DD WP GitHub Updates

A WordPress plugin that enables automatic updates and installations of themes and plugins directly from GitHub repositories, including private repositories.

Features

• 🔄 Automatic Updates: Keep your GitHub-hosted themes and plugins up-to-date automatically
• 🔒 Private Repository Support: Works with private GitHub repositories using personal access tokens
• 📦 Direct Installation: Install themes and plugins directly from GitHub without manual downloads
• 🛡️ Secure Authentication: Uses GitHub personal access tokens for secure API access
• 🎯 Easy Configuration: Simple admin interface for managing repositories
• 📊 Connection Testing: Built-in tools to verify GitHub API connectivity
• 🔍 Repository Search: Search and preview GitHub repositories before installation

Requirements

• WordPress 5.2 or higher
• PHP 7.2 or higher
• GitHub personal access token (for private repositories)
• wp_remote_get() function enabled (WordPress HTTP API)

Installation

Method 1: Manual Installation

1. Download the plugin files
2. Upload the dd-wp-github-updates folder to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory
3. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
4. Navigate to GitHub Updates in your admin menu to configure

Method 2: Git Clone

cd /path/to/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/
git clone https://github.com/gabydevdev/dd-wp-github-updates.git

Configuration

1. GitHub Personal Access Token

To use this plugin, you'll need a GitHub personal access token:

1. Go to GitHub Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens
2. Click "Generate new token (classic)"
3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "WordPress GitHub Updates")
4. Select the following scopes:
   • repo - Full control of private repositories (required)
   • read:packages - Read packages (optional, only if using GitHub packages)
5. Click "Generate token"
6. Copy the token immediately (you won't be able to see it again)

2. Plugin Configuration

1. In WordPress admin, go to GitHub Updates
2. Paste your GitHub token in the "Personal Access Token" field
3. Click "Test Connection" to verify the token works
4. Save the settings

Usage

Adding Repositories for Updates

1. Go to GitHub Updates in your admin menu
2. Scroll down to "Add Repository"
3. Fill in the repository details:
   • Type: Theme or Plugin
   • Owner: GitHub username or organization
   • Repository Name: The repository name
   • Theme Slug: (for themes) The directory name of your theme
   • Plugin File: (for plugins) The main plugin file path (e.g., my-plugin/my-plugin.php)

Installing from GitHub

1. Go to GitHub Updates > Install from GitHub
2. Enter the repository owner and name
3. Click "Search Repository" to preview the repository
4. Choose installation type (Theme or Plugin)
5. Configure installation options:
   • Custom slug/directory name
   • Activate after installation
   • Add to updater list for future updates
6. Click "Install Now"

Release Management

Creating Releases

The plugin works best with GitHub releases:

1. Create a new release in your GitHub repository
2. Use semantic versioning (e.g., v1.0.0, v1.2.3)
3. The plugin will automatically detect new releases
4. WordPress will show update notifications when new versions are available

Version Detection

The plugin checks for updates by:

1. Comparing the version in your theme's style.css or plugin's main PHP file
2. Against the latest GitHub release tag
3. Triggering WordPress update notifications when newer versions are found

API Reference

Hooks and Filters

Actions

• dd_github_updates_before_install - Fired before installation begins
• dd_github_updates_after_install - Fired after successful installation

Filters

• dd_github_updates_download_timeout - Modify download timeout (default: 60 seconds)
• dd_github_updates_api_timeout - Modify API request timeout (default: 10 seconds)

Programmatic Usage

// Get the API instance
$api = new DD_GitHub_API();

// Test connection
$response = $api->test_connection();

// Get latest release
$release = $api->get_latest_release('owner', 'repo-name');

// Install a package programmatically
$installer = new DD_GitHub_Installer();
$result = $installer->install_github_package(
    'plugin', // type
    'owner',  // GitHub username
    'repo-name', // repository name
    '', // download URL (optional)
    'custom-slug', // custom slug (optional)
    true // activate after install
);

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Connection failed" Error

• Verify your GitHub token is correct
• Ensure the token has repo scope for private repositories
• Check if your server can make outbound HTTPS requests

"Repository not found" Error

• Verify the repository owner and name are correct
• Ensure your token has access to the repository (for private repos)
• Check if the repository exists and is accessible

"Invalid ZIP archive" Error

• Ensure your repository has releases or can be downloaded as ZIP
• Check if the repository contains valid theme/plugin files
• Verify the repository structure matches WordPress requirements

Installation Fails

• Check WordPress file permissions
• Ensure the destination directory is writable
• Verify the repository contains valid WordPress theme/plugin structure

Debug Logging

Enable WordPress debug logging to see detailed error messages:

// Add to wp-config.php
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Check /wp-content/debug.log for detailed error messages.

Server Requirements

Ensure your server supports:

• wp_remote_get() function
• Outbound HTTPS connections to api.github.com
• ZIP file extraction (unzip_file() function)
• Adequate memory limit for large repositories

Security Considerations

• Token Security: Store GitHub tokens securely and never commit them to version control
• Repository Access: Only add repositories you trust to the updater
• File Permissions: Ensure proper WordPress file permissions are maintained
• SSL Verification: The plugin enforces SSL certificate verification for all GitHub API requests

Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/gabydevdev/dd-wp-github-updates.git
cd dd-wp-github-updates

# Set up development environment
# Follow WordPress plugin development best practices

Changelog

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• GitHub API integration
• Automatic updates for themes and plugins
• Private repository support
• Direct installation from GitHub
• Admin interface for repository management

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.

Support

• Documentation: Check this README and inline code comments
• Issues: Report bugs on the GitHub repository

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Quick Start Guide

1. Install the plugin and activate it
2. Get a GitHub token with repo scope
3. Configure the token in WordPress admin
4. Add repositories you want to manage
5. Install new themes/plugins directly from GitHub
6. Enjoy automatic updates from your GitHub repositories!

For detailed instructions, see the sections above.