Creating a dev site to test 2.1.3 upgrade

[user58389239]

Hi,
We've never had a dev site before; we've generally done upgrades on production. However we need to do a larger upgrade from 2.0.19 to the latest version, so I want to set-up a dev site for it.

I have WHM/cPanel at my host. I thought it would be as simple as creating a new WHM cPanel account and following the "Move to a different host" instructions, to copy production to dev site at a subdomain.
Is that the correct procedure, or is there anything special I should be aware of?

[Kindred]

You don't need to create a new account, just a new directory or subdomain-- and a second database

[lather]

I would like to create a dev site also to test the upgrade from 2.0 to 2.1. I see that phpMyAdmin has an operation to copy a database. Is that the way to go? Anything else I need to know?

[user58389239]

You don't need to create a new account, just a new directory or subdomain-- and a second database

Thanks, Kindred. I want to replicate production as closely as possible...sounds like I can do this easily by copying the directory files and the database, and then just running repair_settings.php to point everything to the new URL/subdomain?

[Kindred]

And the new database...   but yes, that

[user58389239]

I'm wondering if you guys could help me understand what I'm doing wrong. Somehow I am affecting production when working on setting up the dev site. Here are the steps I took, can you help me out?

1. Created a new site on WHM for dev.site.com
2. Restored backup from Production: files, folders & database
3. Changed database name and created new dev database user
4. Loaded repair_settings.php on the dev site, and navigated to dev.site.com/repair_settings.php
5. Changed all paths and database to the new info.

After doing step #5, for some odd reason the production site changed some of the URLs to dev (for example the theme completely broke). I don't understand how this would even be possible. I am completely perplexed.

[Kindred]

You need to change the database details and then save....

Then change the theme and avatar directories.... otherwise those will be saved to the OLD (aka production) database

[user58389239]

Yeeeaaaahhhhh ... that makes sense now. Man I should have thought of that. Now I know for next time!

[Steve]

Are you all set then? (If so, just click the green 'MARK TOPIC SOLVED' button.)