Overview
This article explains how to delete duplicated WordPress files from the server that are appended with a timestamp.
Background
How are duplicate files created?
If you previously uploaded a WordPress site to your server manually (using FTP or SSH), it will not display in the panel but the WordPress files will exist in your website directory.
If you then use the DreamHost WordPress installer in the panel, new WordPress files will be installed into your website directory, while the old files will be appended with a timestamp.
How old files are renamed
WordPress files look like this:
- index.php
- wp-login.php
- wp-settings.php
If these files already exist and you run the DreamHost WordPress installer, a timestamp will be added to the old files. For example:
- index.php.1555975213
- wp-login.php.1555975213
- wp-settings.php.1555975213
Removing the duplicated install files
The following steps explain how to remove these duplicated files.
- Log into your server via SSH.
- Navigate into your website's directory. Change example.com to your website:
[server]$ cd ~/example.com
- List all files so you can see the timestamp numerical value.
[server]$ ls -la
- Run the following command to delete these duplicated files. Just change the timestamp number to the value appended to your files:
[server]$ find . -name "*.1555975213" -type f -delete
- Run ls -la again and you'll see all of the duplicated files have been removed.