troubleshooting wordpress - tips & advice
DESCRIPTION
Troubleshooting WordPress can be a bit intimidating for most users. Here are practical suggestions to help you identify and fix problems quickly with WordPress. Presented by Joe Manna at the Arizona WordPress Meetup (#WPAZ) in Chandler, AZ.TRANSCRIPT
Troubleshooting
WordPress
by Joe Manna
#WPAZ @joemanna
WordPress is natively technical.
People … are not.
#WPAZ @joemanna
You [might not] care about Javascript, minification, CSS, caching database queries, file sizes, hooks, actions, filters, permissions, DNS, security, metadata, plugin updates,
core updates, CDNs or shared vs. managed hosting
… #WPAZ @joemanna
You just want it to work.
(It’s not always this easy.)
#WPAZ @joemanna
Problems happen.
(If they didn’t, we wouldn’t have QA, coders,
systems engineers, plugin developers, technical
support, support forums, WordCamps or Meetups.)
#WPAZ @joemanna
• Why troubleshooting is important
• Reacting to technical issues
• A.P.S.T.N.D.P.
• WordPress Architecture
• How this helps you
• Win your next WordPress challenge
• Q&A
#WPAZ @joemanna
Why troubleshooting matters
• Tech support = people support
• Auto mechanic and costly repairs
• Proper diagnosis = proper cure
• Curiosity doesn’t kill the cat
• Lowers the fear of technology
• Gives you confidence
#WPAZ @joemanna
Reacting to Technical Issues
PANIC!1. Stay calm
2. Reproduce the issue
3. Document the problem
4. (If applicable, communicate it.)
5. Gather the facts
6. Identify the cause(s)
7. Attempt the fix
8. Confirm fix works and has no side-effects
#WPAZ @joemanna
APSTNDP (OSI Layers)
Turns “Hello!” into
“010010000110010101101100011011000110111100100001”
and back reliably.#WPAZ @joemanna
APSTNDP (OSI Layers)
“All people seem to need data processing.”
• Useful for diagnosing and identifying
causes
• Simplifies and focuses efforts
• Complexity Increases: Physical
Application
• Principles can translate to other machines
#WPAZ @joemanna
WordPress Simplified Architecture
File SystemDatabase“Server”
PluginsThemes
“Customizations”
ContentImages
“Variable Content”
HTML/CSSPerformance
“End-User Output”
WordPress
WordPress Architecture
WordPress “Backend”
#WPAZ @joemanna
WordPress “Core”
WordPress “Templates”
#WPAZ @joemanna
WordPress – "What Users See”
#WPAZ @joemanna
So, how can this help you in the
WordPress community?
• Interpret and understand technical issues
• Communicate issues clearly to plugin
devs, hosting provider and IT staff
• Better support WP users at WordPress
events
• Empowered to investigate and lead
#WPAZ @joemanna
Win your Next WordPress
Technical Challenge!
• Get familiar with:
– Ping, Traceroute, DNS (local and website)
– UNIX File Permissions (640 vs. 777)
– How caching works, detecting quirks (db, dns, web...)
– How to perform backups AND restores
– WordPress Debugging (hint: wp-config.php)
• Break stuff – really, it’s okay!
• Document issues in greater detail
• Search WordPress Support Forums
• Share lessons with others#WPAZ @joemanna