Multiple WP Sites Same Server – Share WP Base?

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I have seen similar questions but none with a definitive answer. I host dozens of WP sites on a cloud server (all latest version) however this causes a lot of unnecessary backup activity. I am not a fan of multisite. Really I am just looking to simplify by keeping a core set of files in a central location that can be read by all domains. The preference would be to extend this by allowing versions.

Core > 3.2.1

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Core > 3.2.2

then point a domain to the prefered version of central files.
This would allow me to backup only uploads, theme and database files.

Wondering if there is some documentation out there on this subject without having to do any heavy modifications?

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2 comments

  1. Sharing single set of core files without multisite is a setup technique that kind of make sense, yet kind of very under explored – exactly because multisite exists.

    The latest iteration of it (that I know of) has been suggested by Mark Jaquith to be:

    sites
  |__ ms.dev
  | |__ content
  | |__ index.php
  | |__ wp => ../../wordpress/stable
  | |__ wp-config.php
  |__ one.dev
  | |__ content
  | |__ index.php
  | |__ wp => ../../wordpress/stable
  | |__ wp-config.php
  |__ two.dev
  | |__ content
  | |__ index.php
  | |__ wp => ../../wordpress/stable
  | |__ wp-config.php
wordpress
  |__ 3.5.2
  |__ 3.6
  |__ stable => 3.6
  |__ wp-config.php

    Note that symlinks are used to “fake” core files still being present in every site. Trying to load JS resources from different domain is problematic because of browsers’ security measures. With subdirectory layout it should be trivial to exclude them from backups, etc.

  2. I think you find Mark Jaquith’s WP skeleton along with a symlinked ‘wp’ folder should do the trick, though plugins that attempt to include core files (rare but they exist) may fail, depending on how your server is configured.

    https://github.com/markjaquith/WordPress-Skeleton

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link

    OR

    Use the skeleton and exclude that folder from backups.

    PS- You’d handle versions by just repointing the symlink to a different common WP version.