FTP the plugin and everything is fine, but can't use the control panel's add plugin feature. Just get a uploading... please wait forever. Permissions problem? Have 755 permissions in Files and subs.

If you can FTP the pluging but cannot upload, you could verify the account running PHP can 'write' the /files/ directory. In most cases 777 is enough but we've heard of other servers requiring 755. 755 normally allows PHP to execute, but not necessarily 'write' Damn confusing!!! It's rare that you'll be able to FTP and upload. I say this because usually the FTP account and the account PHP runs under are different. I spose you could allow FTP and PHP to write to that folder. SSH into that thing, figure out the account name PHP Is running under, give that /files folder (and everything under it) permission to read/write/execute

Interesting. 777 to /files and subs basically makes everything not work. 755, everything I can find so far works. The plugin add/update in the control panel works sometimes, sometimes not. I thought it was consistent to each plugin, but it isn't. Dunno.