Can’t install plugins

I’ve just installed WordPress 4.9.8en_GB freshly downloaded from WordPress, onto a Synology Diskstation 214play, and the basics are working. I can customise the site, add pages, add media, edit pages, set permalinks, etc.

I installed WP in its own sub directory to keep the root directory ‘clean’ except for two files .htaccess, and index.php.

They contain recommended code from WordPress Codex to use Apache 2.2 redirection to use the site address mcclenahan.dyndns.org and and the wordpress sub directory wordpress.

I have set up FTP on the Synology server, and use port redirection on my Virgin Media router to send http requests to port 80 on the Synology box, and ports 20-21 to the FTP server. I’ve also redirected the default ports 5536-55551 used by FTP to allow PASV FTP connections.

But when I try to install a plugin (Unique Headers in this case, but I get the same results when I try other plugins) I get errors and the plugin fails to install.

If I try the automated install, it fails with the error message ‘failed to create directory’ (without specifying which directory). If I try to Upload the plugin using the downloaded ZIP file, it also fails with a different and more specific error: ‘Could not create directory /volume1/web/mcclenahan.dyndns.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/unique-headers/assets’. The plugins directory is owned by the same owner/group as the FTP login user (john/users), and at least for the moment has ‘wide open’ permissions 0777, which I changed using FileZilla to the 777 setting.

No unique-headers folder is created, and hence of course no subdirectories like assets either.

Both methods prompt me for the FTP settings. These work both internally and externally when I use the same credentials in FileZilla. I can connect, and create files or folders.

If it is a file permissions issue, what do I need to change on the Synology server? Change the wordpress directory owner to the ftp server user? (which I haven’t been able to identify).

What else might be causing my problem?

Theme translations won’t install either, thought that in itself doesn’t bother me, but it looks like the same issue. The error message is ‘Could not copy file. /volume1/web/mcclenahan.dyndns.org/wordpress/wp-content/languages/plugins/hello-dolly-en_GB.mo’

PS. I just checked the last line in the root directory index.php page and found I hadn’t changed it to:
require( dirname( __FILE__ ) . ‘/wordpress/wp-blog-header.php’ );
but when I do change it, clear the browser cache, and try to update the translations files, it still fails with the same error, and so does installing plugins.

But the error seems not to be related to failing to redirect – WordPress is trying to create the correct directory/ies, and failing.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by johnwmcc.
• This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by johnwmcc.

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