Email: wpcms@hku.hk

FAQ

1. Configure your DNS server for your custom domain name

If your department is using NS5.hku.hk or is managing a departmental DNS server to manage department domain, ITS will provide you 1 TXT record and 1 CNAME record for domain verification and SSL certificate generation. Please update such record and notify ITS (at wpcms@hku.hk). ITS checks and will provide you 1 A record. Then you can update the DNS to make the site alive.

2. Can I rename the domain name?

Yes, you can. However, some of the major steps have to be done by ITS and the web master together:

  1. Web master have to add a new DNS record for the new domain name. If the DNS server is hosted by ITS, you need to submit CF60. ITS will then update and route the new domain name traffic to the corresponding WordPress sites.
  2. Web master to install and activate DB search and replace plugin. Use the plugin to search for “OLD DOMAIN NAME” and replaced it with “NEW DOMAIN NAME”, and GUIDs, and select all tables. It will convert the existing domain name into the new one in the database.
3. Can I reset SSH / SFTP password?

Please submit cf112 to reset SSH/SFTP password.

4. What is WordPress roles?

WordPress uses a concept of Roles, designed to give the site owner the ability to control what users can and cannot do within the site. A site owner can manage the user access to such tasks as writing and editing posts, creating Pages, creating categories, moderating comments, managing plugins, managing themes, and managing other users, by assigning a specific role to each of the users. Please refer https://wordpress.org/support/article/roles-and-capabilities/

  • Administrator (slug: ‘administrator’) – somebody who has access to all the administration features within a single site.
  • Editor (slug: ‘editor’) – somebody who can publish and manage posts including the posts of other users.
  • Author  (slug: ‘author’)  – somebody who can publish and manage their own posts.
  • Contributor (slug: ‘contributor’) – somebody who can write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them.
  • Subscriber (slug: ‘subscriber’) – somebody who can only manage their profile.

Besides WordPress’s default role, there are 5 HKU custom roles, which are assigned and updated when user login via HKU Portal. You don’t need to update the role. It is used for protected page . The HKU custom roles can co-exist with any other WordPress roles

  • HKU staff
  • HKU student
  • HKU department
  • HKU retiree
  • HKU honorary

5. How to add HKU user as XX?

Select “Users” -> Add UID of the new HKU user as username, and enter user HKU email address (UID@hku.hk for staff and UID@connect.hku.hk for student). Select user role per your requirement. Then, the new user can login the your WordPress site via HKU Portal and does not require extra password.

6. How to do backup by myself?

Sorry, it is not recommended to do backup by yourself. The diskspace is just enough for hosting a medium WordPress site. Any user level backup will consume the diskspace unnecessary. It may use up the disk quote most likely.

Moreover, there are already 30 system level daily backup that you can request ITS to do restoration. And you can email us to request special backup if you are going to apply big change to the site.

7. Can I request ITS not to update my WordPress Version?

No, ITS will keep upgrade WordPress version to minimize vulnerability issue. However, you can request ITS to defer the upgrade for 1 month to cope with the problem of plugins’ compatibility.

8. How to check the disk usage, CDN usage, monthly visit count?

You can visit this page to check (Login required).

You can append your url to the link such that you can fast access to your data, eg: https://wpcms.its.hku.hk/site_usage/#wpcms.its.hku.hk

9. How many CPU, memory my site is running
10. Why my plugin is banned?

It is banned by the service provider – Kinsta. Please refer to https://kinsta.com/docs/wordpress-hosting/site-management/plugins-themes#banned-and-incompatible-plugins to check the ban list

11. How to create page required portal login?

Please read this (required HKU Portal login)