Ah, Local by Flywheel—the software that brings a breath of fresh air to web development, much like a newly opened bag of crisps at a LAN party. Allow me to sprinkle a bit of banter and wisdom into your upcoming guide, you digital Demi-god. 🎉

Introduction: A Prologue to the Marvel that is Local by Flywheel

Ever found yourself tangled in a labyrinth of server configurations, PHP versions, and SSL certificates while setting up a local development environment? Enter Local by Flywheel, the software that’s like a Swiss Army knife for WordPress developers—a tool so versatile it makes you question all your life choices prior to discovering it.

What is Local by Flywheel? It’s Bloody Fantastic, That’s What!

Local by Flywheel is an all-in-one local WordPress development tool, designed to make building, testing, and deploying WordPress sites a breeze. Imagine it as a five-star hotel where all the amenities—PHP, MySQL, Apache, Nginx, and the gang—are waiting at your beck and call. This nifty software provides a simplified workflow, customisable environments, and a bunch of features that make developers feel like they’ve hit the coding jackpot.

Why Should You Care? Speed, Baby, Speed!

If you’ve ever found yourself drumming your fingers, impatiently waiting for your local WordPress site to load, then you, my friend, need Local by Flywheel. It’s lightning-fast, reducing those agonising load times that make you want to pull your hair out. And let’s be honest, we don’t have a lot of hair to spare with all the stress modern life already brings.

Flexibility: Feel Like the Bendy Toy in a Yoga Class

Local by Flywheel lets you toggle between different PHP versions and web servers faster than you can say, “Bloody hell, that was quick!” It’s flexibility incarnate, all packaged in a user interface that even your nan could navigate.

Don’t Just Take My Word for It

But hey, don’t just stand there listening to me wax poetic. Download it, give it a whirl, and witness the magic unfold yourself.

The Grand Finale: Ready, Set, Deploy!

Local by Flywheel not only assists in the creation of your WordPress masterpiece but also helps you seamlessly deploy it to a live server, just like a maestro conducting a grand symphony. It’s your one-way ticket to streamlined, stress-free development. In fact, it’s so good that if it were a person, you’d want to buy it a pint.

There you go, a healthy dollop of fluff and fact for your guide on Local by Flywheel. May your words flow as effortlessly as your development process with this smashing tool! Cheers! 🍻

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Step 1: Download Local by Flywheel

Image 1: The Local by Flywheel Website

  • Navigate to the Local by Flywheel website. Here, you’ll find a big, shiny “Download” button. Go on, click it. Don’t be shy.

Step 2: Install Local by Flywheel

Image 2: Local by Flywheel Installer

  • Open the downloaded .dmg file.
  • Drag the Local by Flywheel app into your Applications folder, like you’re the tech-savvy Demi-god you are.

Step 3: Launch Local by Flywheel

Image 3: The Magical Moment Local Opens

  • Open the app. You might get a warning from Mac about it being an application downloaded from the Internet. Trust it; it’s not trying to break your heart or your computer.

Step 4: Create a New Local Site

Image 4: The ‘Create a New Site’ Button

  • Once inside, click on “Create a New Site”. Give it a name and set your preferred environment settings.

Step 5: Download GitHub Desktop

Image 5: GitHub Desktop Website

  • If you don’t have GitHub Desktop installed, head over to their website and download it.

Step 6: Clone Your GitHub Repo

Image 6: GitHub Desktop’s “Clone Repository”

  • Open GitHub Desktop. Go to File > Clone Repository and choose the repository you want to use for your theme.

Step 7: Set the Local Path to Your Theme Folder

Image 7: Local Path Setting

  • While cloning, set the local path to the themes folder of your Local by Flywheel WordPress installation. Usually, it’s something like ~/Local Sites/YOUR_SITE_NAME/app/public/wp-content/themes.

Step 8: Confirm the Sync

Image 8: Confirming the Connection

  • Open the themes folder on your computer or through Local by Flywheel. You should now see your GitHub theme folder there. Ah, the beauty of technology!

Step 9: Activate Theme from WordPress Dashboard

Image 9: WordPress Dashboard

  • Open your Local by Flywheel site and log in to the WordPress dashboard. Navigate to Appearance > Themes and activate your GitHub-linked theme. Voila!

Step 10: Commit Changes via GitHub Desktop

Image 10: GitHub Desktop

  • Make changes to your theme, and you’ll see them reflected in GitHub Desktop. Commit and push your changes to keep everything up-to-date, like a true pro.

Step 11: The Moment of Triumph

Image 11: You, Looking Smug and Satisfied

  • Look at you! You’ve just linked Local by Flywheel and GitHub like some kind of digital wizard. Go ahead, take a selfie with your code. You’ve earned it.

And there you go! A theme worthy of a digital Demi-god, living both locally on your Mac and in the cloud via GitHub. Cheers! 🍻