Whilst upgrading a WordPress plugin on your WordPress hosted website, you might encounter the following error:
Update Failed: <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML 2.0//EN"> 500 Internal Server Error Internal Server Error The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request. Please contact the server administrator at root@localhost to inform them of the time this error occurred, and the actions you performed just before this error. More information about this error may be available in the server error log.
Additionally WordPress might now be stuck in maintenance mode.
Examining the log file, e.g. looking at /home/sitename/logs/error_log you will see additional information:
[Tue Sep 24 10:09:26.034421 2019] [fcgid:warn] [pid 21489] [client 156.155.189.140:38898] mod_fcgid: read data timeout in 41 seconds, referer: https://laravelacademy.capetown/wp-admin/plugins.php?plugin_status=upgrade [Tue Sep 24 10:09:26.037662 2019] [core:error] [pid 21489] [client 156.155.189.140:38898] End of script output before headers: admin-ajax.php, referer: https://laravelacademy.capetown/wp-admin/plugins.php?plugin_status=upgrade
Or
[Tue Sep 24 10:16:49.464406 2019] [fcgid:warn] [pid 27746] [client 156.155.189.140:39044] mod_fcgid: read data timeout in 41 seconds, referer: https://laravelacademy.capetown/wp-admin/update-core.php?action=do-plugin-upgrade [Tue Sep 24 10:16:49.464452 2019] [fcgid:warn] [pid 27746] (110)Connection timed out: [client 156.155.189.140:39044] mod_fcgid: ap_pass_brigade failed in handle_request_ipc function, referer: https://laravelacademy.capetown/wp-admin/update-core.php?action=do-plugin-upgrade
The issue is the Maximum PHP script run time value which can easily be adjusted if you’re running the Virtualmin control panel. The default value of 40 seconds is not sufficient. We had this particular problem whilst upgrading Jetpack and gradually increased the value from 40 seconds, to 100 seconds, to 240 seconds. The sweet spot was around 2 minutes though.
To see how to change this value, follow the first reference below. If additionally your WordPress hosting is now stuck in maintenance mode, then follow the second reference. You may also contact us so that we can help in resolving the issue.
References:
https://kb.vander.host/knowledgebase/web-servers/mod_fcgid-read-data-timeout-in-40-seconds/
https://kb.vander.host/knowledgebase/wordpress/wordpress-stuck-in-maintenance-mode/