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#1 2011-08-14 21:32:16
- net-carver
- Archived Plugin Author
- Registered: 2006-03-08
- Posts: 1,648
[wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
Just completed a way overdue upgrade from 4.0.5 to 4.4.1. Mostly plain sailing but a couple of things tripped me up.
- The upgrade instructions I followed don’t mention the new .htaccess file within the files/ directory and it may, consequently be overlooked.
- Following the first login, the upgrade went well and the public site worked fine. However, the entire admin side was unstyled. Turned out to be lack of read permissions on the new themes directory I had copied up. My bad.
- Following the installation, a few language strings were missing but the upgrade instructions don’t mention a need to visit the language area to upgrade the language strings.
Cheers.
— Steve
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#2 2011-08-14 23:16:32
- els
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- From: The Netherlands
- Registered: 2004-06-06
- Posts: 7,458
Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
net-carver wrote:
1. The upgrade instructions I followed don’t mention the new .htaccess file within the files/ directory and it may, consequently be overlooked.
It’s in the detailed upgrading instructions.
3. Following the installation, a few language strings were missing but the upgrade instructions don’t mention a need to visit the language area to upgrade the language strings.
I’m not sure all this should be included in the simple instructions, but do you think we should point to the detailed instructions more explicitly?
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Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
Why do the simple instructions even exist?
The detailed instructions suggest copying the new TXP files over the old ones. I think one should remove the old files first, because there is at least one file that does not exist in modern TXP versions. That file would (if you follow instructions) not be removed, which is a security risk if a vulnerability is found in that file.
Also, I think SFTP is preferred over FTP.
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Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
ruud wrote:
I think one should remove the old files first, because there is at least one file that does not exist in modern TXP versions.
Good you mentioned it as I inadvertently left it in our sites. It is now deleted.
Yiannis
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#5 2011-08-15 09:42:44
- els
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- From: The Netherlands
- Registered: 2004-06-06
- Posts: 7,458
Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
ruud wrote:
Why do the simple instructions even exist?
You are right. I replaced them with a link to the detailed instructions.
The detailed instructions suggest copying the new TXP files over the old ones. I think one should remove the old files first, because there is at least one file that does not exist in modern TXP versions. That file would (if you follow instructions) not be removed, which is a security risk if a vulnerability is found in that file.
I always find the detailed instructions a bit too detailed, I usually follow these steps (except #7 and #10), which also addresses your point. Don’t know if the two could be combined into a new instruction?
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Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
ruud wrote:
Why do the simple instructions even exist?
The detailed instructions suggest copying the new TXP files over the old ones. I think one should remove the old files first, because there is at least one file that does not exist in modern TXP versions. That file would (if you follow instructions) not be removed, which is a security risk if a vulnerability is found in that file.
Also, I think SFTP is preferred over FTP.
What file is it? I’ve always used svn to upgrade so maybe I’ve left that file as well?
Piwik Dashboard, Google Analytics Dashboard, Minibar, Article Image Colorpicker, Admin Datepicker, Admin Google Map, Admin Colorpicker
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Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
I never delete anything, either. because that always seemed a much-more-iffy proposition than replacing the old stuff.
If there is a real security risk, security through obscurity may not be the best way to deal with it.
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#8 2011-08-15 19:30:04
- net-carver
- Archived Plugin Author
- Registered: 2006-03-08
- Posts: 1,648
Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
Els wrote:
You are right. I replaced them with a link to the detailed instructions.
Agh, that’s more like it. Thank you Els.
While I am here, can I ask if there are any good tutorials on moving a set of pre-4.2.0 sites to a single, multi-site install of 4.4.1? Would it be best to upgrade the sites, in-situ, one-by-one to 4.4.1 then migrate the content over to a 4.4.1 ms install? There doesn’t appear to be anything in the Moving/Multiple Installations sections that addresses this scenario. In the meantime I see some TXP Tips and something from Jeff Soo that I’ll go and read.
Edited to add: Ok, Jeff’s tutorial seems to show the way. Thanks Jeff.
Last edited by net-carver (2011-08-15 19:37:49)
— Steve
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Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
It’s great you guys are working out the finer points of the upgrading instructions, just so long as we keep an eye on the bigger picture. Which is that I’d like to reduce installation/upgrade instructions to 2 (or 3) documents. The original intention was to go with these two (as indicated on the wiki home page):
- FTP installation
- Command-line installation (which would include versioning) – (not yet written)
Side: The Command-line page needs written from scratch. I don’t use that approach anymore, so I’m not the person to draft it, but somebody could and I could help refine the copy.
But as I see from discussion here, I overlooked the detailed upgrading instructions, which is why I had originally put the brief notes in the end of the basic installation docs, which, btw, was actually content taken directly from http://textpattern.com/download. So while we’re fixing the user docs, let’s also give some attention to the source of the problem, and .com does have a lot of content problems.
So what we should probably do, then, is have 3 docs noted on the home page; the two above, and the detailed upgrading instructions. Yes?
ruud wrote:
Also, I think SFTP is preferred over FTP.
Are you saying Textpattern can never be installed via FTP only? Or is using SFTP just a recommendation to make in the docs in context? (I know Joyent, for example, requires it.) It would be nice to change all mention of FTP to SFTP if that’s a strict condition, but if it’s not, then I think FTP suffices (with the stipulation).
As for issues surrounding the length of doc content, or what should be done first during an upgrade: eat the egg or the chicken, you guys can change that to be more concise and correct. Don’t be afraid. Fewer words is always better, so long as they’re clear.
As for all of this other detritus, it’s going bye-bye. So if anyone wants to salvage some content there—to write the command-line installation docs, for example—now is the time to get it, because it’s not going to stay there long. I don’t want it showing up in search results. Nobody maintains it anyway.
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Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
net-carver wrote:
Ok, Jeff’s tutorial seems to show the way. Thanks Jeff.
What tutorial, exactly? It sounds like it’s in the wiki?
I’m concerned, by simple fact you’ve placed it to a particular individual, that it’s not jiving with the Point of view and Style and tone sections of the style guide. No doubt written before the guide was put into place, but I’d like to back-edit all such content. A uniform style and tone should be the objective.
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#11 2011-08-16 00:13:02
- net-carver
- Archived Plugin Author
- Registered: 2006-03-08
- Posts: 1,648
Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
Destry wrote:
What tutorial, exactly? It sounds like it’s in the wiki?
Hi Destry: I was reading this one.
I’m concerned, by simple fact you’ve placed it to a particular individual, that it’s not jiving with the Point of view and Style and tone sections…
Attributed to Jeff as he wrote it and it’s on his site. Nothing to do with official docs AFAIK.
— Steve
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Re: [wiki] Txp 4.0.5 to 4.4.1 Upgrade notes...
Destry wrote:
Are you saying Textpattern can never be installed via FTP only? Or is using SFTP just a recommendation to make in the docs in context? (I know Joyent, for example, requires it.) It would be nice to change all mention of FTP to SFTP if that’s a strict condition, but if it’s not, then I think FTP suffices (with the stipulation).
You can “install” Textpattern via FTP. Both transfer files, and that’s the only thing you need to do. But SFTP (as in Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol) is preferred transfer protocol, secure and has more options.
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