Hi, I recently got to manage someone else's website. It seems to s=run on CMSMS and unfortunately I have zero experience with this system, so sorry for my noob questions.
This website hasn't been updated for many years. I found out that it runs on CMSMS on the ancient 1.4.1 version which is, I believe, from 2008.
I would like to bring the system up to a modern version of CMSMS.
My experiences with other CMS systems like Joomla and Wordpress has taught me that updating such an old system will not be easy. Can you please help me making an upgrade strategy? I have seen this: https://docs.cmsmadesimple.org/upgrading/old-versions
- I guess I cannot immediately upgrade from 1.4.1 to 2.x, so should I go with all the minor versions as a step? Can I skip certain versions?
- Where can I find the installed external modules? I think there are none, but just to be sure.
- For downloading, I found the following link: https://dev.cmsmadesimple.org/project/files/6#package-1. Which version do I need? The base or the full tarbals? And is the diff mainly for upgrading or do I need to replace all the code?
Upgrading a very old version
Re: Upgrading a very old version
There are going to be some challenges with a site that age, and even with instructions there could be a few hidden gotchas with customizations, User Defined Tags, etc. We'll try to help where we can, but suggest you make interim backups each time you get past a step. We also have devs available for hire if your time becomes more valuable than any available budget.
For your specific questions:
-Yes, in the 1.x branch you need to upgrade each point step as listed in the upgrading old versions doc. Don't skip steps that are listed.
-You should be able to see a list of modules in Extensions > Modules. Feel free to post the list here or in Slack if you want feedback on it. If the admin isn't working well then you can see them in the file system in the modules folder. Keep in mind that Module Manager will not work until you get to the 2.x branch, as our module forge hasn't supported 1.x in several years. If you need to upgrade any third-party modules, you will need to find them on the forge and download them, aiming for a release for around the same time as the upgrade step you're currently on.
-for 1.x versions, you should either need the "full" or "english" tar.gz files. (Full contains all available languages but no other differences). The diff is only for upgrading from the previous minor release in the same version (e.g. 1.12.1 to 1.12.2 - you won't need these).
-Once you have the site at 1.12.2, you only need the cmsms-[latest version]-install.zip file. Expand it on your server then visit the php file in your browser.
You'll also need to keep in mind what PHP version was available around the date of the version you're upgrading to, and switch PHP versions as you go.
For your specific questions:
-Yes, in the 1.x branch you need to upgrade each point step as listed in the upgrading old versions doc. Don't skip steps that are listed.
-You should be able to see a list of modules in Extensions > Modules. Feel free to post the list here or in Slack if you want feedback on it. If the admin isn't working well then you can see them in the file system in the modules folder. Keep in mind that Module Manager will not work until you get to the 2.x branch, as our module forge hasn't supported 1.x in several years. If you need to upgrade any third-party modules, you will need to find them on the forge and download them, aiming for a release for around the same time as the upgrade step you're currently on.
-for 1.x versions, you should either need the "full" or "english" tar.gz files. (Full contains all available languages but no other differences). The diff is only for upgrading from the previous minor release in the same version (e.g. 1.12.1 to 1.12.2 - you won't need these).
-Once you have the site at 1.12.2, you only need the cmsms-[latest version]-install.zip file. Expand it on your server then visit the php file in your browser.
You'll also need to keep in mind what PHP version was available around the date of the version you're upgrading to, and switch PHP versions as you go.
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pierrepercee
- Forum Members
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- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 8:02 am
Re: Upgrading a very old version
Hello,
This might indeed be a bit complicated.
Depending on the specifics (no longer maintained modules, etc.), if the site has few pages, reintegrating its content into a new installation with the latest version of CMSMS seems less risky to me.
This might indeed be a bit complicated.
Depending on the specifics (no longer maintained modules, etc.), if the site has few pages, reintegrating its content into a new installation with the latest version of CMSMS seems less risky to me.
