how to use wp-cli
There is a commandline version of the admin tools, called wp-cli, that you can install. However it does not let you run as "root", you have to turn into the web user to run it.
Instruction manual here:
https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/plugin/
https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/theme/
Here are some example commands:
Force a theme update:
sudo -u www-data -i -- wp theme update theme_name --path="/var/www/html/"
Install a plugin (force update):
sudo -u www-data -i -- wp plugin install akismet --force --path="/var/www/html/"
Bulk install plugins:
cd /var/www/html/wp-content/
for i in `/bin/ls plugins` ; do ( sudo -u www-data -i -- wp plugin install $i --force --path="/var/www/html/" ) ; done
Bulk enable or disable plugins:
cd /var/www/html/wp-content/
for i in `/bin/ls plugins` ; do ( sudo -u www-data -i -- wp plugin toggle $i --force --path="/var/www/html/" ) ; done
Reinstall the entire site:
sudo -u www-data -i -- wp core download --skip-content --force
sudo -u www-data -i -- wp core update-db --path="/var/www/html"
sudo -u www-data -i -- wp core update --version=x.x --force
note you can leave out the --version and it will go to the latest.