INSTALLING MULTISITE

With Multisite you can host two websites to, literally, 100s or even 1000s of websites, on a single installation of the WordPress core.

+ RECOMMENDED SKILL LEVEL — read this first
You should have MAMP (or a similar server) installed in your computer, and you should already know how to:
  • install a single WordPress site in MAMP
  • create a database in phpMyAdmin
  • use the WP dashboard with ease
  • enable hidden files

LET’S GET STARTED

STEP 1. Enable hidden files
STEP 2. Fire up your phpMyAdmin and create a new database called demo
STEP 3. Download WordPress, unzip the file, and rename it demo

NOTE: In this tutorial the Mamp document root folder is Desktop. If your MAMP document root folder is not Desktop, move demo to your MAMP document root folder, eg, localhost/Users/user/Applications/MAMP/htdocs/demo

STEP 4. Open a browser window, type into the URL localhost/demo/wp-admin/install.php

NOTE: If your MAMP document root folder is not Desktop, in the URL type in the path from localhost to install.php, eg, localhost/Applications/MAMP/htdocs/demo/wp-admin/install.php

Refresh your browser and follow the instructions.

STEP 5.

Open wp-config.php
find the line

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

add above it

/* Multisite */
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );

save wp-config.php

STEP 6. In your browser go to dashboard >> tools >> network setup and follow the instructions
STEP 7. Refresh your browser and test your dashboard.

NOTE: If your dashboard is broken … don’t panic. It’s not your fault. (There’s a bug in how WP sometimes deals with JavaScript.)

Open wp-config.php and above the line:

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

add the following code snippet:

define('CONCATENATE_SCRIPTS', false );

STEP 8: Refresh your browser and your ready for a test run of Multisite.

FINAL COMMENT: The process of migrating Multisite from server to server is more complicated than a single site. I’ll post about this once I hopefully figure out a seamless and simple migration. In the mean time you can try this plugin (looks good) and the Codex (read and cringe.)

Reference: WP Codex Create a Network and Moving WordPress

EXAMPLES OF MULTISITE
CUNY Academic Commons
UBC Blogs
The La Source — a Multisite with English and French websites

Some WordPress themes hosted in the Westend Atelier multisite

Sorbet
TwentySixteen
TwentyFifteen
TwentyThirteen