Update Error:

see https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Editing_wp-config.php#Override_of_default_file_permissions and enable FS_DIRECT

So, if I have understood correctly, this is supposed to be added to wp-config:

define(‘FS_METHOD’,’direct’);
define( ‘FS_CHMOD_DIR’, ( 0755 & ~ umask() ) );
define( ‘FS_CHMOD_FILE’, ( 0644 & ~ umask() ) );

However, it didn’t work. Changing WordPress file permissions to 777 seems to work, but I understand that’s not something you want to leave in effect long-term, so I reset them all to default. Is there a particular WP file that might cause this issue?

777 is insecure and should not be used. All you need is the first line FS_METHOD. Files and directories should be owned by the userid of your web server/php process.

Ok, I added “define(‘FS_METHOD’, ‘direct’);” to wp-config, but it didn’t work. I’m still getting the update error.

What is the user ID under which your web server and PHP process(es) run?

I don’t know. I found guides to put “lsof -i”, “cat /etc/group”, or “cat /etc/passwd” into SSH to show the list, but don’t know how to tell which one is/should be the right one. My host couldn’t tell me. www-data and apache seem to be common ones, but neither shows up on my list.

I appreciate all of your help, Steve!

ps -ef |grep httpd or ps -ef |grep apache should give you the ID

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Steven Stern (sterndata).

Thanks! Looks like ‘nobody’. ‘Root’ also appears in the list, but only once.

root is for the “base” httpd process. all it does is spin off web processes as needed.

Okay, so “nobody” then. Now that I’ve got this information, what do I do with it?