WP-CLI (http://wp-cli.org/) is a great commandline tool to manage your WordPress installation. It has countless commands. For example to:

• change database settings
• clear the cache
• manage comments and posts
• install plugins
• …

The “normal” installation is well documented on the project page. But I prefer to store my project tools (f.e.: vagrant, coposer, etc.) in a different tool folder that is separated from the WordPress installation.

To use wp-cli you have to take the following steps:

1. Download the source into a folder where you wish to use the tool (f.e. ):

   $> wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar 

2. Now you can call wp-cli like that

   $> php wp-cli.phar --path=/var/www/docroot/ help

   from within the install folder.

3. Make wp globally available, so you can use it everywhere in your product structure:

   $> chmod +x wp-cli.phar # make it executable
   $> sudo cp wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp #copy it

   This step has to be repeated after every update!

4. Now you can use wp as a “normal” command (but in my case I have to add the path param every time)
5. As an alternative you can add a bash alias for the wp command with the path param (see command above):
   1. open .bash_aliases to edit it

      $> nano ~/.bash_aliases

   2. add the following line

      alias wp='php /var/www/tools/wp-cli/wp-cli.phar --path=/var/www/docroot/'

      Now you can call wp without the path param from any path within your project.

6. Call $> wp help  to get information about usage