Environment
WordPress websites hosted in ITS Web Virtual Hosting (AFS) that use the SSH SFTP Updater Support plugin for WordPress.
Issue
The website owner is unable to use the WordPress administration dashboard to update WordPress, or to install/update/delete WordPress plugins and themes. Most commonly, this will manifest as the Connection Information form appearing again without any error message when the website when the website owner clicks the "Proceed" button.
Resolution
Change the value of the Hostname field on the Connection Information form to sftp.web.itd.umich.edu
The Connection Information form and Hostname field appear any time you try to update WordPress or install/update/delete a WordPress plugin or theme through the “Dashboard → Updates,” “Plugins,” or “Appearance → Themes” pages on the left-hand menu of the WordPress administration dashboard.
Hostnames website owners have used in the past (including cheerleading.dsc.umich.edu, sftp.itd.umich.edu, and login.itd.umich.edu) will no longer work due to more university systems requiring Duo for authentication and the SSH SFTP Updater Support plugin for WordPress lacking support for Duo. Refer to “Migrate sftp.itd.umich.edu to RHEL8 servers” for more information.
Additional Information
For instructions on how to install and configure the SSH SFTP Updater Support plugin to update AFS-based WordPress websites, see Updating ITS Web Hosting WordPress Sites Within the WP Dashboard.
For further assistance with ITS Web Virtual Hosting WordPress, contact webmaster@umich.edu.
Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.