WordPress for Developers

Article Categories

• Web Development
  Articles on WordPress development and web development in general: how to add a sidebar in WordPress, add colors to the Gutenberg color palette, configure an Ubuntu VirtualBox virtual machine for web development, get a country name from an IP address, make MySQL 8 compatible with older versions, do a partial mysqldump, etc.
• Docker
  Articles on running different services in Docker: how to set up Postfix containers and send emails from WordPress, add XDebug to WordPress in Docker, test WordPress themes and plugins in Docker containers before using anything on production, add a simple email forwarder, etc.
• Linux
  Articles on Linux: how to install KVM on Ubuntu, install Ubuntu on KVM, copy files and directories between Linux servers and on one server, exit Putty without killing the session, etc.

Recent Articles

• How to Install Ubuntu 22.04 Virtual Machine on KVM
  Get all parameters necessary for installation from the Ubuntu image file. Install a virtual machine with Ubuntu 22.04 on KVM with the command virt-install. Configure networking.
• How to Install KVM on Ubuntu 22.04 Server
  Install KVM packages on an Ubuntu 22.04 Server. Configure network Interfaces. Also, you can install KVM on a VirtualBox virtual machine if you’d like to try it first.
• [VirtualBox] Configure an Ubuntu 22.04 / 20.04 Virtual Machine for Web Development (Complete Guide)
  The complete guide on creating a VirtualBox VM for web development. See how to
  • Create Ubuntu 22.04 / 20.04 VirtualBox virtual machines.
  • Configure the network on a bridged adapter or 2 adapters: NAT + host-only.
  • Install Guest Additions.
  • Share folders between the host machine and the virtual machine.
  • Optimize performance.
• How to Create Symlinks in a Folder Shared to VirtualBox via Guest Additions on Windows
  Create Symbolic Links in a Folder Shared to VirtualBox via Guest Additions on Windows
• [Docker] How to Set up Postfix Containers and Send Emails From WordPress in Docker
  Add SMTP mail functionality to a Docker WordPress image. See how to
  • Set up a Postfix Docker container with DKIM.
  • Configure your Docker WordPress Container to Use Postfix
  • Add Postfix to a WordPress container with a Dockerfile.
  • Set a PTR record for reverse DNS lookup.
  • Set DNS records: SPF and DKIM.
• How to Add XDebug to the Official Docker WordPress Image
  Use a Dockerfile to add XDebug to the official Docker WordPress image:
  • Build your own WordPress image with XDebug enabled.
    See examples of Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml.
  • Do not want to build? Download a pre-made image from a repository on Docker Hub.
  • See how to configure PhpStorm for debugging.
  • Learn how to separate production and development environments using multiple Docker Compose files.
  • See how to use Nginx in Docker as a Reverse Proxy.
  • See how to add PHP extensions to the Docker WordPress Image.
• [WordPress] How to Replace Category Pages With Static Pages Programmatically
  Replace your category pages with static pages just with a few lines of code:
  1. Add a static page. Do not publish it.
  2. Modify the category template.
  3. Apply CSS styles if necessary.
• Conditional or Partial MySQL Dump
  Do mysqldump conditionally:
  • Export some tables only.
  • Ignore some tables.
  • Limit the number of rows.
  • Export procedures and functions only.
  • Export the database structure only.
  • Export InnoDB tables without locking them, etc.
• [WordPress] How to Add a Sidebar Programmatically in 2025
  To create a sidebar:
  1. Register the sidebar with register_sidebar().
  2. Add the sidebar to your theme template with dynamic_sidebar().
• How to Copy Directories and Files on a Linux Server
  Use the command cp on the command line on the Linux server to
  • Copy a directory.
  • Copy a file.
    See the most commonly used arguments.
• How to Use WordPress Docker Container for Testing Themes and Plugins Locally
  Test WordPress themes and plugins locally in Docker containers before deploying them on production:
  • Install WordPress quickly with Docker Compose.
    See the example of docker-compose.yml.
  • Reinstall WordPress in a Docker container easily.
• [WordPress] Show Extended Information in the Plugin Query Monitor With No Symlink to db.php
  Show extended query information in the WordPress plugin Query Monitor even when a symbolic link to the file db.php can not be created.
• How to Get Country From IP Address in PHP on Ubuntu 22.04
  Get the country name and country code from the visitor’s IP address in PHP with the GeoIP2 library:
  • See how to install and configure the GeoIP2 library on Ubuntu 22.04.
  • See an example of code for getting the country name and country code.
• How to Copy Files and Directories Between Linux Servers
  To copy a file or folder between Linux servers directly:
  1. Go to the destination directory.
  2. Use the command scp.
• How to Keep a Bash Script Running After the Putty Terminal Gets Closed
  To keep a bash command or script running after the Putty terminal gets closed:
  1. Use the command screen.
  2. Detach the session by pressing Ctrl+A, then D.
  3. Close Putty.
  4. Reconnect to the Linux server.
  5. Check the command or script is still running.
     Or use the commands nohup + disown.
• [Docker] How to Create a Simple Self-Hosted Email Forwarder in 2025
  Create an e-mail forwarder in a Docker container. The solution is quick and simple:
  1. Add MX records for all domains that require mail forwarding.
  2. Configure and run the Docker container.
• How to Make MySQL 8 Compatible With Older MySQL Versions
  Make MySQL 8 compatible with old MySQL versions. Make passwords compatible, and deal with errors. See some examples of setting SQL Modes in MySQL 8.
• [WordPress] How to Add Colors to Color Palette in Gutenberg Block Editor in 2025
  • Add colors to the existing color palette in the WordPress Gutenberg editor.
  • Or completely replace the existing color palette.
    Integrate the code into your theme or a plugin.
• 12 Settings to Simplify Work In PhpStorm in 2025
  Change some default settings in PhpStorm to make your work faster:
  • Hide browser icons.
  • Open search results each time in a new tab.
  • Turn on Mark modified (*)
  • Increase the tab limit.
  • Turn off Code Analysis on commits to Git.
  • Turn off Restoring Context on Switching Git Branches, etc.
• Creating a Virtual Machine in VirtualBox 6: Step-by-Step Guide
  Step-by-step guide on how to create a virtual machine in VirtualBox 6. Each step is illustrated with images.
• Apache Version: How to Upgrade Beyond Ubuntu’s Standard Repository?
  How to Upgrade Apache Version Beyond Ubuntu’s Standard Repository using a PPA. The example is given for Ubuntu 22.04.
• How to Check Ports Open for Incoming Connections on Ubuntu 24.04/22.04
  Methods to check which ports are open for incoming connections on Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04.
• How to Debug an Endlessly Restarting Docker Container
  Fix an endlessly restarting Docker container:
  1. Override the entrypoint with ‘docker run’ or in Compose.
  2. Debug inside the container.
• How to Debug Any Console PHP Script with XDebug in 2025
  Learn how to debug any console PHP scripts with XDebug — including Codeception, PHPUnit tests, and curl calls. See essential configuration steps.