baseline and verify your web runtime too.

Example output (CLI):

example-php-m-output.txt
[PHP Modules]
apcu
bcmath
bz2
calendar
Core
ctype
curl
date
dom
enchant
exif
fileinfo
filter
ftp
gd
gettext
gmp
hash
iconv
igbinary
imagick
imap
intl
json
libxml
mbstring
msgpack
mysqli
mysqlnd
openssl
pcntl
pcre
PDO
pdo_mysql
pdo_sqlite
Phar
posix
random
readline
redis
Reflection
session
SimpleXML
soap
sockets
sodium
SPL
sqlite3
standard
sysvmsg
sysvsem
sysvshm
tokenizer
xml
xmlreader
xmlwriter
xsl
Zend OPcache
zip
zlib

[Zend Modules]
Zend OPcache

What `php -m` shows

php -m is a CLI command that lists extensions loaded by the PHP binary you executed.

What is `php -m`?

php -m is a CLI command that lists all currently loaded PHP modules and extensions.
These modules extend PHP’s core functionality (e.g., connecting to MySQL, handling images, caching).
The output is divided into [PHP Modules] and [Zend Modules].

Output sections

[PHP Modules]
- Shows all extensions compiled into PHP or loaded via php.ini.
- Each entry is a feature or library (e.g., mysqli, curl, gd).
[Zend Modules]
- Shows special Zend Engine extensions, usually optimizers or cache engines.
- Example: Zend OPcache speeds up PHP execution by caching compiled code.

Modules that matter for WordPress

Here’s what some of the important ones mean (especially for WordPress):

Module	Purpose in PHP/WordPress	Why Important
`mysqli` / `pdo_mysql`	Connects WordPress to MySQL/MariaDB	Required for WordPress DB
`curl`	Transfers data over HTTP/S	Used by plugins, APIs, WP updater, many plugins
`mbstring`	Multibyte string handling	Helps with UTF-8 content and some plugin dependencies
`gd` / `imagick`	Image processing	Thumbnails and image transforms
`intl`	Internationalization	Locale-aware formatting; some multilingual plugins
`zip`	ZIP archive support	Theme/plugin installs and some backup tools
`xml` / `xmlreader` / `xmlwriter`	XML parsing	Feeds and some plugins
`json`	JSON parsing	REST API and editor behavior
`redis`	Object caching	Reduces database load when caching is configured
`opcache` (Zend)	Opcode caching	Improves PHP performance by caching compiled code

Quick checks

Run:

check-mysql-extensions.sh
php -m | rg -n 'mysqli|pdo_mysql|mysqlnd'

Output:

example-mysql-extension-check.txt
mysqli
pdo_mysql
mysqlnd

Confirms MySQL extensions are enabled.

Why it matters for WordPress

WordPress requires a database extension (mysqli or pdo_mysql) and common runtime modules.
Plugins often require extras (curl, zip, imagick/gd).
Performance modules like opcache (and optionally redis) are a common baseline for fast sites.

In practice, php -m is a capabilities checklist for that PHP runtime.

Installed PHP packages (Debian/Ubuntu)

dpkg -l | rg php shows which PHP packages are installed on disk (not which one your web server uses).

example-dpkg-php-packages.txt
root@GC-SG-M16GB:~# dpkg -l | grep php
ii  lsphp81                              8.1.33-5+noble                          amd64        server-side, HTML-embedded scripting language (LSAPI binary)
ii  lsphp81-apcu                         5.1.27-2+noble                          amd64        APC User Cache for PHP
ii  lsphp81-common                       8.1.33-5+noble                          all          Common files for packages built from the PHP source
ii  lsphp81-curl                         8.1.33-5+noble                          amd64        CURL module for PHP
ii  lsphp81-igbinary                     3.2.16-5+noble                          amd64        igbinary PHP serializer
ii  lsphp81-imagick                      3.8.0-5+noble                           amd64        Provides a wrapper to the ImageMagick library
ii  lsphp81-imap                         8.1.33-5+noble                          amd64        IMAP module for PHP
ii  lsphp81-intl                         8.1.33-5+noble                          amd64        Internationalisation module for PHP
ii  lsphp81-msgpack                      3.0.0-4+noble                           amd64        PHP extension for interfacing with MessagePack
ii  lsphp81-mysql                        8.1.33-5+noble                          amd64        MySQL module for PHP
ii  lsphp81-opcache                      8.1.33-5+noble                          amd64        Zend OpCache module for PHP
ii  lsphp81-redis                        6.2.0-4+noble                           amd64        PHP extension for interfacing with Redis
ii  lsphp81-sqlite3                      8.1.33-5+noble                          amd64        SQLite3 module for PHP
ii  lsphp82                              8.2.29-3+noble                          amd64        server-side, HTML-embedded scripting language (LSAPI binary)
ii  lsphp82-apcu                         5.1.27-1+noble                          amd64        APC User Cache for PHP
ii  lsphp82-common                       8.2.29-3+noble                          all          Common files for packages built from the PHP source
ii  lsphp82-curl                         8.2.29-3+noble                          amd64        CURL module for PHP
ii  lsphp82-igbinary                     3.2.16-4+noble                          amd64        igbinary PHP serializer
ii  lsphp82-imagick                      3.8.0-4+noble                           amd64        Provides a wrapper to the ImageMagick library
ii  lsphp82-imap                         8.2.29-3+noble                          amd64        IMAP module for PHP
ii  lsphp82-intl                         8.2.29-3+noble                          amd64        Internationalisation module for PHP
ii  lsphp82-msgpack                      3.0.0-3+noble                           amd64        PHP extension for interfacing with MessagePack
ii  lsphp82-mysql                        8.2.29-3+noble                          amd64        MySQL module for PHP
ii  lsphp82-opcache                      8.2.29-3+noble                          amd64        Zend OpCache module for PHP
ii  lsphp82-redis                        6.2.0-3+noble                           amd64        PHP extension for interfacing with Redis
ii  lsphp82-sqlite3                      8.2.29-3+noble                          amd64        SQLite3 module for PHP
ii  lsphp83                              8.3.25-3+noble                          amd64        server-side, HTML-embedded scripting language (LSAPI binary)
ii  lsphp83-apcu                         5.1.27-2+noble                          amd64        APC User Cache for PHP
ii  lsphp83-common                       8.3.25-4+noble                          all          Common files for packages built from the PHP source
ii  lsphp83-curl                         8.3.25-3+noble                          amd64        CURL module for PHP
ii  lsphp83-igbinary                     3.2.16-6+noble                          amd64        igbinary PHP serializer
ii  lsphp83-imagick                      3.8.0-5+noble                           amd64        Provides a wrapper to the ImageMagick library
ii  lsphp83-imap                         8.3.25-3+noble                          amd64        IMAP module for PHP
ii  lsphp83-intl                         8.3.25-3+noble                          amd64        Internationalisation module for PHP
ii  lsphp83-msgpack                      3.0.0-4+noble                           amd64        PHP extension for interfacing with MessagePack
ii  lsphp83-mysql                        8.3.25-3+noble                          amd64        MySQL module for PHP
ii  lsphp83-opcache                      8.3.25-3+noble                          amd64        Zend OpCache module for PHP
ii  lsphp83-redis                        6.2.0-4+noble                           amd64        PHP extension for interfacing with Redis
ii  lsphp83-sqlite3                      8.3.25-3+noble                          amd64        SQLite3 module for PHP
ii  php-common                           2:93ubuntu2                             all          Common files for PHP packages
ii  php-mysql                            2:8.3+93ubuntu2                         all          MySQL module for PHP [default]
ii  php-readline                         2:8.3+93ubuntu2                         all          readline module for PHP [default]
rc  php8.3-cli                           8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.4                  amd64        command-line interpreter for the PHP scripting language
ii  php8.3-common                        8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.5                  amd64        documentation, examples and common module for PHP
rc  php8.3-curl                          8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.4                  amd64        CURL module for PHP
rc  php8.3-intl                          8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.4                  amd64        Internationalisation module for PHP
rc  php8.3-mbstring                      8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.4                  amd64        MBSTRING module for PHP
ii  php8.3-mysql                         8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.5                  amd64        MySQL module for PHP
ii  php8.3-opcache                       8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.5                  amd64        Zend OpCache module for PHP
ii  php8.3-readline                      8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.5                  amd64        readline module for PHP
rc  php8.3-zip                           8.3.6-0ubuntu0.24.04.4                  amd64        Zip module for PHP
root@GC-SG-M16GB:~#

What the command does

dpkg -l → lists all installed packages (from Ubuntu/Debian package manager).
| grep php → filters the list to show only packages with php in their name.

This is different from php -m (which shows loaded PHP extensions for a particular runtime).

dpkg -l | grep php shows which PHP packages are installed on the system.

What this output tells you

From your paste, I see:

You have multiple LiteSpeed PHP builds installed:
- lsphp81 (PHP 8.1)
- lsphp82 (PHP 8.2)
- lsphp83 (PHP 8.3)
For each version, you also have extensions installed:
- lsphpXX-apcu → APCu caching
- lsphpXX-curl → curl HTTP requests
- lsphpXX-igbinary, lsphpXX-msgpack → cache serializers
- lsphpXX-imagick → ImageMagick support
- lsphpXX-mysql → MySQLi/PDO MySQL support
- lsphpXX-opcache → OPcache
- lsphpXX-redis → Redis cache support
- lsphpXX-sqlite3 → SQLite database support
- lsphpXX-intl, lsphpXX-imap, etc. → specific feature extensions
You also have Ubuntu default PHP packages:
- php8.3-mysql, php8.3-opcache, php8.3-mbstring, etc.
- These are separate from LiteSpeed PHP (lsphp).

Why multiple PHP builds can coexist

lsphpXX → used by OpenLiteSpeed/LSWS (via LSAPI).
php8.3-XXX → Ubuntu’s default PHP build (used by CLI or Apache/Nginx if you had them).

Since you’re focusing on OpenLiteSpeed, the lsphpXX packages are the ones that matter for running WordPress.

How to interpret the package list

Installed PHP interpreters → lsphp81, lsphp82, lsphp83, php8.3-cli.
Installed PHP extensions → mysql, redis, curl, imagick, etc.
Multiple versions → you have PHP 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 installed at the same time.

Key takeaway:

dpkg -l | grep php = "Which PHP packages (versions + extensions) are installed on my system?"
It doesn’t tell you which version is active — OpenLiteSpeed decides that in its Admin Web Console or configs.
For WordPress performance, the important ones are:

lsphp82 (or lsphp83 if stable) + lsphpXX-mysql + lsphpXX-opcache + lsphpXX-redis + lsphpXX-imagick.

If you plan to remove packages, first identify which PHP runtime your web server is actually using and confirm it with a live request before uninstalling anything.

Foundation: web server + PHP = WordPress engine​

Mini Quiz​

Cheat Sheet​

Quick Lab​

Troubleshooting Matrix​

Go-Live Checklist​

Static vs dynamic​

Best practices​

Benefits​

Command reference with examples​

Common options and flags​

PHP Info Test​

Web Server Service Control​

Mental model​

Verify your stack quickly​

How to use this section​

Key concepts​

PHP modules and packages​

What php -m shows​

What is php -m?​

Output sections​

Modules that matter for WordPress​

Quick checks​

Why it matters for WordPress​

Installed PHP packages (Debian/Ubuntu)​

What the command does​

What this output tells you​

Why multiple PHP builds can coexist​

How to interpret the package list​

Foundation: web server + PHP = WordPress engine

Mini Quiz

Cheat Sheet

Quick Lab

Troubleshooting Matrix

Go-Live Checklist

Static vs dynamic

Best practices

Benefits

Command reference with examples

Common options and flags

PHP Info Test

Web Server Service Control

Mental model

Verify your stack quickly

How to use this section

Key concepts

PHP modules and packages

What `php -m` shows

What is `php -m`?

Output sections

Modules that matter for WordPress

Quick checks

Why it matters for WordPress

Installed PHP packages (Debian/Ubuntu)

What the command does

What this output tells you

Why multiple PHP builds can coexist

How to interpret the package list