Getting WordPress to Run Automatic Updates on Ubuntu 

I am not a Linux person. I like Windows. It does things for me and removes my need to think about what’s going on. Unfortunately, when my pretty little Dell decided to die a slow, excruciating death, I had no choice but to run Ubuntu on my husband’s craptastic spare HP laptop.

Long story short, working with Ubuntu was a pain, especially when it came to local WordPress development. In the most recent versions of WordPress, they’ve implemented an extra security feature. If the user running Apache isn’t the same as the user that owns the directory, you need to enter FTP connection information. And even if you do enter information (assuming you have it) it won’t work.

Note that your files all need to be owned by the user under which your Apache server executes, or you will receive a dialog box asking for “connection information,” and you will find that no matter what you enter, it won’t work. [WordPress Codex]

What’s a Windows loving girl stuck in Linux hell to do? The first step is to nag her husband. The second step is to start screwing around with directory ownership until something works.

To turn off the godforsaken FTP connection information dialog, all you need to do is

1. Open Terminal. (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal)
2. Navigate to the folder directly above your troublesome WordPress installation. (cd /var/www/some/other/directory)
3. Give Apache ownership of the directory. (sudo chown -R www-data.yourusername DirectoryName)
4. Enter your password.

Now, go back to your WordPress admin panel. Try running an automatic update on your installation or a plug-in, or install a new plug-in automatically. If all goes according to plan, you should see the beautiful successful installation screen.