Automatic Update Created New Plugin Folder

  • 2chicks

    (@2chicks)


    4 weeks ago

    I need to understand exactly how auto updates work for plugins. I have all my plugins set to auto update, but a recent update of one plugin caused a fatal error on the site, so I FTP’d in and appended the plugin folder name with -p to deactivate the plugin so I could log into the backend. I forgot to toggle off auto update, so that was still on. I put in a ticket with the plugin dev and overnight a second (new) folder of the plugin, only a newer version that was released over that same night, coincidentally, was created on the server. I looked at the backend and there were two instances of the plugin on the plugins page. Both deactivated, both set to auto update, one was the next to last version and one was the latest version released over night.

    My question is: Is this normative behavior that a deactivated, rename plugin set to auto update would install a whole other plugin folder with the latest version in it?

    • This topic was modified 4 weeks ago by 2chicks.
Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Moderator bcworkz

    (@bcworkz)

    If you’ve renamed the plugin’s folder, then yes, an update will create the correct folder name. When WP scans the plugins folder for possible updates, it’s looking for plugin names in the plugin’s main file’s header information, the folder names are irrelevant for this process. But when a plugin updates, its files must go into its proper folder name. If none exist, one is created.

    This situation is rare since many WP users are not as knowledgeable as you and are unaware of how to deactivate plugins as you did. Presumably if you know enough to do this, you also know you ought to remove the older version and go with the latest ??

    I imagine you do know this and you’re just trying to better understand what had happened. Hopefully this has helped some.

    Thread Starter 2chicks

    (@2chicks)

    @bcworkz I had to chuckle. When being a more advanced user causes more confusion. In 20 years I have never experienced this before, so the stars must have aligned in just the right way for me to observe this. I did delete the older versioned folder and all is well. Thanks for validating my hunch.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.