Installing GP Premium

warning

Treat commercial plugin ZIPs and license keys as secrets. Do not commit them to Git and do not leave ZIPs world-readable in shared locations.

License Key Hygiene

• Store the license key in a secure runbook/password manager.
• Never put the key in a repo, a theme file, or a public issue.
• Validate plugin updates on staging before production.

Prerequisites

Item	What it is	Path
GP Premium	Commercial plugin that extends GeneratePress	/wp-content/plugins/gp-premium/
Modules	Feature toggles (Elements, Typography, Colors, Site Library, etc.)	Usually configured in WP admin; stored in options
Elements	UI + storage for hook/layout/block elements	Under the GP Premium plugin code

Safety Notes

• GP Premium unlocks the features most production sites use (Elements, Site Library, advanced controls).
• Understanding the plugin's filesystem layout helps you trace behavior and debug conflicts.
• A clean install workflow prevents broken permissions and accidental secret leakage.

How It Works

WP-CLI installs the ZIP into wp-content/plugins/, activates it, then WordPress loads it on each request. GP Premium extends GeneratePress by adding modules and UI.

Step-by-Step Installation

Step 1: Put the ZIP on the Server

Example (SCP from your workstation):

upload-gp-premium-zip.sh

scp ~/Downloads/gp-premium.zip user@server:/tmp/gp-premium.zip

Step 2: Install and Activate via WP-CLI

install-gp-premium.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp plugin install /tmp/gp-premium.zip --activate

Expected output (example):

Installing GP Premium (latest)...
Plugin installed successfully.
Activating 'gp-premium'...
Success: Plugin 'gp-premium' activated.

Step 3: Verify Activation and Location

verify-gp-premium-active.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp plugin list | grep gp-premium
wp plugin is-active gp-premium && echo "gp-premium is active"
ls -lah wp-content/plugins/gp-premium | head -n 40

Step 3b: Identify the Folders You Will Use Later

locate-gp-premium-feature-folders.sh

cd /var/www/html
ls -1 wp-content/plugins/gp-premium | head -n 80
ls -1 wp-content/plugins/gp-premium/elements 2>/dev/null || true

Step 4: Clean Up the ZIP

cleanup-zip.sh

rm -f /tmp/gp-premium.zip

caution

If your server is shared, leaving plugin ZIPs in /tmp can leak them to other users via backups or misconfigurations.

Optional Configuration

Example: Snapshot Plugin Version for Change Control

record-plugin-version.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp plugin get gp-premium --field=version

Example: Confirm the Parent Theme Is Active

confirm-parent-theme.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp option get stylesheet

Best Practices

Practice	Why
Install from a verified ZIP	Avoid tampered downloads
Remove ZIP after install	Reduces secret leakage risk
Keep ZIP outside the web root	Prevents accidental public access
Record plugin + theme versions	Supports rollback and reproducible environments
Enable modules intentionally	Fewer active modules means less surface area

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Fix
Plugin installs but does not activate	PHP error or missing dependencies	Check /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log and deactivate other plugins on staging
WP-CLI cannot read ZIP	Wrong path or permissions	Ensure /tmp/gp-premium.zip exists and is readable
Features missing in UI	Module not enabled	Verify module toggles in admin and confirm gp-premium is active
Site caching hides changes	LSCache	Purge cache after enabling modules or changing Elements
Updates not offered	License not activated	Add/verify the license key in admin and confirm outbound connectivity

Hands-On

1. Install and activate GP Premium on staging.
2. Record generatepress theme version and gp-premium plugin version.
3. Locate the elements/ directory inside the plugin and list its top-level contents.
4. Capture a list of GP-related options with wp option list --search=gp_ (use this later when you audit module settings).

Quick Reference

gp-premium-cheatsheet.sh

cd /var/www/html
wp plugin install /path/to/gp-premium.zip --activate
wp plugin list | grep gp-premium
wp plugin get gp-premium --field=version

What's Next

• Next module: GeneratePress Core Structure
• Next lesson: Theme Architecture