Re: test site for upgrades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sash
Got further, I can access admin on test site , but if i type in the url of the test site, it gives me a 404 page not found message?
I added the test site url into ht.access to see if it would help, but it didnt??
Edit above, I can access the test site, but if i click on a category it become a 404 not found,
Plus i'm supposed to password protected and that doesn't work, I just get straight through.
Re: test site for upgrades
The site shows up just fine,it's only if i click on any category i get the "Custom" 404 page, not the typical google 404 error page,??
Re: test site for upgrades
Where in my instructions do I say you need to mess about with htaccess?
If your TEST site does not work, then you have not followed my instructions... and it is possible that if you continue, you could end up messing up your LIVE site. :shocking:
Follow my instructions. There should be no 404 errors, no htaccess tweaks...
If you get errors, then you have not followed my instructions
Re: test site for upgrades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
schoolboy
Where in my instructions do I say you need to mess about with htaccess?
If your TEST site does not work, then you have not followed my instructions... and it is possible that if you continue, you could end up messing up your LIVE site. :shocking:
Follow my instructions. There should be no 404 errors, no htaccess tweaks...
If you get errors, then you have not followed my instructions
Hi, I did follow the instructions, everything works, as in the admin, url to the test site, It's just that small error somewhere, I just added the testsites url to the ht.access to see if it would help, (But it didnt) so i took it out,
Re: test site for upgrades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sash
Hi, I did follow the instructions, everything works, as in the admin, url to the test site, It's just that small error somewhere, I just added the testsites url to the ht.access to see if it would help, (But it didnt) so i took it out,
did you figure it out - perhaps a wrong path in the configure files?
Re: test site for upgrades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
schoolboy
You could create a SUB-FOLDER on your current install (call the folder "testsite"), and create a CLONE of your current site that runs out of that folder.
You will need to create copies of:
1. The FOLDERS and FILES
2. The DATABASE.
All of this can be done in C-Panel (assuming you are with a host that runs a proper C-Panel).
MAKE A BACKUP OF EVERYTHING FIRST... AND THEN...
In the C-Panel FILE MANAGER, COPY the current zencart installation into your new testsite folder.
Create a NEW database (name eg: testsite) and apply the SAME database user and database password to that database, as you have on your current database.
In phpMy Admin, you can COPY your existing database to the NEW one you just created. (I think the copy function is under the OPERATIONS tab).
Now you have your CLONE.
Final steps are to EDIT the two configure.php files (you may need to change the CHMOD permissions to 644 in order to edit them) to show the new SUB-FOLDER in the path locations, and the new DATABASE NAME. (remember... the USER and PASS should not need changing, as you have assigned the same user to the cloned database.)
After editing, change their CHMOD back to 444.
You should be able to login to the copied site's admin panel using the same username and password as the live site. REMEMBER the admin login for the clone will be in the sub-folder location!
After logging in you need to adjust the SESSIONS path (Admin >>> Configuration >>> Sessions)...
... and the LOGGING path (Admin >>> Configuration >>> logging)...
This just requires that you insert the name of the subfolder (testsite) into the paths.
I then set the testsite DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE, so nobody can access it (including search engines).
What I do... IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ABOVE, is give the cloned site a NEW HEADER LOGO that says in bright red text "YOU ARE IN THE CLONED SITE". I do the same for its ADMIN PANEL, so I immediately know I am in the TEST SITE and not the LIVE SITE.
What you don't want to do, is think you are in the testsite, when in fact you are in the LIVE site...
REMEMBER... the test site is a SNAPSHOT of the database as it was the minute you made a copy of it. After you have played around on it and tested things, you SHOULD NOT turn it into a live site... Its database will be very different from your LIVE site, and "merging" the two later on will cause huge problems.
SO... you will make DETAILED NOTES of everything you do in the test site, because later, some of thie things you do will have to be done again when you modify or upgrade the LIVE site.
When you are done with testing and practicing, and you are ready to upgrade and reconfig your LIVE site. you should DELETE COMPLETELY the test site and its database.
Refer to your DETAILED NOTES for procedures you can now apply to the live site.
We routinely create test sites, and the whole process (above) should take no longer than 20 minutes.
Hello,
I followed your detailed instructions, thanks so much it works great, i now have a site to do testing, however according to your instructions i copied the complete data from the main site database to the new database i created for the test site, so now all customers, orders etc. are showing in the test site admin, i do not need this information how can i delete all orders/customer details?
Re: test site for upgrades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ShopVille
... i copied the complete data from the main site database to the new database i created for the test site, so now all customers, orders etc. are showing in the test site admin, i do not need this information how can i delete all orders/customer details?
Additional Considerations
Just to be on the safe side, you may wish to disable the email subsystem prior to manipulating anything with customer data (just to be on the safe side if you have existing orders / customer data)...
If you plan to test sending email, I'd recommend changing the store name (and / or the email address they are sent to). This makes identifying emails easier.
Safe Way
This method is tried, true, and safe. Use the Zen Cart admin folder to remove all unnecessary data. This includes orders, customers, admin users, etc.
Fast Way
While this method is fast, any mistakes made when directly modifying the database can break things.
Use phpMyAdmin to TRUNCATE (will empty the table) the following database tables: address_book, customers, customers_basket, customers_basket_attributes, customers_info, orders, orders_products, orders_products_attributes, orders_products_download, orders_status, orders_status_history, and orders_total.
Code:
TRUNCATE `address_book`;
Afterwards use something similiar to the following to remove all administrative users except admin.
Code:
DELETE FROM `admin` WHERE NOT `admin_name` = 'admin';
Re: test site for upgrades
Followed your instructions, i successfully deleted all information, however how do i do this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lhungil
Additional Considerations
Just to be on the safe side, you may wish to disable the email subsystem prior to manipulating anything with customer data
?
Also, i have a lot of links on my site (in ezpages etc.) which the full link is incorporated in the html therefore resulting them in being opened in the regular site instead of in the test site, is there a way to add the links dynamically it should automatically consider the subfolder if in the test site? i tried having them as /index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2 but it still took it to the regular site
Re: test site for upgrades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ShopVille
however how do i do this:
Admin->Configuration->Email Options->Send Emails? yes/no
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ShopVille
Also, i have a lot of links on my site (in ezpages etc.) which the full link is incorporated in the html therefore resulting them in being opened in the regular site instead of in the test site, is there a way to add the links dynamically it should automatically consider the subfolder if in the test site? i tried having them as /index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2 but it still took it to the regular site
You would have to manually edit every link that you had hard-coded into an ez-page.
Or, just don't click on those links because you know they're gonna point to the wrong site. Instead use the normal site-provided navigation.
This is a TEST site, right? so only you will be using it, and it's all experimental and will never be the actual "live" site. Right?
Re: test site for upgrades
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DrByte
You would have to manually edit every link that you had hard-coded into an ez-page.
Or, just don't click on those links because you know they're gonna point to the wrong site. Instead use the normal site-provided navigation.
This is a TEST site, right? so only you will be using it, and it's all experimental and will never be the actual "live" site. Right?
Right, i'm asking if there's a way to incorporate it in the live site for the future so that whenever i'm doing a clone copy for testing purposes it should automatically consider the subfolder