A WordPress server environment shouldn't be slow or complicated to set up. LEMPress addresses those problems. LEMPress is a super easy to use setup script for creating an optimized WordPress server. LEMPress packs a full LEMP stack (Linux/Nginx/MySQL/PHP) with Varnish and Memcache for caching. With these tools, your site will be prepared for heavy traffic right from the start.
LEMPress gets the server ready to make Wordpress fast, but one step that hasn't been automated yet, is configuring a caching plugin. Because WordPress is dynamic, a content aware caching plugin is ideal. LEMPress has been tested with WP Total Cache, but other plugins may work. There are lots of articles about how to get WP Total Cache installed and configured. In the future, we'll add some supporting documentation for WP Total Cache.
Because LEMPress is taking advantage of caching via Varnish, it will break Wordpress comments. The solution is to use Disqus. It's free, it's good, use it.
LEMPress expects and has only been tested with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS x64
Create the "deployer" user
sudo useradd -d /home/deployer -s /bin/bash -G sudo -m deployer
sudo passwd deployer
su deployer
cd ~
Install Git
yes | sudo apt-get install git-core
Download LEMPress
git clone git://github.com/okor/LEMPress.git
cd LEMPress
Setup the server
bash build_server.sh
Add a Wordpress site
bash add_site.sh
The build_server.sh script will guide you though the WordPress and LEMPress stack install. Once you've set up a WordPress caching plugin (WP Total Cache is recommended), you'll have a highly optimized WordPress site ready for viral loads.