WordPress would only prompt your FTP connection information
While trying to install plugins or a wordpress update
If it cannot write to /wp-content
directly.
Otherwise, if your Web server has a write access to the necessary files,
It'll take care of the updates and installation automatically.
This method does not require you to have ftp/sftp or SSH access,
But it does require your to has specific file permissions set up on your webserver.
It would try various methods in order, and fall back on FTP if Direct and SSH methods is unavailable.
http://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/3.1/wp-admin/includes/file.php#L866
WordPress would try to write a temporary file to your /wp-content
directory.
If This succeeds, it compares the ownership of the file with it ' s own uid,
And if there is a match it would allow your to use the ' direct ' method of
Installing plugins, themes, or updates.
Now, if for some reason you does not want to rely on the automatic check for which filesystem method to use,
Can define a constant, in ‘FS_METHOD‘
your wp-config.php
file
either ‘direct‘ ‘ssh‘, ‘ftpext‘ or ‘ftpsockets‘
And it'll use method.
Keep in mind so if you set this to ' direct ' but your Web user
(the username under which your Webs server runs)
Does not has proper write permissions, you'll receive an error.
If you don't want to (or cannot) the Change permissions on Wp-content
So your Web server have write permissions, then add this to your wp-config.php file:
Define ('fs_method'Direct');
To maintain a higher level of security, Rolet servers set the permissions on the
/wp-content directory to read with for Apache.
Although this can changed via SSH, FTP and through your control Panel,
We highly recommend that you enter the FTP credentials each time you install or update a plugin.
The server and credentials can remembered by your browser to make it quicker
To install plugins and requires a extra click.
If your website is hosted on Rolet ' s cPanel servers, the FTP credentials
To enter would be the same username and password combination
As your CPanel account or any other FTP account with access to the/wp-content directory.
Install WordPress Plugins without FTP Access