Upgrading Step by Step - Needed?

[.Michelle.]

Hi there, I have A LOT of problems with my current smf installation such as errors when trying to search, read pm, see profiles and many more.

For example:

when searching:
8: Undefined index: brd
File: /home/website/public_html/forum/Sources/Search.php
Line: 407

when clicking profile:
8: Undefined index: deleteAccount
File: /home/website/public_html/forum/Sources/Profile.php
Line: 259

Anyway, I would like to upgrade my current software:


SMF File   Your Version                        Current Version
SMF Package   SMF 1.1.4                                SMF 1.1.16
Sources   1.1                                                         1.1.9
Default Templates   1.1                                         1.1.9
Language Files   1.1                                                 1.1.8
Current Templates   1.1.3                                         1.1

Question nr 1.

As seen here: http://custom.simplemachines.org/upgrades/

Is this actually how smf does the updates? Upgrading step by step only to the next one?

I can't update from 1.1.4 directly to 2.0.2 ? 

Question nr 2.

Is smf 1 and 2 different? (sql structure, etc) I mean, could I upgrade step by step until 2 or is 1.1.16 my final frontier?

What should I do to reach 1.1.16? Instal 1.1.5, then 1.1.6, then 1.1.7 .... 1.1.16?

Thank you for your time!

[kat]

I've always found the notes on the download page to be a bit obscure, myself.

Under the large upgrade for v2.0.2, it says "Using modifications, or not using SMF 2.0.1? No problem, this is what you need.", which suggests that you can upgrade from anything.

I'm not so sure about that, to be honest.

If I was in your position, I'd backup everything, especially the database, first.

Then, I'd go for the large upgrade to v1.1.16, using this:

http://download.simplemachines.org/index.php?thanks;filename=smf_1-1-16_upgrade.zip

If that all goes hoopily, I'd back everything up, again.

Then, I'd go for the large upgrade to v2.0.2, using this:

http://download.simplemachines.org/index.php?thanks;filename=smf_2-0-2_upgrade.zip

Welcome to the ol' forum, too, Michelle!

[MrPhil]

I'm not surprised that you'd be having problems with ancient 1.1.4 code! For upgrading within a series (say, 1.1.x) you have two choices. One is to upgrade one step at a time (to .5, to .6, etc.) and the other is to do a "large upgrade" and jump all the way to 1.1.16).

The multiple-step (first) method (a.k.a "small update") may be useful if you have a lot of no-longer supported mods installed, or have a lot of custom coding. It will preserve as much of the current code as possible, including mods and custom work. If it needs to modify code touched by a mod or by custom work, you'll have to do that manually (instructions are provided, giving old and new lines, and you have to figure out how this applies to your modified code). Finally, this is a lot more work if you haven't kept reasonably up to date.

The second method ("large upgrade") is almost like a full install. It doesn't touch your database (you may need to run an upgrade.php script to modify the database and bring it up to spec), and it doesn't touch your Settings.php file (or its backup), but everything else is overwritten with a fresh, vanilla copy. Say you install the large upgrade for 1.1.16. All your mods will be gone, and any custom work will be gone. If you want to, you can re-install any mods that will work with 1.1.16 (not all will), and re-edit the code for any custom changes. Also note that any earlier mod that modified the database schema might end up trying to change the database a second time, and probably produce an evil looking error message (although no harm will probably be done).

Needless to say, in either kind of upgrade you should take a full backup of both the files and the database, in case something goes terribly wrong and you need to roll back to your old (but more or less working) installation.

SMF 1 and 2 are slightly different in the database. I'm not familiar enough with upgrading from 1 to 2, so I'm going to let someone else speak to that. I believe that there is an upgrade package to import the database from 1.1.16 (possibly earlier) to 2.0.2, and maybe even the files, but other than reading about people who have supposedly done that (migrated from 1 to 2), I haven't tried it myself. It's possible that you'll have to do a large upgrade to 2.0.2 (replace all files) and run a database upgrade, in which case you'll lose your mods and custom work, and have to re-install them.

[Matthew K.]

You should be able to just use the Large Upgrade SMF 2.0.2 package and jump from your current version to the latest of SMF.

[.Michelle.]

Thank you for all the anwsers. So I can jump to a higher upgrade directly. That's great! Should I stick to 1.1.16 so my template is not messed up?

I mean, should I experience problems on the 2.x ? A different engine, different function names, etc. etc. current template problems. Should the design crash? Should I move to a different template

I bet you don't know the answer to this so I'll just make some tests. backed up everything...here we go

Thanks again!

[MrPhil]

If you're using an SMF 1.1.x theme, it won't work in 2.0, so you may want to stick with 1.1.16. At the least, you should upgrade to 1.1.16 by one means or another, to get all the bug fixes and security enhancements since 1.1.4. Then you can make an unrushed decision about whether you want to take a crack at 2.0.2.

Note that you can always install 2.0.2 in a separate subdirectory and make a copy of the database (for updating to 2.0 format) and play with it to see if you want to go live with it. That will let you see in an unhurried manner whether you can use your favorite theme and mods.