fix(activate): upgrade the database before activating

README.md

@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@ checkout keeps 8888/8889, linked worktrees derive their own pair, and explicit
 `WP_ENV_PORT` / `WP_ENV_TESTS_PORT` always win. Several branches can run their
 own WordPress at the same time.
 
-`nk-activate-plugins` activates the list in `nkPluginToolkit.plugins`, in order,
-in both environments, retrying while the site is still coming up. Wire it into
+`nk-activate-plugins` runs `wp core update-db`, then activates the list in
+`nkPluginToolkit.plugins`, in order, in both environments, retrying while the
+site is still coming up. The database upgrade matters after a switch of the
+WordPress core version, when wp-admin redirects to `upgrade.php`. Wire it into
 `.wp-env.json`:
 
 ```json

scripts/activate-plugin.js

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 
 /**
- * Activates the plugins in both `wp-env` environments after a start.
+ * Upgrades the database and activates the plugins in both `wp-env`
+ * environments after a start.
  *
  * Plugins are mounted through `mappings` in `.wp-env.json` rather than through
  * `plugins`, so that each directory inside WordPress keeps a fixed name no
@@ -171,9 +172,18 @@ function activateIn(container) {
 			wpCli(container, ['plugin', 'deactivate', ...plugins]);
 		}
 
-		const activated = wpCli(container, ['plugin', 'activate', ...plugins]);
-
-		if (activated.status === 0) {
+		// After a switch of the WordPress core version, wp-admin redirects to
+		// upgrade.php until the database is upgraded, and REST calls from the
+		// E2E setup (activateTheme) fail. A no-op when the database is current.
+		const upgraded = wpCli(container, ['core', 'update-db', '--quiet']);
+		const activated =
+			upgraded.status === 0
+				? wpCli(container, ['plugin', 'activate', ...plugins])
+				: null;
+
+		if (!activated) {
+			output = `wp core update-db failed: ${upgraded.output}`;
+		} else if (activated.status === 0) {
 			// `wp plugin activate` can report success for the set while an
 			// individual plugin stayed inactive, so confirm rather than trust.
 			const missing = findInactive(container);

scripts/self-test.js

@@ -309,6 +309,51 @@ check('slow tests are reported', () => {
 	);
 });
 
+check('activation upgrades the database first, in both sites', () => {
+	const os = require('node:os');
+	const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
+	const project = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'nk-activate-'));
+	const bin = path.join(project, 'node_modules', '.bin');
+	const log = path.join(project, 'calls.log');
+
+	fs.mkdirSync(bin, { recursive: true });
+	fs.writeFileSync(
+		path.join(project, 'package.json'),
+		JSON.stringify({ nkPluginToolkit: { plugins: ['my-plugin'] } })
+	);
+	// Records each call; `plugin list` answers with the plugin active.
+	fs.writeFileSync(
+		path.join(bin, 'wp-env'),
+		`#!/bin/sh\necho "$*" >> "${log}"\ncase "$*" in *"plugin list"*) echo '["my-plugin"]';; esac\n`,
+		{ mode: 0o755 }
+	);
+
+	try {
+		const result = spawnSync(
+			process.execPath,
+			[path.join(root, 'scripts', 'activate-plugin.js')],
+			{ cwd: project, encoding: 'utf-8' }
+		);
+
+		assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+
+		const calls = fs
+			.readFileSync(log, 'utf-8')
+			.trim()
+			.split('\n')
+			.filter((line) => !line.includes('plugin list'));
+
+		assert.deepEqual(calls, [
+			'run cli wp core update-db --quiet',
+			'run cli wp plugin activate my-plugin',
+			'run tests-cli wp core update-db --quiet',
+			'run tests-cli wp plugin activate my-plugin',
+		]);
+	} finally {
+		fs.rmSync(project, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	}
+});
+
 check('every runtime require is a declared dependency', () => {
 	const declared = new Set([
 		...Object.keys(pkg.dependencies || {}),