Wordpress doesn't recognize ftp login information

Problems with the Mac OS X version of XAMPP, questions, comments, and anything related.

Wordpress doesn't recognize ftp login information

Postby noahsark769 » 26. July 2012 02:05

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I've read things on here before but I've been googling for hours and I can't find a solution to this problem.

I'm trying to run wordpress locally, to work on developing a theme for a website. I'm using XAMPP 1.7.3, which has worked fine up until now. I put the wordpress files in XAMPP/htdocs/wordpress, I used PHPMyAdmin to create a MySQL database for the wordpress install, and I updated all the info in wp-config.php. Everything was working fine, until I tried to install the Import plugin to import test posts. Wordpress asked for the FTP connection information (hostname, username, password). I tried localhost, nobody, xampp, as I believe the default ftp info is (apache, mysql, and ftp are all started), but it says "Failed to connect to FTP server localhost:21"

I tried editing the httpd.conf file to put in my username and "staff" as the group, and I tried setting permissions on the entire XAMPP folder to let "everyone" read and write it. Nothing seems to work! I know it's a problem with XAMPP somewhere, because it works just fine on the server for my website, and I know it must be a problem with wordpress not having the correct permissions, or something, since I can FTP in with Filezilla just fine. Unfortunately I didn't get anywhere editing the httpd.conf file. (I also tried restarting XAMPP in between editing the conf file, i.e. turning everything off then turning everything back on again.)

Doesn anyone know what's going on/has anyone had the same problem? I know this question has been asked before in various places, but nothing I could find worked. Thanks so much in advance.
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Re: Wordpress doesn't recognize ftp login information

Postby JonB » 26. July 2012 17:43

This is totally bizarre - I posted an answer yesterday - lets see if I can remember it all,, LOL.

OK - First - this is neither a XAMPP or MacOS issue. It happens on Windows, and whether Apache/MySQL/Filezilla/ProFTPd were installed together or separately.

Here is the crux of the matter: When you use the auto-install/update features of Wordpress - you are effectively asking your machine to be an TFP client AND host (although those are proxied via PHP) and the webserver AND the local workstation. That's about undoable.

The reason it work's roght on a 'live' hosted websserver or VPS is that's the way WordPress was designed to work - you are at the 'client' telling WP what to do - Wordpress call's up the server and says 'I'm not really WordPress, I'm an FTP client and my credentials are (your FTP login) and I want so send you some files. The FTP server checks and says "Great to have you back" - then Wordpress basically 'pipes' the files (by way of your machine where it is using 'GET's, and as fast as possible ships them off to your server. Most of this is 'code', so its pretty damn fast. Once the code is there, the WP admin goes back to work - OK, do this, do that -- presto shazaam "WordPress" has been updated! (very slick)

Two ways to fix the problem -
A. Use the 'manual update' methods almost always found in the WordPress Codex. This invloves DL the code, move it to the right place, often edit some files - restart WP.

B. On you local network, just go to another machine/macbook (doesn't even need to be MacOS) now point your browser at your running server with WP on it, and those auto-installs should work. (if your WP hostname/URL are currently localhost) you will need to change them to the IP address of the machine XAMPP/MAMPP is on, you may also need to update permalinks. This last step is not necessary if you are running a true 'domain named' URL for Wordpress. I use this method all the time, I have 4 wordpress site and they are all on my own servers.

Good Luck
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