Understanding plugins/database in Network

  • My server is set up so that I need to manually upgrade items via FTP. Recently I upgraded a plug-in and got an internal server error 500. Restoring to the old version didn’t help, nor did deleting that plugin, so I headed to the database.

    Once there I checked the contents of the wp_options table’s active_plugins and didn’t find a reference to the one I’d just removed, so I put in the “no plugins” value: a:0:{} to turn everything off.

    It fixed the site, so I went into the admin and started turning on the plug-ins I wanted. Out of curiousity I checked the field I’d just made “empty” to watch it change as I added plugins back.

    Only it didn’t change. Further, there are some plugins I have network active which didn’t show up there before, I now realize.

    Could someone explain to me how plug-ins work for network systems? Since I have to upgrade manually I’m guessing I’ll see this again.

    Also, why didn’t removing the changed plugin directory help?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

  • Hi shastaw

    You might have more luck asking your question in the Multisite forum. I’m not a mod, so I can’t move it there for you.

    Thread Starter Shasta

    (@shastaw)

    That’s a good idea — I don’t think I can move it either, but perhaps a moderator will if they see this. Otherwise maybe I’ll post there too later if I don’t get an answer. :/

    Moderator Samuel Wood (Otto)

    (@otto42)

    www.remarpro.com Admin

    Few points:

    – In multisite, each separate site has its own options table. The normal “wp_options” table is the options table only for the “main” site.

    – Sitewide options are actually stored in “wp_sitemeta”.

    – Network-activated plugins will be in the wp_sitemeta table and have a key of “active_sitewide_plugins”.

    – Deleting a plugin always works. I mean, it can’t be running if it’s not actually there. However, if you’re using certain types of PHP opcode-caching mechanisms, then what’s “running” on the site may be stored in memory until the cache is cleared. Generally this isn’t a problem unless you have some strange configuration, standard servers don’t do that.

    Thread Starter Shasta

    (@shastaw)

    Thanks Otto. I appreciate the pointers to the other fields.

    I was surprised that removing the plug-in didn’t work too. I completely eliminated the directory from the server — still an internal server error 500.

    I’m not convinced it was caching though…after I set the wp_options.active_plugins to a:0:{} and the site came back I tried putting back the previous value (which did not list the plug-in I’d just tried to upgrade) and the site went back to the internal server error. Removed it and it was ok again.

    I initially assumed that the plug-in hadn’t gotten disabled, but that maybe the manual update didn’t cause some db change it needed. That doesn’t really make sense either though, because that plugin wasn’t listed in the field that I made “empty” (which then fixed the site.)

    I’m pretty baffled by this one. I’m not a noob to code or to WordPress, but this just isn’t adding up for me.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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