Install plugins with WP or with theme?

  • Hi,

    I can’t seem to find much information or a starting point for this, but I am just getting into developing my own WordPress themes and I want to build themes with built-in support for certain plugins.

    It would be nice to be able to simply include the plugins with the theme installation, rather than including a huge readme.txt telling the user they need to install and activate 10 different plugins.

    Also, It would nice to be able to include plugins to be installed and activated when I install an instance of WordPress.

    I have no problem backing up a demo site then manually uploading the site and database but, being able to create a default custom installation pack would be preferable.

    Can anyone give me some guidance?

    Thanks!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
  • Thread Starter Travis Pflanz

    (@tpflanz)

    I have diligently been looking for some sort of solution.

    I would be open to hard coding the plugins to be included with the themes, I simply need some direction.

    Anyone?

    All I can think of is to upload the plugins with your theme in a separate directory and use the WordPress FTP functions to move them around. I think you should be able to programatically activate them but I’m not sure.

    Thread Starter Travis Pflanz

    (@tpflanz)

    Thanks for at least one reply.

    I am looking for a way to do a straight install with WordPress, plugins and a theme in one package.

    At least someone has tried to attempt this before, but I cannot find anywhere to even start.

    If you are going to package everything it should be considerably easier. Unzip the WordPress zip file, add your theme and plugins to the wp-content directory, and zip everything up again. Possibly add something to wp-config.php or wp-settings.php to trigger your theme and plugin activations.

    Thread Starter Travis Pflanz

    (@tpflanz)

    Thanks again for the reply, I understand the principle.

    “Possibly add something to wp-config.php or wp-settings.php to trigger your theme and plugin activations.”

    This is the part where I am looking for some documentation.

    I don’t think there is any documentation. You’d be hacking core code, which is discouraged. I think I have this right ?? — wp-load.php runs, then wp-config.php, then wp-setting.php. If you added code to wp-setting.php it should run and let you switch themes and plugins. Similar code inside wp-admin/install.php should do it too. I haven’t tried it though, so no promises.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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