Managing Magento Connect extensions from the command line

Magento 1.x includes the mage script, a command‑line tool that allows you to manage Magento Connect extensions without using the web interface. On ruachost.com, this is useful for automation, cron jobs, and troubleshooting.

Why Use the Command Line?

Faster than using the Magento admin panel.
Enables automation with cron jobs.
Useful for bulk extension management.
Provides more control for developers.

About the Mage Script

The mage script is included with Magento 1.x by default.
It is located in the Magento installation directory.
Magento 2 does not use the mage script — it has its own CLI tool.

Configuring the Mage Script

Log in to your hosting account via SSH.
Navigate to your Magento installation directory:
Terminal window
```
cd ~/public_html
```
Set permissions:
Terminal window
```
chmod 700 mage
```
Run the mage script:
Terminal window
```
./mage
```

Common Commands

List Installed Extensions

./mage list-installed

List Available Extensions

./mage list-available

Install an Extension

./mage install community <extension_name>

Download an Extension Without Installing

./mage download community <extension_name>

Install from a File

./mage install-file <filename>

Upgrade Extensions

Upgrade all extensions:
Terminal window
```
./mage upgrade-all
```

Upgrade a specific extension:

./mage upgrade community <extension_name>

Uninstall an Extension

./mage uninstall community <extension_name>

Automating with Cron Jobs

You can automate extension upgrades with cron. Example: upgrade all extensions every Sunday at 2:00 AM:

./mage uninstall community <extension_name>

Important Notes

The mage script only applies to Magento 1.x.
Magento 2 uses its own CLI tool (bin/magento).
Always back up your site before installing or upgrading extensions.
Use the community channel unless you add a third‑party channel with:
Terminal window
```
./mage channel-add <channel_url>
```