My goodness, but that gets complicated real quick.
OK : to remove that error above? – If that’s what it was.
I re-edited the WP-CONFIG.PHP file and took out that line about AUTOMATIC UPDATES.
– But, before I did that: I found out that you have to change the WP-CONFIG.PHP file permissions to 700 [r/w/e] by owner, from it’s default of 400, which is read only by the owner ie: [r/x/x/]
*URGENT WARNING: DON’T FORGET TO CHANGE IT BACK TO 400.*
I managed to crash the ftp-program in attempting to edit a protected file with transfer errors all over the place.
*URGENT WARNING: DON’T FORGET TO CHANGE IT BACK TO 400.*
Finally uploading the modified system file, and then refreshing my site: I fully expected the worse, and to be prudent; I kept the ftp-program file open and ready to reset everything. I’ve crashed out my site big time before now, and know all the tricks of the trade; like keeping everything open and live whilst updating, so you at least have a chance to get the recovery underway.
(—)
To my intense relief and delight the modification didn’t smash my site, the red TAB warning disappeared, and the updater program says ( nothing! ) – So I still don’t know if it will work or not, but the warnings have gone.
The above information has been added to help anyone else wondering what will happen.
BTW – developer: your WiKi saying, …
If you find the line define(‘AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED’, true);,
remove it and try the Force Updates button in the Advanced section of the Easy Updates Manager settings.
If Force Updates works, then the plugin/WordPress will check for automatic updates every twelve hours from then on out.
After reading the above, I was still none the wiser on whether I should/could/or even needed to take such draconian action on my root directory.
– But I have done: and my site seems to be functioning, but I’m a bag of nerves in re-editing that system file.
Perhaps a walk through might be an option, especially covering file permissions, – and also what this powerful file actually does. Looking through it very carefully: I realised that I could have ripped my database link from my site with the casual flick of a wayward finger.
Really need to have a rest now and put my feet up, this old girl’s had it.
P.S – URGENT WARNING: DON’T FORGET TO CHANGE THE FILE PERMISSIONS OF THE WP-CONFIG.PHP BACK TO 400, – Because it seems that this file can be hacked, and once a hacker gets hold of it: then your site is doooooomed to become a slave-Bot for spammers, or worse; perhaps it will become involved in the black art of re-mailing top secrets, and you’ll only know about it: when someone knocks on your door at five in the morning with flashing blue lights behind them.
Nothing to do with updates, but everything to do with getting the updater to work.
Feet up, and now snoring loudly.