Console Plugin ID: plg_console_updatefromcli

Update any Joomla extension straight from the command line, without touching the admin web interface.

Functionality

CLI Extension Updates

Adds a new extension:update command to Joomla's CLI, letting you apply a pending extension update by ID without logging into the backend.

Session-Safe in CLI Context

Joomla's update model normally relies on session-based user state, which doesn't exist in a CLI context. This plugin works around that so updates run cleanly, without the misleading errors CLI usage would otherwise trigger.

Step-by-Step Guide

1 Install the plugin package and enable it under System > Manage > Plugins in your Joomla admin panel.
2 Identify the extension with a pending update, either from System > Update > Extensions or by noting its extension ID.
3 Open a terminal in your Joomla root folder and run php cli/joomla.php extension:update --eid=the_extension_id, replacing the value with the target extension's ID.
4 The command downloads and applies the update, printing the result directly to the console.
Note: This command is especially handy for scripted or unattended maintenance over SSH, where logging into the web administrator isn't practical. It grew out of a discussion on the Joomla core CLI update workflow and was later merged upstream into Joomla itself.
Resources & Links

Requirements:
Joomla 5.0 or higher
PHP 8.1 or higher
Command-line (SSH) access to the Joomla installation

Project Updates

Version 1.0.0

plugin
LANGUAGE UPDATES
  • en-GB
NOTES
  • Not listed on Joomla Extension Directory