J2.5

Updating from an existing version

From Joomla! Documentation

Revision as of 19:58, 25 January 2012 by Dextercowley (talk | contribs) (remove obsolete text. this method is now obsolete and users should use one of the methods above.)

The "J2.5" namespace is a namespace scheduled to be archived. This page contains information for a Joomla! version which is no longer supported. It exists only as a historical reference, it will not be improved and its content may be incomplete and/or contain broken links.

Overview[edit]

Starting with version 1.6, there are two recommended ways to update your Joomla website.

  • Extension Manager: Update
  • Extension Manager: Install

Each of these is discussed below. Note: To upgrade from version 1.6.x to Joomla 1.7 please follow this guide.

It is recommended that you back up your site before upgrading to a new version. That way, if something goes wrong during the upgrade process, you can easily restore your site to the earlier version. Also, it is a good idea to review the release notes for the new version to be familiar with what was changed.

Extension Manager: Update Method[edit]

Joomla 1.6Joomla 1.7Joomla 2.5

Step 1: Make sure you have a current backup of your site[edit]

In many cases, your host will make periodic site backups.

Step 2: Find and install updates[edit]

  1. In the back end of your Joomla site, navigate to Extensions → Extension Manager and open the Update tab.
  2. Click on the Purge Cache icon to clear out the cache.
  3. Click on the Find Updates icon in the toolbar. If there is an available update, the screen will list it, similar to the screen shown below.
    Update-screenshot-20120124-01.png
    Note that available upgrades for extensions used in the site will also show in the list.
  4. Select the update (using the checkbox) and click on the Update icon in the toolbar.
  5. IMPORTANT: This process will take a few minutes. Wait until the process completes and the success message shows, similar to the screen shown below.
    Update-screenshot-20120124-02.png
  6. Congratulations! At this point, your site is updated. Check that your site is working correctly. If you have any questions before, during, or after the upgrade then please ask them on the Joomla! 1.6 Migrating and Upgrading Forum.

Extension Manager: Install Method[edit]

Joomla 1.6Joomla 1.7Joomla 2.5 In some cases it may not be possible to use the Extension Manager: Update method to update your site. One reason for this might be that you are using a non-standard distribution (for example, a distribution with a different default language installed). Another reason might be that your don't have a reliable enough internet connection to support automatic installation.

In this case, you can still do an easy installation using the Extension Manager: Install screen. Like the Update screen, this method will do the database updates automatically and will completely update your system without any further steps.

Step 1: Make sure you have a current backup of your site[edit]

In many cases, your host will make periodic site backups.

Step 2: Locate the update file[edit]

Locate the required archive file (for example, .zip, .tag.gz, or tar.bz2 archive) for your version. If you are updating to an x.x.0 release (for example, from 1.7.3 to 2.5.0), this will normally be a file like Joomla_2.5.0-Stable-Update_Package.zip. If you are updating within the same release series (for example, 2.5.0 to 2.5.1), then the file will be named something like Joomla_2.5.0_to_2.5.1-Stable-Patch_Package.zip.

At this point, you have three options:

  1. Install from URL
  2. Install from Directory
  3. Upload Package File

Install from URL is the easiest to do. With this option, the upgrade archive is loaded directly by the server, so it works well even if your local computer has a slow or unreliable internet connection.

Install from Directory is the safest method if the server itself has a slow internet connection. With this method, you use FTP to load the unpacked update files into a temporary folder on the server. Then you point to that directory on the server for the installation.

Upload Package File is fairly simple, but it requires that you have a good connection between your local computer and the server.

The screen below shows the Extension Manager: Install screen with the three options labeled.

Update-screenshot-20120124-03-en.png

Install from URL[edit]

This option is the easiest, if the archive file is available on a website.

  1. In the Extension Manager: Install screen, enter the URL for the archive file in the Install URL field.
  2. Press the Install button.

The system will work for a period of time, up to two minutes or more for a full version update. Then a message indicating a successful installation will display.

Install from Directory[edit]

This option requires that you unpack the archive file in a directory on your server. This is the best method if you have a slow internet connection or you are experiencing timeouts during the update process.

  1. Unpack the archive file in a temporary directory on your local machine.
  2. Upload all of the files in this directory (for example, using FTP) to a temporary directory that is visible to the web server. For example, you can create a sub-directory under the tmp directory in your Joomla root. For this example, let's say the directory on the server is /home/myuser/myjoomla/tmp/upgrade250).
  3. In the Extension Manager: Install screen, enter the full path of the temporary directory (on the server) from step 2 (for example, /home/myuser/myjoomla/tmp/upgrade250).
  4. Press the Install button.

The system will work for a short time (perhaps a minute or less, depending on your server). Then a message indicating a successful installation will display.

Upload Package File[edit]

This option requires that you first download the archive file to your local machine.

  1. Download the file to your local computer.
  2. In the Extension Manager: Install screen, click the Browse button next to the Package File field and browse to the archive file.
  3. Press the Install button.

The system will work for a period of time, up to two minutes or more for a full version update. Then a message indicating a successful installation will display.