Notes on Wordpress

Note on terminology: plugins, themes and UBOS Accessories

In the UBOS world, we use the term Accessory for what Wordpress calls “plugins” and “themes”.

How to install Wordpress “plugins” and “themes”

When you run Wordpress, you usually install Wordpress plugins and themes by logging into your Wordpress installation as administrator, navigating to the plugins and themes pages, and pick install new ones from there.

This is not how it works on UBOS.

When you run Wordpress on UBOS, you need to specify your Accessories at the time you create your Site, or by redeploying the Site later with an updated configuration.

Example: let’s say you want to use the Wordpress “Twenty-Twenty” theme for your Site. When you create the Site with ubos-admin createsite, you specify wordpress as your App, and wordpress-theme-twentytwenty as an Accessory. You can specify as many Accessories as you like.

Here’s the reason why: UBOS cannot manage Apps that change their code base without UBOS knowing, and that’s what would be happening if Wordpress got to add “themes” or “plugins” by itself.