Usage and flags

1. Commands
2. Flags
3. Examples
4. Mirroring
5. Work only on specific plugins or themes
6. Running unattended
7. Rsync options in a continuous delivery context
8. Logging

Commands

wordmove-ng --version, -v   # Print the version
wordmove-ng doctor          # Do some local configuration and environment checks
wordmove-ng help [COMMAND]  # Describe available commands or one specific command
wordmove-ng init            # Generates a brand new movefile.yml
wordmove-ng list            # List all environments and vhosts
wordmove-ng pull            # Pulls WP data from remote host to the local machine
wordmove-ng push            # Pushes WP data from local machine to remote host

init

Writes movefile.yml in the current directory, reading wp-config.php for the local database credentials (splitting DB_HOST values that carry a port or a socket) and the local URL from WP_HOME, WP_SITEURL or wp option get home.

doctor

Checks, in order: movefile schema (rejecting ftp blocks and reporting prefix collisions), local mysql/mysqldump and a connection with the local credentials, local wp presence and freshness, rsync, ssh, then for each SSH remote a non interactive login followed by a probe for rsync, gzip, mysql/mariadb, mysqldump/mariadb-dump and wp. It also warns about ssh.gateway.password. Run it before opening an issue and paste the output.

list

Prints every environment with its vhost.

push and pull

Options:
  -w, [--wordpress], [--no-wordpress]
  -u, [--uploads], [--no-uploads]
  -t, [--themes], [--no-themes]
  -p, [--plugins], [--no-plugins]
  -m, [--mu-plugins], [--no-mu-plugins]
  -l, [--languages], [--no-languages]
  -d, [--db], [--no-db]
  -v, [--verbose], [--no-verbose]
  -s, [--simulate], [--no-simulate]
  -e, [--environment=ENVIRONMENT]
  -c, [--config=CONFIG]
      [--debug], [--no-debug]
      [--no-adapt], [--no-no-adapt]
      [--all], [--no-all]

pull copies from the remote given with -e to local; push copies from local to that remote. At least one component flag (or --all) is required.

Flags

Flag	Meaning
-w, --wordpress	the WordPress core, ignoring wp-content
-u, --uploads	wp-content/uploads
-t, --themes	wp-content/themes
-p, --plugins	wp-content/plugins
-m, --mu-plugins	wp-content/mu-plugins
-l, --languages	wp-content/languages
-d, --db	the database; see Database sync
--all	every component; combine with --no-* to leave some out
--no-<component>	exclude one component, usually with --all
-s, --simulate	rsync runs with --dry-run; database steps are logged and skipped
-e ENV, --environment	which remote to use; optional with a single remote
-c FILE, --config	alternate movefile inside the project
--no-adapt	import the database without running wp search-replace
-v, --verbose	more output
--debug	accepted for compatibility; had an effect only with the removed FTP deployer

Component paths respect the paths section of each environment.

Examples

wordmove-ng pull -e staging --all              # everything from staging
wordmove-ng push -e production --all --no-db   # every folder, keep the production database
wordmove-ng push -e production --all --no-db --no-uploads
wordmove-ng push -e production -t -p -s        # dry run of themes and plugins
wordmove-ng pull -e production -d --no-adapt   # database without URL rewriting
wordmove-ng push -c movefile.client.yml -e live -u
WORDMOVE_MAINTENANCE_MODE=1 wordmove-ng push -e production -d

Mirroring

File sync mirrors the source: files missing at the source are deleted at the destination. Use exclude for anything that must survive on one side only (uploads produced on production, .env files, caches).

Work only on specific plugins or themes

-p considers the whole plugins folder. rsync patterns starting with + are inclusions, so you can exclude everything but one plugin:

exclude:
  - "+ wp-content/plugins/plugin_1/"
  - "wp-content/plugins/*"

The same works for themes and any other folder.

Running unattended

wordmove-ng never prompts, so it can run from cron, systemd timers or CI. The environment those give you is the only difference; see Automation and cron for a ready-made script and the SSH key setup.

Rsync options in a continuous delivery context

The default rsync flags are -rlpt. On a CI runner every file is freshly checked out, so --times triggers a full transfer every time and --perms may not be what you want:

ssh:
  rsync_options: "--itemize-changes --chmod=D775,F664 --no-perms --no-times --checksum"

--no-perms and --no-times disable the defaults, --checksum compares content instead of timestamps (slower, but transfers only real changes), and --chmod gives you control over what lands on the server.

Logging

Long generated shell scripts are summarised into intent lines such as dump database my_db to ./wp-content/dump.sql, compress ./wp-content/dump.sql, wp search-replace old.test -> new.test in /var/www/site and import SQL dump … (strip sandbox header, append COMMIT). Passwords, hosts, vhosts and paths from the movefile are masked as [secret] in all output, including hook output.