After the news that a cracker modified the WordPress 2.1.1 download files, the version was declared dangerous and all wordpress users were instructed to urgently upgrade to WordPress 2.1.2. I find that wordpress upgrades are getting much more frequent and if you have multiple blogs, it can take a lot of time to upgrade via the usual recommended way. That is where power users recommend Shell access to get it done faster.
If you run one wordpress blog, then probably you can follow the full upgrade instructions and finish in about 15-30 minutes. But what if you have multiple wordpress blogs to upgrade? Ajay points to a fast way to upgrade wordpress via Shell.
Backup is the most important part before you do anything. He presents a series of commands you can run via Shell and finish the WordPress upgrade quickly. A few notable points – you will need to repeat any modifications you previously did, use it only for minor updates, it will rewrite all files you replace and of course, the code will work only on a Linux / Unix server and it assumes that you are logging in to the shell via your own account.
If you know how to play with Shell, are careful enough (backup!), and have not over enthusiastically customized your core wordpress files (this will replace all), then upgrading wordpress via Shell is a powerful way to quickly upgrade multiple wordpress blogs and will save you a lot of FTP time. But if you have no idea about how to access Shell, then going the usual way is much safer.