WordPress Updates via FTP on Windows XAMPP installations

Sometimes I have the need to simulate an ordinary hoster environment that behaves the same way as a real one would do. This also includes the automatic update behavior WordPress shows for Core, Plugins or Themes. In most cases this is useful for testing purpose but also to create tutorial screencasts like “How to use WordPress.”
But if you ever tried Windows XAMPP installations, you may know, that you are not able to show the FTP update mask like your hosting would do.

That’s why I was searching a solution and was ending up with writing a new Plugin for internal testing purpose.
It extends the “Dashboard” -> “Settings” -> “General Settings” with following option:
admin-general-settings-extension

If you enable this option, your local Windows based installation of XAMPP (WordPress) will ask you now at every update with the well known FTP update mask about your credentials. But it’s not done by enabling this option, you will need at least a well configured FileZilla FTP Server doing the required work for you too.
Once you have configured a user, his/her home dir and access rights, WordPress will update from now on all affected components as expected but now using FTP.

The Plugin has been tested only a few days, so we are still at QA phase, but we would share this, if there is any demand for it.
Please let us know, if you are interested in. If we get a significant amount of requests, we (or especially I) will publish it on my blog Code Styling Project. This would include also a complete description, how to configure the FileZilla Server based on a simple example.

This is my first article at WP Engineer as new member. It may be a bit technical but my main work is normally developing solutions. I hope, it’s interesting for you nevertheless.


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4 responses to “WordPress Updates via FTP on Windows XAMPP installations”

  1. DD32 Avatar

    Just a note for users, This can also be accomplished by defining ‘FS_METHOD’ with your chosen method of connectivity, ‘direct’, ‘ftpext’ (for those with the FTP Extension installed), ‘ftpsockets’ (for all other PHP installs), or ‘ssh’ (For those with the SSH2 PHP Extension enabled).

    ie. define(‘FS_METHOD’, ‘ftpext’);

  2. Heiko Avatar

    Yes, this could be done. But nevertheless the plug checks, whether this components are available or not to allow only switching to FTP, if it makes sence to do so.
    And you can switch it during tests on and off as you need it without any modification of any file (e.g. const definition you suggest).

  3. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    Hallo, did you finish the development of the plugin? Is there a place to download it?

  4. Thompson Avatar
    Thompson

    Hi Is there a download for this plugin?