[wp-hackers] Multiple versions of same install independently running on same server

[Hydrostarr]

Need multiple versions of same install independently running on same 
server.  No sharing of install/files/databases.  Just want to git clone 
the same install (many different template/style.css customizations 
between independent site installs) into different install directories 
and map them independently (with with diff Apache virtual hosts or 
subdirs on the same host) to different URLs.

Nothing's worked thus far.  Every time attempted there's some 
interdependency between install dirs, databases, Apache config.  WP just 
doesn't "work relative to a root" like most all other web-server apps 
that's we've employed previously.

Every "multisite" blog/article we've read is for multiple "shared" 
sites--sharing the same WP base install and/or database or something.  
We don't want that.  We want our separate sites to know -nothing- about 
each other, nothing "shared."  And we'd prefer if we could reference the 
same site via different URLs for testing/modularity for 
Apache-web-caching engines, etc (say http://site1.my.com and 
http://my.com/site1 point to same WP install, and WP doesn't "break" 
when accessed from either one--currently impossible with the hard-coded, 
base-URL).  Alas, can live without this added luxury if we can solve the 
larger problem (of multiple, independent installs on single Linux server).

fwiw.  We change the base URL and such ( http://goo.gl/3TJq6 ) for each 
install.  We also change the hard-coded path in the mysql database from 
say '/var/www/...' to '/var/site2/...' and still no luck.

What might we be missing?  Maybe we need to use some WP plugin to 
realize this "magic" of independent installs?  Hard to imagine that.  
Suspect we're doing something "silly/dumb" and just trying to find out 
what it is.  Maybe we shouldn't rely on the stock Ubuntu WP install?  
(We -think- we've tried that with no success... but may try again.)

More details:
http://goo.gl/ldbkI
Ubuntu 11.04.
Stock WP install with 'apt-get install wordpress' (maybe the latter is 
a/the problem)?