How to configure correctly in order to upload themes into WP

[sandym]

Installed Apache>Working.
Installed MySQL>Working.
Installed Filezilla> Working, but we'll get to what isn't in a moment.
Dl'd installed current Wordpress.org >Working.

Let me first say I am reluctantly posting. I like to try and sort things out on my own. So far, I've manage 'almost' everything. Taken great amounts of time to read>all Filezilla's Wiki's. The forums. Watched countless Youtube vids. Google searched endlessly. Etc..

But I'm stuck.

I installed Wordpress to my own computer as I'm new to this and before launching into hosted servers and having unfinished work on the internet, I want to see how I enjoyed using WP. Play a bit and so on. I love it. (I read in another topic a question: Why would the topic poster install to their own computer? Well, this, is my reason for doing so and hope that answers the same question from others.

My problem:

I have done something not right from the "Edit" users area.. I think. I have 'root' as user. That's working fine. I discovered however, no matter what I do to upload a theme-it isn't working.

-I did, create a database for the theme in MyphpAdmin.

-I note when I open Filezilla and get started>files which should appear on the right side, are not.

So, back to the "Edit" area for Users in Filezilla Admin..

I should be choosing a "Shared Folder" and also>(I think), another "Shared Folder"= wp-content-themes, added under the first.

??>WHAT should be that first listing?=The first "Shared Folder." I've tried everything and still, when I go back into Filezilla. attempt an upload, those folders that 'should' appear for me to drag and drop the file I'd like to upload into, do not appear.

I'm only guessing that's the problem. I hope someone can confirm that and fill me in, correctly. Or.. Correct me, and fill me in.

The next thing: When I enter the information for "Host" at the top inside Filezilla>will my local IP addy suffice? (We are not yet using 'external' IP as this is a local install and local hosting.)
OR.
Should I enter something else? If I get the rest finally configured correctly, I'd like to make sure this is correct, as well.

Should I be creating a folder/file under "Remote?" If so, what should it be named?

When granting permissions to write, read, etc.. Would I do this for both the first and second shared folders in the "Edit" users area? AND.. Would I do this for the folder created under "Remote" within Filezilla? (If I needed to create one.)

If you have any questions, please ask. I have ALL the information, lol. At least I hope I do. I should know where to look for it.. I've familiarized myself I think, fairly well enough.

Thank you for reading. Any experienced guidance would be dearly appreciate.

[James2014]

Does your theme have the minimum required files, such as an index.php, header.php, footer.php, functions.php, style.css?
When you go to the WP admin area (admin->Design->Themes), is your theme visible, and can it be activated?

-I did, create a database for the theme in MyphpAdmin.

Either you are confused, or didn't mean "DB for theme". You do not need to create a database (or a table) for a theme in WP.
The WP application manages the DB aspects. WP expects a theme of only files, in which you call the functions prepared by WP, which in turn access the WP DB through the application (not your theme) for content (posts, pages, menus, etc).

I have done something not right from the "Edit" users area.. I think. I have 'root' as user.

Not sure what you mean. Or why editing your users area would affect a theme not working.

The next thing: When I enter the information for "Host" at the top inside Filezilla>will my local IP addy suffice?

What do you mean by "local IP addy"? Localhost - 127.0.0.1? Your LAN IP - 192.168.x.x?
And it depends on your goal. 127.0.0.1 for internal transfers only (same machine), or LAN IP if you want to transfer to other machines in your network (LAN).

I'm not even sure I understand your ultimate goal with FileZilla.
Why are you trying to FTP files from your local to your local. Even if a shared environment or different users, I just don't see any practicality or advantage over a shared drive, or copy/paste, or just developing with whichever user owns the folder where the WP files are.
This seems a bit like driving a motorbike from the living room to the kitchen to make a cup of tea...(although...no, the missus wouldn't go for that...)

I'm not the ideal person to advise on this, nor do I think I understand what you're doing (or perhaps why you're trying to do it), but I imagine you are in need of an FTP server, running wherever you are trying to FTP the files to, even if the same machine.
FTP client needs an FTP server to communicate with.

[sandym]

Does your theme have the minimum required files, such as an index.php, header.php, footer.php, functions.php, style.css?
When you go to the WP admin area (admin->Design->Themes), is your theme visible, and can it be activated?

Yes, the theme has minimums.
The theme I'm using at the moment is the default that came with WP. And, yes. It's activated and working very nicely.

-I did, create a database for the theme in MyphpAdmin.

Either you are confused, or didn't mean "DB for theme". You do not need to create a database (or a table) for a theme in WP.
The WP application manages the DB aspects. WP expects a theme of only files, in which you call the functions prepared by WP, which in turn access the WP DB through the application (not your theme) for content (posts, pages, menus, etc).

The reason I created the DB for the theme: When I dl'd WP one needed to be created for that. So, my logic a few days ago was that I might need one for a theme, as well. I should have mentioned why I created the DB. Sorry. But thank you for clearing that up.

I have done something not right from the "Edit" users area.. I think. I have 'root' as user.

Not sure what you mean. Or why editing your users area would affect a theme not working.

A couple of lines below this I attempted to explain that it's my understanding you need to provide Shared Folders. Which is right next to the "Add User" in the "Edit" users area of Filezilla's Admin cpanel. I just don't know which two I need. I can't just add 'wp-content-themes' alone. Filezilla's Admin., won't allow it. (And I hope wp-content-themes is one, I should have.) But- I need to have another. Selecting only one shared folder will produce an error message. But.. What is the other correct shared folder?

The next thing: When I enter the information for "Host" at the top inside Filezilla>will my local IP addy suffice?

What do you mean by "local IP addy"? Localhost - 127.0.0.1? Your LAN IP - 192.168.x.x?
And it depends on your goal. 127.0.0.1 for internal transfers only (same machine), or LAN IP if you want to transfer to other machines in your network (LAN).

Yes, I meant 'localhost' addy. My external IP and localhost addy are, different of course. Localhost= 192.168.1... While external something else.

As for my goal ATM: I just want to transfer on the same machine. No others.
I was just wondering if "Host" is happy with selecting either "localhost"/localhost physical IP. Or. Should it have been something else. You've now cleared that up. I did know external would need to be used eventually. But for my purposes, I wondered if Host should have been oh say.. 'localhost/wordpress'. I wasn't sure.
So, thank you. Now I know I was doing that part right, at least.

I'm not even sure I understand your ultimate goal with FileZilla. < To learn how to use it. Also, it's my understanding: You cannot just copy and paste themes into WP. You must transfer those files. Then, locate them within Dashboard>>Themes>upload>>Install.
Why are you trying to FTP files from your local to your local. Even if a shared environment or different users, I just don't see any practicality or advantage over a shared drive, or copy/paste, or just developing with whichever user owns the folder where the WP files are.
This seems a bit like driving a motorbike from the living room to the kitchen to make a cup of tea...(although...no, the missus wouldn't go for that...)

Hahaha. No. I doubt she would.
Normally: When people dl WP they will have a host. Most people will do this 'right out of the box'. But- you don't need to. When we're new to WP, all you read about is needing a hosting service. (That is straight up, right out their '.org' forums.) Well, during my research I discovered you don't need one to get WP up and running. There is a way.

My reason for employing this, is so that I can sort out using WP. Create my website by gathering plugins, changing themes, selecting/deselecting permissions, and so on. All, without having to find a hosting service to do it according to .org and almost every-last-place you land on. Also, one can become very familiar with all aspects before going live. AND.. At that point TBH. It is possible to host your website, yourself. Just as I'm doing now, but with a external IP. That might be the way to go for some who have mega 'puters in there home. Reliability, key. Bandwidth and storage space (dependent upon ones site), are also key notes. For me? I'll pay a few bucks and leave it to another host. When I'm ready. For now, this serves many good purposes. I've learned a good deal. More than I needed to had I just hired a host. But for some reason, there isn't a lot of good 'step-by-step' on configuring your server, DB and FTP in the way I've chosen to do things. And for uploading files.... FTP configuration is well, key.

I'm not the ideal person to advise on this, nor do I think I understand what you're doing (or perhaps why you're trying to do it), but I imagine you are in need of an FTP server, running wherever you are trying to FTP the files to, even if the same machine.
FTP client needs an FTP server to communicate with.

I hope I've helped you to understand why I'm doing, what I'm doing with WP. I would like to repeat this for other sites I intend to build for myself, as well. So to me, these are valuable tools. Not having your work out there in a poorly state, just so one can monitor how things are progressing... Is far better, IMHO.

And yes. If the client is WP.. It does require a FTP. True that.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I do appreciate it. You've been a help. Two issues were cleared up: No DB required for themes. (I suspected this a couple of days into this project. But.. Wanted to confirm.) As well, using localhost/localhost physical IP is sufficient. That's part way there, lol. Now if I could just find out what the first shared folder should be? I'll be..

Cheers.

[James2014]

The theme I'm using at the moment is the default that came with WP. And, yes. It's activated and working very nicely.

I meant, is YOUR theme in the WP admin area and can it be activated?
ie the one which is not working we're trying to troubleshoot.

My reason for employing this, is so that I can sort out using WP. Create my website by gathering plugins, changing themes, selecting/deselecting permissions, and so on. All, without having to find a hosting service to do it. Not having your work out there in a poorly state, just so one can monitor how things are progressing

If you get some hosting and a domain, you can create a protected directory on your domain ( eg / root [entire domain], or /wordpress [single folder] ) so no-one can access it and spider bots wont be able to access it to list your site on their SE. This makes it completely private until you want to release it to live, and the advantage here is you can install plugins directly in WP-Admin, rather than downloading the files and putting them in the correct folders, etc.
You can also test the plugins which use HTTP (ie APIs) easier this way.

This is what "most " people will do, and is likely why wp.org and others advice doing so. Stopping your website being available to the public is very easy to do with aforementioned, as well as scripts, htaccess, and Wordpress itself (site shows as under construction unless you're admin).

It is possible to host your website, yourself. Just as I'm doing now, but with a external IP. That might be the way to go for some who have mega 'puters in there home. Reliability, key. Bandwidth and storage space

There's probably about ten people in the world hosting their own website from the local PC. ISPs don't like it, and hosting is so cheap now it's 99.87% pointless.

As for my goal ATM: I just want to transfer on the same machine. No others.

Again, I do not see the point or any advantage. FTP is used for transferring file(s) from a client (FileZilla) to an FTP server where you want the files to now reside. This is usually done between two different machines, and also usually when outside your local network (LAN) (unless you have a large network, which I doubt).
You have numerous other options for transferring files between machines in your LAN. Shared folders, shared drive, etc
.
And as for "FTP on the SAME machine" I really do not see the point, "copy/paste" if you need to move files.
But even then, why do you need to move files?
You have your WP files, including your theme folder. Go into your theme folder, on your machine, and open the files you want to work on with your chosen editor. Not sure why or where you're transferring. One of the major advantages of developing locally is the fact you don't need to keep transferring the files you're coding.
Even if a shared folder setup, you're better off just using the built in OS file manager to move files.

If you want to continue, again, I expect you'll need to install an FTP server on the recipient machine (even if the same as the sender machine). But FZ devs/mods can confirm this better than I can. There might be a way to use FZ with your loopback address without an FTP server.

[sandym]

The theme I'm using at the moment is the default that came with WP. And, yes. It's activated and working very nicely.

I meant, is YOUR theme in the WP admin area and can it be activated?
ie the one which is not working we're trying to troubleshoot.

Pardon.
No. Why I brought all of this up. I wanted to import a new theme.
Very nice of WP to prove a default theme with the dl package. But. I wanted something different.

My reason for employing this, is so that I can sort out using WP. Create my website by gathering plugins, changing themes, selecting/deselecting permissions, and so on. All, without having to find a hosting service to do it. Not having your work out there in a poorly state, just so one can monitor how things are progressing

If you get some hosting and a domain, you can create a protected directory on your domain ( eg / root [entire domain], or /wordpress [single folder] ) so no-one can access it and spider bots wont be able to access it to list your site on their SE. This makes it completely private until you want to release it to live, and the advantage here is you can install plugins directly in WP-Admin, rather than downloading the files and putting them in the correct folders, etc.
You can also test the plugins which use HTTP (ie APIs) easier this way.

This is what "most " people will do, and is likely why wp.org and others advice doing so. Stopping your website being available to the public is very easy to do with aforementioned, as well as scripts, htaccess, and Wordpress itself (site shows as under construction unless you're admin).

Okay! Good to know. I have a domain name, but..I was not aware all you've said, obviously. LOL. This will be day 4 of using WP, for me. Fair to say its easy enough to use. Though little tips like this from the start, would be nice to know. In all the reading I'd done, I did not come across this information. The only advice was to get a host. Had I known/thought to look your information- It would have saved a good deal of time. I merely stumbled upon a post written on .org forums telling someone how to do this. The OP had asked if something was possible to cloak for the same reasons, I had. They were told no it couldn't be done. Then along came the person with a link for, 'How To'. I just followed along.

It is possible to host your website, yourself. Just as I'm doing now, but with a external IP. That might be the way to go for some who have mega 'puters in there home. Reliability, key. Bandwidth and storage space

There's probably about ten people in the world hosting their own website from the local PC. ISPs don't like it, and hosting is so cheap now it's 99.87% pointless.

Haha. Yeah, exactly. It's a few dollars a month to wipe away concern of glitches, power outages, bandwidth requirement, etc.. I do plan on enjoying that freedom.

As for my goal ATM: I just want to transfer on the same machine. No others.

Again, I do not see the point or any advantage. FTP is used for transferring file(s) from a client (FileZilla) to an FTP server where you want the files to now reside. This is usually done between two different machines, and also usually when outside your local network (LAN) (unless you have a large network, which I doubt).
You have numerous other options for transferring files between machines in your LAN. Shared folders, shared drive, etc

Ooh. Client=Filezilla not, WP. Check. But.. "to the server?" Then, the database would need to be created, yeah? Or as I had the client wrong, do you mean.. to WP? I don't want to get too carried away here on this note, haha. I just stopped to think about it. Thought it was worth asking.


And as for "FTP on the SAME machine" I really do not see the point, "copy/paste" if you need to move files.
But even then, why do you need to move files? <<Just need to import a theme. That's all at this point. As for 'copy and paste'. I tried that. It wasn't working. And so.. Here I am.

You have your WP files, including your theme folder. Go into your theme folder, on your machine, and open the files you want to work on with your chosen editor. Not sure why or where you're transferring. One of the major advantages of developing locally is the fact you don't need to keep transferring the files you're coding. < <Okay.. Right there. I'm not trying to code. I know very little about coding. Though learning as I go along but haven't used my exceedingly limited knowledge as yet. Don't really dare to, right now. All I wanted to do: Import a new theme/activate. The new theme, I wished to use for my WP website. From the WP Dashboard, set permissions, change headers, color, other appearances, add plugins..etc.. But in order to do this without having to learn the language of html/css fluently, this seemed a more logical option. And. Still does. I cannot image the only people using WP are code/script writers. It appears, the program was designed to appeal to both. Those who can, those who cannot.

en if a shared folder setup, you're better off just using the built in OS file manager to move files.

If you want to continue, again, I expect you'll need to install an FTP server on the recipient machine (even if the same as the sender machine). << I have done. Exactly that. Which, is why I'm posting. You've cleared up a few things. Now, provided information I wasn't aware of before nor was it coming up in any WP research. The ultimate answer to another (when I stumbled upon it), was no. You couldn't work on WP without a host. And well. Someone said differently. They just didn't mention the bit of coding you did, at the top of your post.

But FZ devs/mods can confirm this better than I can. There might be a way to use FZ with your loopback address without an FTP server.

Thank you, once again. Slowly I'm gather the information I need. Along the way, learning more. I very much appreciate the time taken.

Cheers.

[sandym]

My Remaining Questions:

When assigning Shared Folders from Filezilla Admin, are both assigned the same privileges to write, copy, delete etc.? Or do we just provide one Shared Folder such privileges.

When using Filezilla to transfer files is a folder required to be made for "Remote?" If so, is there a particular 'standard' for doing this. What would that be?

If we've created a folder for "Remote," do we assign that folder write permissions as we did for Shared folders. And. What would those permissions standards be?

If there is someone who uses WP, likes to import themes or builds websites for others.. Do you know what the first Shared Folder should be in Filezilla's Admin.? If so, please share.

Side Note:
If none of this is necessary, I don't follow why bitnami bothers with a stacked package. There has to be a reason we need, a server, MySQL and a FTP. Seems rather silly otherwise. I haven't done anything differently here. I'll have to learn this regardless. But. Instead of hiring a host provider to become familiar with all of these services, prepare my site and most importantly to me- see if I would even like WP as I'd never used it before...It seemed a wiser choice. Especially when not knowing about, cloaking. Being perfectly honest. I'd have to research where that bit of cloaking code would need to go. To a techy talk guru, this would seem like child's play. For those of us outside the guru arena. It's something we'd have to research. Along with a good many other things.

We aren't born guru's. We learn, then become. Sometimes I think people forgot where they started. Please, don't.

(I wasn't referencing the person who responded to me. Not at all. Just wish to be clear about that. But in reading many forums, the attitude of far too many towards a newcomer is deplorable.) I just felt like getting it off my chest.

</End rant>

Thank you, in advance.

[James2014]

The techie FZ related questions I'll leave for Admin/Mods.

It's fine to do coding and just messing with WP locally on your machine, most devs do so.

As you have a working WP install, you just need to download a theme which you want to try (forget FTP/Filezilla completely at this point), copy the unzipped theme files into the Wordpress/wp-content/themes/ folder on your machine. Then go to wp-admin and activate the new theme.
That's it. Then, as long as the theme has included the relevant functionality, any posts or pages you write will just appear in the theme when you visit your site URL (127.0.0.1/your-site or whatever domain setup you have).

Start using SFTP when you are sending your theme files (and other stuff) to a hosting server, and not when doing it locally, as you are now (IMO).

[sandym]

The techie FZ related questions I'll leave for Admin/Mods.

It's fine to do coding and just messing with WP locally on your machine, most devs do so.

As you have a working WP install, you just need to download a theme which you want to try (forget FTP/Filezilla completely at this point), copy the unzipped theme files into the Wordpress/wp-content/themes/ folder on your machine. Then go to wp-admin and activate the new theme.
That's it. Then, as long as the theme has included the relevant functionality, any posts or pages you write will just appear in the theme when you visit your site URL (127.0.0.1/your-site or whatever domain setup you have).

Start using SFTP when you are sending your theme files (and other stuff) to a hosting server, and not when doing it locally, as you are now (IMO).

Okay. Welp. I'll give it another shot, James. It just refused to do this on previous attempts. And.. With all the reading, I didn't come across this way of doing things. I simply thought to give it a try on my own. That way, I could avoid having to learn one more thing at that point, Filezilla. LOL.

Thank you, again.

Cheers.

[boco]

I don't have a working WP installation, sorry. Somewhere in the backend you should be able to upload and install themes.

As for file transfer, you just need to copy your files into the htdocs directory Apache creates. Any way to achieve this will work. Using FTP isn't necessary at all.

[James2014]

I simply thought to give it a try on my own. That way, I could avoid having to learn one more thing at that point, Filezilla.

When you come to work on a remote site, like WP on hosting when you get it, you'll likely find Filezilla easier to learn as you'll be using it for the most simple tasks it's designed for - transferring files from a local folder (on your PC) to a remote folder (on the remote hosting server).

Presently, what you're trying to do (FTPing from local to local from a FTP client to an FTP server on the same device) is complicated.

When you have hosting, the FTP server on the remote side will already be configured by your hosting provider, and to configure FTP client to access the remote server, you'll just need the host IP, username, and password. Simply enter those, and you'll see the remote server files and folders on the right, and local (on your PC) files and folders on the left.

You simply upload files/folders from local to remote as needed, or download from remote to local as needed.

[boco]

Presently, what you're trying to do (FTPing from local to local from a FTP client to an FTP server on the same device) is complicated.

No, it isn't. Setting up the server and maintaining it is the hard part.

[James2014]

Presently, what you're trying to do (FTPing from local to local from a FTP client to an FTP server on the same device) is complicated.

No, it isn't. Setting up the server and maintaining it is the hard part.

That is what they're doing - setting up an FTP server to make all this work. So as I said, it's complicated, and you agreed

[sandym]

Firstly: Thank you, both. Very much.

Takes deep breath.*

You're saying the same thing someone in WP forum said: "Folders appear in the remote section when connected to a remote server with login details (ip/domain, port number, user, password). The remote server you connect to would have a ftp server configured in order for you to connect to it. On a local windows setup you don't need to connect remotely because you already have access to all the files and folders on your computer in windows."

Bingo.

My response:

"Here I was wondering why that part was not looking like everyone elses in pics or vids. For some reason I was associating the Apache server with, Filezilla. I knew it wasn't 'really' remote (hosted elsewhere), but the "server" inclusion in all of this, tilted my thinking."

This person also gave me a breakdown of proper folder structure to>>copy and paste. I think, that's the problem. I didn't have the correct structure.

For those reading and wonder what that might be:

"If you unzip them first make sure the folder structure is correct like:
/wp-content/themes/theme-name/files (and folders)

->wp-content
-->themes
--->theme-name
---->files (files and folders)

Not:
/wp-content/themes/theme-name/theme-name/files

->wp-content
-->themes
--->theme-name
---->theme-name
----->files (files and folders)"

I know the idea is to get a proper hosted WP in place. But. Honestly. There should be a forum section for: How To, WP Hosted AND How To WP Local. In, WP forums. (Complete with screenshots and vid links.) The amount of time it takes non guru speak people to get going is crazy. LOL. The forum is full of people all asking similarish questions.

Ah well. Maybe I'll do that for people one day. I dislike seeing anyone struggle. For now, I just need to keep plugging along. Find a good host and be away! (And..Oh, GAWD! There are 1000s of hosts. >.< I can't wait for that process. :/ HAHAHA.)

Thank again..

You've both been very helpful.
Special thanks to James, who didn't give up. Much appreciated.
Keep on the good side of the "missus." No motorcycles in the kitchen for tea.

[that1guy]

In most forums it takes forever to get anywhere
But this is a great community, already I found 3 answers to my problems. Didnt even have to write a post. great moderators