The Upgrade Process

[djaef]

Hey Pixelposters!

I installed my blog most of a year ago (1.5 final), and it's all working fine. But I have seen some really cool features on a few blogs that seem to belong to version 1.6 - mostly to do with comments inline instead of in a pop-up, and I think it's about time for a small redesign.

So I have been thinking of upgrading to version 1.6. But then I started thinking about it. I remember doing a few things in the code (instead of using an add-on) and I'm concerned to upgrade and have a mess on my hands. I seem to have forgotten all that php stuff in the course of the year. I still struggle greatly with that. HTML and CSS, no problem. But Pixelpost really stretches me....

So my question is this. Can I install 1.6 on my server alongside my existing installation and fine tune and polish it, and then when it's all cool, import all my pictures from the current blog and get it working at the same url? What are the issues with doing that? Otherwise, I'm a bit of a chicken to even start.

Thanks for any advice.

G

[Dennis]

First off, try downloading a old installation package of 1.5. Use the utility DIFF (http://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/) to check for differences. That way you have some idea which files you have modified.

Secondly, you can install 1.6 in a different folder, but you can't use the database from 1.5. This because it upgrades the database.

My solution: copy the current pixelpost 1.5 database to a temp 1.6 database. (see phpMyAdmin). Use this database for 1.6. Copy the files in the images and thumbnails folder from 1.5 to your 1.6 install and you are good to go.

For live purposes you can still use the 1.5 blog and for testing you can use the 1.6 blog (problem is that pictures updated on the 1.5 blog after the copy of the database do not appear in the 1.6 blog (but test pictures uploaded in 1.6 won't show in 1.5 either.)

Ow and the comments inline is an addon. See here: http://www.pixelpost.org/v1/index.php?x=downloads&details=182

[djaef]

OK, thanks. I think I understand most of what you say. :)

I'll try DIFF. That's a good idea.

I think I get the copying the database thing. If I copy 1.5 to a temp database and then use that for 1.6, will it take comments across as well??

And after I was finished testing, could I not manually then add the pictures I'd added to the 1.5 install when I was ready for 1.6 to go live?

It's a bit daunting, but I think it'd be another cool learning curve ;)

Thanks again. Anyone have a different opinion?

[Dennis]

If you copy the table to a new one (copy, don't rename) then you have the state of your blog in which it was at the time of the copy. That means comments, image descriptions, titles and so on. Provided you copy the images and thumbnails as well.

No, when you're ready all you have to do is copy the new setup over the old one, change the database to the 1.5 one (the current one) in the pixelpost.php file and you're on your way. All your images, comments everything will be present at the new 1.6 blog.

That is the beauty of this setup :)