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How to Install WP Super Cache on a CentOS WordPress Site

Install WP Super Cache on a CentOS WordPress site with a safe Simple-mode baseline, then configure Expert mode using Apache mod_rewrite, scoped AllowOverride, writable .htaccess, and persistent SELinux labels.
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Install WP Super Cache from WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Add New, then choose either Simple mode or Expert mode. Simple mode works through PHP and avoids Apache rule and permission changes. Expert mode is faster because Apache serves generated HTML without starting PHP, but on CentOS it requires mod_rewrite, an Apache vhost that permits .htaccess overrides, a writable .htaccess file, and correct SELinux labels.

The safest path is to get Simple mode working first, prepare Apache and SELinux, and switch to Expert only after the server checks pass.

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Before you install

You need a WordPress administrator account, shell access with sudo privileges, and an Apache-based CentOS server. The examples below use /var/www/html as the WordPress document root. If your virtual host uses another directory, substitute that directory in every command and configuration example.

Make a backup of the database, WordPress files, and the current Apache configuration before changing caching or server permissions. Caching normally affects anonymous page requests; keep a way to clear the cache and revert the Apache changes if a theme, membership system, shopping cart, or other dynamic feature behaves incorrectly.

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CentOS installations differ in layout and policy. The plugin’s exact rewrite block can change between releases, so treat the generated block as authoritative rather than copying an old block from a blog post.

Choose the operating mode

Mode Server requirements How a request is served Maintenance profile
Simple No mod_rewrite, AllowOverride, or writable .htaccess is required for the cache engine. PHP handles the request and WP Super Cache returns the cached result through PHP. Fewer Apache and SELinux dependencies; useful when you cannot change the vhost or file labels.
Expert Apache mod_rewrite, an applicable AllowOverride rule, and an Apache-writable .htaccess. Apache uses rewrite rules to serve a generated static HTML file without executing PHP. More setup and a rewrite-block check after plugin upgrades, but the request path avoids PHP.

If you are on Nginx rather than Apache, use Simple mode. The Expert configuration relies on Apache rewrite processing and does not apply to an Nginx-only server.

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Install and activate the plugin in WordPress

  1. Sign in to the WordPress dashboard with an account allowed to manage plugins.
  2. Open Plugins → Add New.
  3. Search for WP Super Cache. Check the plugin name and author shown in the result before installing.
  4. Click Install Now, wait for the installation to complete, and click Activate.
  5. Open Settings → WP Super Cache. If the settings page is not visible, confirm that activation completed and that your account has administrator privileges.

Do not enable both a second full-page cache plugin and WP Super Cache while testing. Two plugins can generate competing rewrite rules, purge each other’s files, or make it unclear which layer served a page.

Get a working baseline with Simple mode

Simple mode is the least invasive first test. It does not depend on Apache writing rewrite rules into .htaccess, so it is the practical fallback when your hosting policy prevents vhost changes or SELinux labels cannot yet be corrected.

  1. In Settings → WP Super Cache, open the Easy tab.
  2. Select Caching On.
  3. Click Update Status or the equivalent save button displayed by your installed version.
  4. Open your site in a private browser window while logged out. Use a page that is safe to cache, such as a normal post or page.
  5. Publish a harmless change to a test page, then clear the plugin cache and reload it. This confirms that you know where the purge control is before enabling a more aggressive mode.

Simple mode still requires the cache directory to be usable by WordPress and the web server. If the settings page reports that it cannot create cache files, continue to the SELinux and ownership checks below even if you intend to remain in Simple mode.

Prepare Apache on CentOS for Expert mode

Confirm that mod_rewrite is loaded

At a shell prompt, run:

httpd -M | grep rewrite

A loaded module is normally listed as rewrite_module (shared). If the command returns nothing and WP Super Cache reports that rewrite support is missing, Expert mode cannot work yet. Enable the module using your CentOS Apache configuration method, validate the configuration, and restart Apache:

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apachectl configtest
systemctl restart httpd

If your distribution’s Apache package or configuration layout differs, use the package’s documented module-loading mechanism rather than inserting a duplicate LoadModule line. Run httpd -M | grep rewrite again after the restart.

Allow .htaccess overrides only where WordPress needs them

Apache ignores .htaccess directives when the applicable directory context sets AllowOverride None. Locate the virtual host or directory block serving WordPress, then scope an override rule to that document root:

<Directory /var/www/html>
    AllowOverride All
    Require all granted
</Directory>

Do not blindly change every AllowOverride None on the server. A broad change expands the number of directories where unreviewed .htaccess files can alter Apache behavior. Edit the vhost or the narrowest directory block that contains the WordPress files, check syntax, and restart:

apachectl configtest
systemctl restart httpd

If another parent or more-specific directory block overrides this setting, the effective rule may still be None. Verify the block that actually serves the requested hostname and path.

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Make .htaccess writable without opening the whole site

WP Super Cache must be able to update the WordPress .htaccess file when you click Update Mod_Rewrite Rules. On CentOS, the Apache service account is commonly named apache. Confirm the current owner, mode, and write test before changing anything:

ls -l /var/www/html/.htaccess
sudo -u apache test -w /var/www/html/.htaccess && echo writable || echo not-writable

If the file does not exist, check whether WordPress can create it in the document root and whether the directory itself is writable. Adjust ownership or group permissions according to your deployment model; do not recursively make the entire WordPress tree writable just to satisfy the plugin. A controlled approach is to grant the Apache account write access only to .htaccess and the cache-related directories, while keeping core files and wp-config.php read-only after setup.

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After any ownership or mode change, repeat the sudo -u apache test -w check. A Unix permission that appears writable can still be blocked by SELinux, so treat this test as necessary but not sufficient.

Apply persistent SELinux labels

RHEL and CentOS commonly run SELinux in enforcing mode. Do not disable SELinux to make the cache work. Apache needs a write-enabled SELinux type on WordPress areas that must receive generated files, including wp-content, uploads, and the cache directory.

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Use semanage fcontext to create a persistent labeling rule, then apply it with restorecon. For the example document root:

semanage fcontext -a -t httpd_sys_rw_content_t "/var/www/html/wp-content(/.*)?"
restorecon -Rv /var/www/html/wp-content

The first command records the rule for future relabeling; the second applies it now. A one-off chcon change is not a durable fix because a later relabel can remove it. If your WordPress files are elsewhere, use that exact path in both commands. Label only directories that genuinely require web-server writes; leave WordPress core and wp-config.php under a read-only SELinux type where your deployment permits.

Check the resulting contexts and the cache directory:

ls -Zd /var/www/html/wp-content /var/www/html/wp-content/cache
ls -Z /var/www/html/wp-content/cache

If semanage is unavailable, install the SELinux management utilities supplied for your CentOS release, then repeat the persistent-rule method. Do not replace it with disabling enforcement.

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Enable and configure Expert mode

  1. Open Settings → WP Super Cache → Advanced.
  2. Select Expert mode and enable caching.
  3. Disable caching for logged-in visitors. Administrators and members must see personalized pages rather than an anonymous visitor’s cached HTML.
  4. Do not cache pages with GET parameters (query strings). This prevents URLs carrying query-string data from being served from an inappropriate cached variant.
  5. Change the cache timeout from the common 1,800-second default to about 7,200 seconds for a typical mostly-static site. Choose a shorter period if content changes frequently or if stale pages are unacceptable.
  6. Scroll to the bottom of the Advanced tab and click Update Mod_Rewrite Rules.

The plugin should report that its rules were written. It inserts a block between the BEGIN WPSuperCache and END WPSuperCache markers in .htaccess (the exact marker spelling and block contents can vary by release). Those markers let the plugin update its own section without replacing unrelated WordPress rules.

Open the file and confirm that the cache block exists in the document root serving the site:

grep -n "BEGIN.*Super.*Cache|END.*Super.*Cache" /var/www/html/.htaccess

If the markers are absent, do not paste a random rewrite block from another server. Resolve the write, vhost, or SELinux issue, then run Update Mod_Rewrite Rules again.

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Verify that caching is actually working

Test as an anonymous visitor

Use a private browser window or a separate browser in which you are not logged in. Visit a normal page twice, with enough time between requests to observe a consistent result. Logged-in sessions are intentionally excluded when that recommended setting is enabled, so testing from an administrator session can falsely suggest that caching is broken.

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Check generated files and the page itself

Inspect wp-content/cache for recently modified files after an anonymous request. The exact directory layout depends on the plugin release and site URL, but a completely empty cache after repeated anonymous requests points to a permission, path, or configuration problem. Clear the cache, request one page, and inspect the modification time again.

A response header is not the only reliable test: proxies and browser tools can remove or change headers. Use the plugin’s own status or cache-test controls when they are available in your installed version, and combine that result with the file and logged-out request checks.

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Test an uncached case deliberately

Open a page while logged in and a URL containing a query string. With the recommended settings, those requests should not use the same anonymous static cache. This confirms that the exclusions are protecting personalized and parameterized requests.

Troubleshoot common CentOS failures

“mod_rewrite is missing” or Expert mode will not activate

  • Run httpd -M | grep rewrite as root or with sudo.
  • If there is no rewrite_module entry, load the module using the Apache configuration for your CentOS release.
  • Run apachectl configtest before restarting httpd.
  • After restarting, return to the plugin’s Advanced tab and run Update Mod_Rewrite Rules again.

The plugin says rules were updated, but .htaccess did not change

  • Confirm that you are inspecting the .htaccess in the active WordPress document root, not a different virtual host or staging directory.
  • Check that the file contains the plugin’s BEGIN and END markers. Automatic updates depend on those markers.
  • Run ls -l and sudo -u apache test -w against the file and its parent directory.
  • Check SELinux labels with ls -Z, then inspect denials as described below.
  • Verify that the active vhost permits overrides; an AllowOverride All in an unrelated directory block has no effect.

SELinux reports permission denied

Unix ownership can look correct while SELinux still blocks Apache. Search the audit log for access-vector-cache denials:

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ausearch -m avc -ts recent

Then verify the labels on the cache path:

ls -Z /var/www/html/wp-content/cache

Apply the persistent semanage fcontext rule and restorecon -Rv shown earlier. Re-test the page after the relabel. Avoid generating a local allow policy or disabling SELinux until you have confirmed the path, service account, and intended write scope; an incorrect path or ownership setting is often the real cause.

.htaccess updates but requests still execute PHP

  • Confirm mod_rewrite is loaded in the Apache instance serving the site.
  • Confirm the request reaches Apache rather than an Nginx front end or another proxy that bypasses the vhost.
  • Check that AllowOverride is effective for the WordPress directory.
  • Ensure the cache block is inside the active document root’s .htaccess and has not been overwritten by another deployment.
  • Clear the cache and test from a logged-out browser; logged-in and query-string requests are expected to bypass the anonymous cache.

Pages are stale after publishing

Clear WP Super Cache after publishing or changing templates, menus, and widgets. If stale content persists, check whether another page-cache layer is serving the response and whether the configured timeout is appropriate. A 7,200-second timeout is a starting point for a mostly-static site, not a guarantee that every page will remain fresh for that period.

The site breaks after a plugin upgrade

After each WP Super Cache upgrade, inspect the cache rewrite block and compare it with the block generated by the installed version. Run Update Mod_Rewrite Rules again if necessary, then perform an anonymous-page test. Keep a backup of the working .htaccess and Apache configuration so you can restore service if a release exposes a compatibility issue.

Security and maintenance practices

  • Keep Apache, CentOS security updates, WordPress, themes, and plugins current through your normal change process.
  • Limit write access to wp-content, uploads, and cache locations that need it. Keep core files and wp-config.php read-only after installation where operationally possible.
  • Use persistent SELinux contexts rather than temporary chcon labels.
  • Review .htaccess after deploying another plugin or changing the virtual host. Preserve unrelated WordPress rules.
  • Document the active document root, Apache service account, SELinux rule, cache timeout, and purge procedure for the next administrator.
  • Use Simple mode instead of weakening server controls when you cannot safely provide Expert mode’s requirements.

When to choose each mode

Choose Simple mode when you have no control over the Apache vhost, AllowOverride must remain disabled, SELinux policy cannot be adjusted, or you need the smallest operational change. It avoids the Expert rewrite path but still provides PHP-mediated caching.

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Choose Expert mode when you administer the CentOS Apache host, can verify mod_rewrite, can scope AllowOverride to WordPress, can grant narrowly defined write permissions, and can maintain SELinux labels. Its static-file path is the reason to accept the extra setup and the need to re-check rewrite rules after upgrades.

If Expert mode fails at any point, switch back to Simple mode rather than leaving a partially configured rewrite block or broad write permission in place. You can return to Expert after the server prerequisites are corrected.

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