I have a Joomla site using your Grid2 template which has been going for more around three (four?) years with the same template with a few modifications, starting in Joomla 1.5 and now in Joomla 2.5.13 (maybe 2.5.17 soon).

I want to do massive changes to the look of the site, the menu system, and convert to Joomla 3.2 (eventually to 3.5, and up), but want to keep most of the data as is, lots of it in K2.

I am sick of the way it looks and want to install a new responsive template and make better use of all the K2 templating features in some of your newer templates, thinking about the Sidewinder template.

Current site: www.mainefiberarts.org

My questions:

1. Should I do the new development or re-development inside a folder/directory in the current site (current site.com/newsite) or in a subdomain of the current site (newsite.currentsite.com)?
2. Should I use a quick start package to install this new template with a new version of Joomla 3.2 and then make a copy of just the database to link to and then basically redo the site from scratch as far as how it looks; or should I make a complete copy of the current site plus the database and then install Joomla 3.2 and up-date the copied site, and then install the new template on top of that, and then fiddle with it to get what I want? I don’t think my current Grid2 template will work with Joomla 3.2 so no matter what I do this will be a major overhaul.
3. I expect this to take at least two months if not more to finish, and want the current/live site to be unaffected and still in use. There will be more data added during the two months too.
4. If I duplicate the current database while I modify the site, can I then copy that more current database on top of the one I’m modifying or will there be too many changes in the new Joomla 3.2 features?
5. Or is there a way to link to the same database I’m using with Joomla 2.5 to the new 3.2 site so the data will be kept up to date with the live 2.5 site as well as the new not live 3.2 site?
6. I just want to get this scenario right in my head so I don’t ruin everything.

Thanks for your thoughts and/or advice.

Carol

Hi Carol,

First - You need to upgrade the Joomla 2.5 version as 2.5.13 does have some security flaws which make the site vunerable

Cheers
Paul

Regarding

1. I'd set it up in a sub directory but as you are migrating data I'd use a local host if possible
2. You would be best starting with an empty site e.g. not a quickstart version so it doesn't contain lots of content you don't want. You would want a copy of the existing site and upgrade that. Grid2 won't work on J3 - you are correct
4&5. Database - you don't want to be working on a migration and the running an old site on the one database. It needs to be a copy

Joomla 2.5 is still the long term release so J3 will continue to be on short release till it reaches 3.5 - so it is an option to wait

www.ostraining.com/blog/joomla/how-to-upgrade-from-joomla-2-5-to-joomla-3/

Cheers
Paul

Thanks for the advice and the link. I updated Joomla to 2.5.17 and every other third party plugin/component/thing I could afford to buy, and I think I understand the plan/workflow and this is what I'm going to do except for one remaining question at the end:

1. Backup (make a copy of the current site).
2. Install a new clean Joomla 2.5.17 install on a new subdirectory or subdomain or locally (see question at the end of this).
3. Import the backup/copy to this new place so I have basically the same site I can destroy by accident without messing up the current site.
4. Apply new template, one that works on 2.5 as well as 3.x and spend a few weeks fixing everything but keep site in Joomla 2.5.
5. Convert/update to 3.2.1 (or whatever the latest is) and check for further destruction and do more plugin updating as needed.
6. Meanwhile keeping an eye on what new stuff has happened with live/old site that I want to add to the new/not-yet-live one.
7. When the updated one is done, ditch the other one and figure out how to make the new one happen.

My remaining question is that I don't want to do this on a local server (even though I know how to do this) because I want to be able to discuss this with my boss who is on the other side of the country from me and will need to be able to see it from time to time. In this case would a subdomain be better than a sub directory? I have plenty of room on my ISP server to do either. Which one is going to be the easiest way to switch over to the new Joomla 3.x once the site is updated? Or should I keep things in 2.5 but just do the new template change first, then update later on when 3.5 is out. Just curious about your opinion.

Thanks and no rush,

Carol

Do you have a template in mind?

That may well determine what Joomla version you can use

Cheers
Paul

Well, I'm thinking of Sidewinder but maybe one that hasn't come out yet.

Or Flux.

With moving to J3 now it will still be on the short term release schedule

It won't hit long term release till 3.5

It would involve updating reasonably regularly versions of J3+ to we hit J3.5

Cheers
Paul

Hi Carol,

Subdomain/subfolder is really irrelevant when upgrading.

Both are just folders in the hosting account. The only difference is the url the server uses to point to the folder. You could do both from 1 install in 1 folder and the outcome would be the same so it really depends on how your server is configured.

If you start the upgrade in a subfolder of the existing account then you don't have to configure a sub-domain and when it comes to swapping the site you will just have to drag all the current files into a folder to move them out of the main domain and then drag the files from the upgraded site to the root.

Regards,

Rob

If you are using something like spupgrade then you can read from the live database without having to replicate it first.

As far as I know, all upgrade components require a blank install of joomla to upgrade to. You can't start with a quickstart package.

I'm playing with J3.2 on another website on another server, just for "fun" so I do keep my eyes and ears open about it.

Thank you.

Carol

Thank you, Rob. Subfolder is what I was planning, but I wanted another opinion and I value what you all say.

Carol

Thanks for this too, Rob. I will read up on the spupgrade. I won't actually be upgrading at first, I'll just be applying a new template to a copy of the current site, and and will change the menu structure and delete a bunch of stuff so it might not be safe to use the same database. I don't want to do anything that breaks the current site because I'm not sure how long this update/upgrade is going to take me. And we add stuff to the current site every day so the database copy I made today will be changed in some ways and out of date in other ways in a couple of months, but maybe then I can figure out what to do. All the more reason to hurry up and do it I guess.

Thanks again,

Carol

Good luck with it

Cheers
Paul

I'll be back soon with a list of questions. Trying to solve them for myself first.

Right - sure we will try our best

but please bear in mind its a bit beyond a membership to help with migrations

Cheers
Paul

I know. I'm past migration, but am still on 2.5.17 with the newly migrated site. Just have a million template questions now that I'm trying to solve before I ask you any of my questions. Some of the answers might be solved by or related to moving to 3.x which I also might do first. Just keeping you informed so you won't forget me.

Carol

right