InstallActivateGo.com

Documentation

The InstallActivateGo Manage Plugin Activations & Visibility in Multisite Network plugin allows the Super Administrator to selectively, based on User Role, show or hide Plugins by Name or by Type:

  • Must-Use
  • Drop-Ins
  • Network-Activated
  • Network-only, or
  • none of the above

User Roles that may be specified:

  • No One
  • Site Administrator
  • Super Administrator
  • Owner

The Owner is defined as the User with Administration Email Address shown in the Admin panel Settings-General Settings. The Owner is always a Super Administrator (on an Multisite/Network WordPress install).

Overrides

Specifying by plugin Name overrides the relevant Type specification. Except when Inherit is specified for a plugin Name.

The following additional Overrides are used to avoid the ambiguity of one plugin having multiple, possibly conflicting, settings:

  • Network-Activated overrides Network-only
  • Owner overrides Super Admin overrides Site Admin

Defaults

Beginning with Version 4, this plugin’s defaults match those of WordPress:

  • Must-Use plugins are only visible to Super Administrators
  • Drop-in plugins are only visible to Super Administrators
  • Network-Activated plugins are only visible to Super Administrators
  • Network-Only plugins are only visible to Super Administrators
  • All other plugins are only visible to Site Administrators and Super Administrators

Note that migrating the plugin’s settings from Version 3 will override these defaults.

Current Limitations

This:

  • This plugin only functions when Network Activated
  • Any Super Administrator can change the plugin’s Settings, but no one else can
  • What is Activated Where? lists all plugins alphabetically within Plugin Type – a second option, to display activated plugins first, is planned for a future Version
  • When any plugin in uninstalled, it is no longer displayed and any setting for it within What is Activated Where? is forgotten – support for uninstalled plugins is planned for a future version
  • To migrate this plugin’s Settings from Versions prior to 3.1, requires a multi-step process:
    • Update the old version of the plugin to 3.1, which seamlessly migrates the settings to the 3.1 settings format
    • Update Version 3.1 to Version 4
    • Before creating any Settings with Version 4, migrate the Version 3.1 Settings
    • Note that uninstalling any version of this plugin prior to Version 4 will permanently delete the settings without any possibility of recovery, other than restoring the complete WordPress install from hosting system backups, if any
  • Cannot clone this plugin’s Settings to another WordPress install – Export and Import is planned for a future version
  • This Plugin’s Settings are automatically deleted when this Plugin is uninstalled, but a Recover button is provided whenever this Plugin is installed again
  • At least WordPress Version 6.3 is required because of the plugin’s use of the ‘plugins_list’ Filter, which first appeared in WordPress 6.3
  • At least PHP 7.0 is required because WordPress 6.3 requires it

Missing Functionality or Flexibility

Expanding the functionality of this plugin usually falls into one of these situations:

  • not always possible given WordPress’ architecture;
  • sometimes fairly straight forward;
  • something that was considered during Design but rejected due to security/permissions issues;
  • already planned for a future Version of this plugin;
  • technically possible but hugely expensive to do properly

The following sections look at enhancements to this plugin that come to mind.

Planned for a future Version:
  • Setting to change the Sort Order within Plugin Type in the What is Activated Where? section of the Setting page, to list activated plugins first
  • Display uninstalled plugins and remember their settings, preferably with overstrike rather than greyed out
  • Allow Export and Import of this plugin’s Settings between WordPress installs and after WordPress reinstalls
Possible to change but would need to investigate Feasibility:
rejected during Design, as likely to, or known to, cause issues:
  • Allowing others, besides Super Administrators, to see and change this plugin’s Settings
  • Eliminate the plugin’s Settings page by moving Settings to the bottom of WordPress Admin panel Plugins-Installed Plugins
TOO DIFFICULT TO CONSIDER
  • Completely replacing the standard WordPress Admin panel Plugins-Installed Plugins, plugins.php, with an enhanced version that included all the functionality of this plugin within the Installed Plugins table
Not possible:

Use Cases will be accepted through the Support page for this plugin as a Requested Enhancement.