CLI Commands #

Overview #

CaptainCore is a command line application for automating WordPress maintenance. Only administrators of a CaptainCore instance would run commands directly. Regular users will simply use CaptainCore Manager installed on a WordPress site.

How site names work #

CaptainCore uses arbitrary site names. When managing multiple sites, there needs to be a way to uniquely identify each site. While domain names seems like a good option, there are times you may want to be managing the same site with the same domain on multiple host providers. Also domain names can be long and sometimes change. On of flip side using a completely arbitrary site ID isn't very human friendly. A site name is something in between. A short but meaningful name that is unchangeable even if the domain name changes.

Site names can also specify a provider using an @ symbol <site>@<provider>. This makes dealing with multiple host providers enjoyable. Here's an example coping a site between providers captaincore copy anchorhost@wpengine anchorhost@kinsta. Omitting the provider is completely valid however won't be very particular if multiple site names exist.

Targeting sites #

Many commands also support targeting many sites. To target use @all, @production or @staging after the command. These can be combined to filter sites further by chaining other modifiers after the target. For example @production.updates-on will target production sites are marked for automatic updates and @all.offload-on will target all sites which have offload enabled.

This allows for flexible repeat process. For example updating themes/plugins on production sites every week with captaincore update @production.updates-on and then monthly on staging sites with captaincore update @staging.updates-on.

Fleet mode #

With fleet mode enabled a single CaptainCore instance can support sites for many different GUIs (or known as captains). Each captain only has ability to run commands on their respective sites. Internally this works by passing --captain-id=<captain_id> onto each captaincore <command>. Commands run without a --captain-id will default to ID 1.

Any command can be run across the entire fleet using --fleet. For example running captaincore backup @production --fleet will loop through all CaptainIDs. For a fleet with 3 CaptainIDs that command will run:

• captaincore backup generate @production --captain-id=1
• captaincore backup generate @production --captain-id=2
• captaincore backup generate @production --captain-id=3

Commands #

Shows commands

captaincore

Adds or updates a site from CaptainCore Manager.

captaincore site sync <site-id>

Deletes a site from CaptainCore.

captaincore site delete <site>

Backups one or more sites.

captaincore backup generate [<site>...] [@<target>] [--skip-remote] [--skip-db]

Download a backup for a site.

captaincore backup download <site> <backup-id> <payload> [--email=<email>]

Get details about a site.

captaincore site get <site> [--field=<field>] [--bash]

Creates Quicksave (plugins/themes) of website

captaincore quicksave generate [<site>...] [@<target>] [--force] [--debug]

Rollback from a Quicksave (theme/plugin)

captaincore quicksave rollback <site> <commit> [--plugin=<plugin>] [--theme=<theme>] [--file=<file>] [--all]

SSH connection to a site

captaincore ssh [<site>...] [@<target>] [--command=<commands>] [--script=<name|file>] -- [--<script-args>=<value>]

Generates new snapshot for a site

captaincore snapshot generate [<site>...] [@<target>] [--email=<email>] [--notes=<notes>] [--filter=<filter-options>] [--skip-remote] [--delete-after-snapshot]

Fetches download link for a snapshot

captaincore snapshot generate [<site>...] [@<target>] [--email=<email>] [--notes=<notes>] [--filter=<filter-options>] [--skip-remote] [--delete-after-snapshot]

etches stats from WordPress.com stats, Fathom Analytics or Fathom Lite.

captaincore stats <site>

Updates themes/plugins on WordPress sites

captaincore update [<site>...] [@<target>] [--exclude-themes=<themes>] [--exclude-plugins=<plugins>] [--<field>=<value>]

List sites

captaincore site list [@<target>] [--filter=<theme|plugin|core>] [--filter-name=<name>] [--filter-version=<version>] [--filter-status=<active|inactive|dropin|must-use>] [--field=<field>]

Long running commands #

Long running tasks like captaincore copy or captaincore move can prematurely end due to SSH idle. In order to help reduce disconnects add the following to ~/.ssh/config which will keep SSH alive by sending a signal every four minutes (240 seconds) to the remote host.

Host *
ServerAliveInterval 240

Real World Examples #

Downgrade WooCommerce on sites running a specific WooCommerce version

captaincore ssh $( captaincore site list --filter=plugin --filter-name=woocommerce --filter-version=3.3.0 ) --command="wp plugin install woocommerce --version=3.2.6"

Upgrade Ultimate Member plugin on sites with it installed

for site in $( captaincore site list --filter=plugin --filter-name=ultimate-member ); do
  captaincore ssh $site --command="wp plugin update ultimate-member"
done

Fix bug with Mailgun plugin by patching in missing region setting.

for site in $( captaincore site list --filter=plugin --filter-name=mailgun ); do
  captaincore ssh $site --command="wp option patch insert mailgun region us"
done

Backup sites

captaincore backup generate @all
captaincore backup generate @production
captaincore backup generate @staging

Generate quicksave on all sites

captaincore quicksave generate @all

Monitor check all production sites

captaincore monitor @production

Run WordPress theme/plugin updates on production sites which have been marked for automatic updates

captaincore update @production.updates-on

Launch site. Will change default Kinsta/WP Engine urls to real domain name and drop search engine privacy.

captaincore ssh <site-name> --script=launch -- --domain=<domain>

Update WordPress core on all sites one liner

captaincore ssh @all --command="wp core update; wp core update-db"

Find and replace http to https urls

captaincore ssh <site-name> --script=apply-https