[Plugin: WordPress MU Domain Mapping] How do I verify it is working?

mjw01
(@mjw01)

13 years, 1 month ago

I am using Linux, Cpanel, and new install of WP 3.1. I have created domain.com and a parked domain, subdomain.com (parked domain is not mapped in Cpanel). In a separate post (See http://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-do-i-verify-that-multisite-is-installed-and-working?replies=5) I have verified that Multisite is working.

I have followed first the instructions offered at http://ottopress.com/2010/wordpress-3-0-multisite-domain-mapping-tutorial/, in the WordPress plugin download page, and also in the plugin readme. I am not sure that this is installed correctly as all three have discrepancies, especially Ottopress that is 9 months old and does not reflect current versions of anything. While I do not get any errors directly in WordPress dashboard, I am not able to map my domains.

Following the readme file directions, which I hope are the newest:
1. Install the plugin in the usual way into the regular WordPress plugins folder. Network activate the plugin. [DONE]
2. Move sunrise.php into wp-content/. If there is a sunrise.php there already, you’ll just have to merge them as best you can. [DONE]
3. Edit wp-config.php and uncomment or add the SUNRISE definition line. If it does not exist please ensure it’s on the line above the last “require_once” command. [DONE]
define( 'SUNRISE', 'on' );
4. As a “super admin”, visit Super Admin->Domain Mapping to create the domain mapping database table and set the server IP address or a domain to point CNAME records at.
[UNCLEAR IF DONE]
— I have tried either IP Address or CNAME with same results.
— Only Permanent redirect and Redirect admin pages are checked
— Clicking Save appears to process and bottom status line of browser says Done but there are no other indications that anything occurred.

5. Make sure the default Apache virtual host points at your WordPress MU site or WordPress 3.0 network so it will handle unknown domains correctly. On some hosts you may be required to get a dedicated IP address. A quick check: in a web broswer, type in the IP address of your install. If you are using CPanel, use the Park a Domain menu to set the mapped domain to your main installtion.
[DONE?]
— I have created parked domain and have tried both mapped and unmapped in cPanel (instructions suggested both and also that it was okay if not done]

6. Do not define COOKIE_DOMAIN in your wp-config.php as it conflicts with logins on your mapped domains.
[DONE]
— By current default there is currently no mention of COOKIE_DOMAIN in the wp-config file.

BTW, domain_mapping.php was left in plugins and not MU-Plugins

As a cPanel user (per the readme file), unclear what is meant by “If your domain uses the nameservers on your hosting account you should follow these instructions. If the nameservers are elsewhere change the A record or CNAME as documented above.”

Readme says: “Add a wildcard subdomain/virtual host record to your site’s DNS record in Web Host Manager (WHM). If you do not have access to WHM, you must email your web host and ask them to make this one change for you.”
[UNCLEAR]
It appears I have access/rights but do not in Add a DNS Zone see anything that matches the directions. I was able to create the *.domain.com 1440 IN A 123.456.789.012 record in the cPanel. Is this sufficient or incorrect?

Readme says to create parked domain. [DONE]

Readme says “Now you’re ready to do your domain mapping.”

If it were so simple…

First, what do I enter in Domains? I’ve seen on some sites pictures showing 1 domain.com Primary and then 2+ for additional mapped domains. But currently I have nothing displayed and when I enter 1 and domain.com and Primary, it “saves” yet does not display the record as shown on some websites discussing this plugin. I can enter 2 subdomain.com not primary without problem.

But what does this (above) accomplish?

Now, in Sites, I have domain.com and when I edit I see it is mapped to / but on the initial display mapping is null (contrary to some pictures I’ve seen for this page)

I have added new site subdomain that thereafter shows subdomain.domain.com and path is / Is this correct?

Bottom line is that I don’t know if this is configured, used, or working. Well, working, no it is not.

If I browse to subdomain.com I get redirected to domain.com. But if I go to subdomain.domain.com I do access the subdomain blog at subdomain.domain.com.

So, what am I doing wrong in installation, configuration, or use of this plug-in?

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

Andrea Rennick
(@andrea_r)

13 years, 1 month ago

1. Install the plugin in the usual way into the regular WordPress plugins folder. Network activate the plugin. [DONE]

This is one of the VERY FEW times where you really do need to put this plugin in the mu-plugins folder. NOT network activate it.

That’s issue #1.

#4 – go look at the database with phpmyadmin. Are the tables there? That;s all that means. Given you see stuff, you;re probably good. Do you know thew IP address of your site? Yes? no?

this menu is only to set up global options. it is NOT for mapping domains.

Overall, it looks like you missed a single but crucial step – go to one of your subsites.
Visit the Tools -Domain Mapping menu.

Fill in the domain you want to map.

80% of getting this to work is setting up your server properly – even more you get to the plugin part. It can only do so much.

Also: you DO NOT park your new domain on top fo the SUB. you pakr it on top of your main domain where wordpress install. WP will look up the sub.

Thread Starter mjw01
(@mjw01)

13 years, 1 month ago

Andrea, I am using WP 3.1 and when I created and put the plugin into the MU-Plugins directory I got error and didn’t see the plugin to activate it. (Or are you saying to put it into both locations?) (Edit: I just copied this into MU-Plugs, leaving the original activated in the plugins folder which results in Fatal errors–so I am clearly not understanding what you mean here. Further update: I now have the plugin removed from the plugin directory and only in the MU-Plugin directory, and I see it under tools so appears working)

#4 Yes, I see a set of tables for subdomain. And, yes, I know my IP.

I’m not sure I understand “Overall, it looks like you missed a single but crucial step – go to one of your subsites. Visit the Tools -Domain Mapping menu. Fill in the domain you want to map.”
— I went to the site-level dashboard and did not see Domain Mapping as an option. I even then tried activating the plugin at the site level and found no change; turned it back off. (Update: I have the plugin now in MU-Plugin and even after logging out and back in I still do not see Domain and Domain Mapping on the site-level dashboard)
— Anyway, this may be affected by your first note about putting the plugin in the MU-Plugin folder. Please clarify this and also explain what or when this folder gets created and used (I’ll do some research on this while I wait for a follow-up from you or someone. Thanks!) [Update: the plugin now resides ONLY in the MU-Plugin folder, appears active but as noted above, still not working right or visible as I think I’m being told it should be on the site-level dashboard)

*** Edited ***

Thread Starter mjw01
(@mjw01)

13 years, 1 month ago

Update–first an apology for the above post that is not clear, especially because of the edits I inserted. Time allowed to edit has now expired.

Okay, I think with some trial and error that I’ve got this working. The various directions were incomplete, incorrect, or outdated. Anyway, Andrea, you’ve given me enough information to figure this out and now I have mapping of the parked domains to their respective subdomains. Why isn’t this available at the super user level, which is what directions and narrative suggest? Anyway, none say go to the site-level dashboard.

Any other discussion/posts that you can point me to that discuss this plugin used on 3.1?

Andrea Rennick
(@andrea_r)

13 years, 1 month ago

Why isn’t this available at the super user level, which is what directions and narrative suggest?

There should be a Domains menu in the network area somewhere. That is the spot to map any blog from. look under Network Admin -> Settings.

Any other discussion/posts that you can point me to that discuss this plugin used on 3.1?

No. 3.1 has been out, what? A week? Sometimes plugin devs need to catchup. This is one of those extensive plugins that needs LOTS of documentation and an understanding of how dns works.

I do offer paid support. those questions I answer first.

and put the plugin into the MU-Plugins directory I got error and didn’t see the plugin to activate it.

When you put a plugin FILE in mu-plugins, it is alreayd activated. you do not need to activate it. it will immediately run.

the folder is not created by default. it used to be in wpmu. it;s not in wp. just… make a new folder called mu-plugins under wp-content. that;s it.

Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)
(@ipstenu)

🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist

13 years, 1 month ago

Four days, not even a week 🙂

Andrea Rennick
(@andrea_r)

13 years, 1 month ago

if those are both on the same network, then yeah. likely plugins.

binh
(@binh)

13 years, 1 month ago

Those are on different servers.

And yes… there is somethign wrong with sunrise.php on this I suppose.

Found out that either has or not sunrise.php on there is 2 links to the Network settings menu:
– Domain Mapping
– Domains

When sunrise on the the following problem occur: The Network Name disappeared both from the admin title and the network settings page.

Disabling the sunrise cause problem: Please uncomment the line define( ‘SUNRISE’, ‘on’ ); or add it to your /…/wp/wp-config.php

Any thought?

binh
(@binh)

13 years, 1 month ago

Just found out few things when domain mapping on:
1. Network name disappeared
2. Cannot add alias to the first site (id 1) -> must use phpMyAdmin -> sucks
3. There is no domain mapping page for Site Admin if it’s the main site.

Any solution or walkaround for this?

Andrea Rennick
(@andrea_r)

13 years, 1 month ago

No, you’re not supposed to change the domain of the MAIN site. this is not what this plugin is for.

this plugin is to have additional domains for any of the SUB sites.

allanwhite
(@allanwhite)

13 years, 1 month ago

It seems to me that with such a mission-critical plugin (it doesn’t work, your sites don’t work), it might be wise to test and release them concurrently.

I had no end of headaches trying to get it updated with the move to 3.1. This thread has been helpful, though, which I appreciate.

WP 3.1 in general is very nice. Thanks for your contributions, everyone.

mypointofview
(@mypointofview)

13 years, 1 month ago

I had the similar problem as the original poster and was very confused about the conflicting tutorials and instructions.

In my own experience it is NOT necessary to put the MU Domain Mapping plug-in into a special folder named “mu-plugins”. It does WORK if it’s placed into the regular “plugins” directory, as the developer himself points out for version 0.5.4.

And even when I did network activated it it’s no big deal. BTW only then the domain mapping settings will appear in the site’s sub configuration page. When trying to configure it there I simply got a note that it’s already set. So I simply deactivated the network activation again.

I noticed further more, that when doing DNS related things it will take a while until the information propagates through the web. I found the IP of my server, entered it into the specific field and forwarded the domain names on my registrar’s settings page to the root domain name of the multi site installation. Initially I got an Internal Server Error 500 but the next morning the mapped domain worked like magic.

There is however one thing that is not yet well thought out — the ID of the site has to be guessed now. Earlier screen shots by Ottopress demonstrate, that the ID is listed in the page that displays an overview over all of my sites, but not so anymore in WordPress version 3.1. A quick view in phpMyAdmin revealed that this ID auto increases. The ID becomes part of the table name. For some reason my site number two now had ID “4” which was not obvious.

Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)
(@ipstenu)

🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist

13 years, 1 month ago

The showing of IDs was removed by WordPress, IIRC, not by the plugin.

Andrea Rennick
(@andrea_r)

13 years, 1 month ago

It does WORK if it’s placed into the regular “plugins” directory, as the developer himself points out for version 0.5.4.

And even when I did network activated it it’s no big deal.

Right, but in the earlier days, people were putting it in Plugins and just activating it on the main blog and not on any sub blogs. It definitely will not work like that. 😉

the ID of the site has to be guessed now. Earlier screen shots by Ottopress demonstrate, that the ID is listed in the page that displays an overview over all of my sites, but not so anymore in WordPress version 3.1.

hover over the site name in the Sites menu. Look at the bottom bar in the browser. See the blog ID.