Title: Can't update plugins or WordPress
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Can't update plugins or WordPress

 *  [rockgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rockgeek/)
 * (@rockgeek)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-update-plugins-or-wordpress/)
 * Hi,
 * I’ve looked through more sites than I care to remember but can’t find a definitive
   answer for this.
 * When trying to do any updates, I get the following:
 * > To perform the requested action, WordPress needs to access your web server.
   > Please enter your FTP credentials to proceed. If you do not remember your credentials,
   > you should contact your web host.
 * I connect via SFTP and have to import a key into Filezilla. I log in via **root**
 * Running a whoami on the site brings me back **www-data**.
 * What do I need to do in order to get updates working on the site? I remember 
   back in the day I had to change permissions but this caused a few headaches with
   SFTP.
 * Any suggestions?
 * Thanks,
 * JJ

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  [s_ha_dum](https://wordpress.org/support/users/apljdi/)
 * (@apljdi)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-update-plugins-or-wordpress/#post-2830055)
 * I don’t know if that part of WordPress works over sFTP.
 * Since you have access to the command line, I am going to guess that this is at
   least a VPS, and that it is most likely a business site. If it is, don’t use 
   the build in updater. Put together a test server and test everything before you
   upload it with FileZilla. Read [“Cheatin uh?”](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/cheatin-uh?replies=39)
   if you want to know why.
 *  Thread Starter [rockgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rockgeek/)
 * (@rockgeek)
 * [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-update-plugins-or-wordpress/#post-2830066)
 * A `sudo chown -R www-data /var/www/wordpress/` seems to have done it on the testing
   server!

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Can't update plugins or WordPress’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [sftp](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/sftp/)
 * [www-data](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/www-data/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [rockgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rockgeek/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-update-plugins-or-wordpress/#post-2830066)
 * Status: not resolved

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