Updating 1.5.4 to 1.5.7a

[Ted Grapler]

Zen Cart 1.5.4, PHP 5.6, Edit Orders, Zen Lightbox, EZ Populate, Image Handler 4, Moz## template

I'm looking for the easiest way to move my ZC 1.5.4 store currently on shared cPanel hosting over to a 1.5.7a install on a VPS/Virtual Private Server (Ubuntu 18 and PHP 7.4).

Would like to do a clean installation and only copy my products, customers, current orders, past order, and related info over using phpMyAdmin. Then customize the color scheme, look and feel, plug-ins, and other setup stuff on 1.5.7a manually. I did a similar update to 1.5.4 years ago and found what worked for me was to export just certain tables from the old database over to the new database. For example - categories, categories_description (etc), customers, customers_basket (etc), orders (etc), and products (etc).

In a test environment on VPS have gotten 1.5.7a installed and copied the selected tables over. From what I can tell the Storefront seems to be working correctly. But the Admin page only loads up until before it gets to Orders then gives an error:

PHP Fatal error: 1054:Unknown column 'sort_order' in 'order clause' :: SELECT orders_status_name, orders_status_id FROM orders_status WHERE language_id = 1 ORDER BY sort_order ASC, orders_status_id ASC ==> (as called by) /home/XXXXX/public_html/ADMINXXXXXX/includes/modules/dashboard_widgets/OrderStatusDashboardWidget.php on line 18 <== in /home/ADMINXXXXXX/public_html/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php on line 170.

This is not the full error just last few lines.

Assuming certain things have changed from 1.5.4 to 1.5.7a and wondering if it's going to be possible for me (as someone with very limited coding knowledge) to transfer store info over using this method again. Realize if I fix this one error there could be a hundred more that would also need to be fixed.

If there is a fix for this issue would like to try, also open to suggestions if there is a better way for me to do tackle this update.

Thanks, Ted

[swguy]

I did a similar update to 1.5.4 years ago and found what worked for me was to export just certain tables from the old database over to the new database. For example - categories, categories_description (etc), customers, customers_basket (etc), orders (etc), and products (etc).

This is a bad idea, and has produced the problem you are now seeing. A better approach would be to use your old database and let the system (zc_install) do the upgrade for you, based on the entire contents of the old database.

[lat9]

This is a bad idea, and has produced the problem you are now seeing. A better approach would be to use your old database and let the system (zc_install) do the upgrade for you, based on the entire contents of the old database.

[Ted Grapler]

OK am going to try this later today.

My plan is to delete all the 1.5.7a Zen Cart files on the VPS test environment but leave the database. Clear database by dropping all the tables and then import the entire 1.5.4 database over to the new server using phpMyAdmin, then run zencart install. When it asks for database name and password use the one that is already on the VPS.

The reason I'd like to do a "clean" install is because on my live store I used a third party template (Moz**) which has it's own way of doing things and have also made countless formatting changes and other fixes and patches over the years. And I don't know which of my plug-ins are going to have issues with PHP 7.4. A clean start seems the best way to go.

Will post results here.

Thanks, Ted

[lat9]

You could run the Mod List (https://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=2039) plugin on your zc154 site to let you know what plugins are installed and what (if any) changes have been made to the database.

[dbltoe]

My plan is to delete all the 1.5.7a Zen Cart files on the VPS test environment but leave the database. Clear database by dropping all the tables and then import the entire 1.5.4 database over to the new server using phpMyAdmin, then run zencart install. When it asks for database name and password use the one that is already on the VPS.

Do you have a "Hell no, we won't go!" sign on your computer?

Cruise on over to https://www.zen-cart.com/entry.php?3...d-of-upgrading and scroll down to How do I rebuild my site... or (preferably) How do I do an upgrade and still keep my live store running in the meantime?

You're coming at this from the wrong angle. Often the result of trying to find the elusive "shortcut." Really, whichever of those methods fit your scenario is it.

[Ted Grapler]

OK just attempted my shortcut of copying my entire 1.5.4 database over to the VPS test environment THEN running zc 1.5.7 installer but the installer just clears my customer, products, etc info from the database.

@dbltoe I did check out the link you gave about upgrading. I find it a bit hard to follow but the suggestion there that best looks like it would fit my needs is to copy my live site over to the test environment VPS and proceed with the upgrade/update/rebuild there by following the instructions. Long story short I've attempted that several times in the past but no luck- have been unable to get a copy of my 1.5.4 site to work correctly in the test environment. Issues to do with PHP 5.6 vs. PHP 7, fcgi, fpm, and more. Although have learned a bit since last time so up for another try.

Am I correct that in order for me to transfer my old store info I must have the complete running 1.5.4 store working, and then run latest ZC install, at which point it will give me the option to save my users, products, etc:

as written by DrByte: c) upgrade the database to the new version
The zc_install script is used to do this in an automated way. Just a couple clicks to take care of keeping all your data intact and bringing its data structure up-to-date to work with the new version.

And lastly since ZC 1.5.4 does not work with PHP 7 I will have to install and configure PHP 5.6 on the VPS first?

Thanks, Ted

[dbltoe]

Let me just simplify the steps I use and advise our customers to use. Your host may not allow you to do all that we allow.

1. DO NOT TOUCH your existing site even if it is broken. If it is broken, your priority for steps 2 and beyond is, naturally, high.
2. If YOUR_SITE is at something like home/username/public_html/:
   
   • Uplaod the zip of the latest Zen Cart version to the home/username/ folder using File Manager if something like cPanel
   • Extract the zip to home/username/ and then rename it to _test
   
   
3. Create a BLANK database for the new site.
4. Use cPanel or some other program to create a sub-domain that points to _test. Make the sub-domain test.YOUR_SITE.com
   
   • Having the site "above" the root will keep the site from prying eyes.
   • Using multi-PHP, you can set the PHP for the sub-domain to match the needs of the version you are loading. NOTE: You cannot have the test site on the same "level" as the root and give each a separate PHP setting.
   
   
5. Open test.YOUR_SITE.com and verify that it is picking up the SSL for the site and is secure.
6. Open test.YOUR_SITE.com/zc_install and install Zen Cart.
7. At this point, I recommend you rename the zc_install folder rather than remove it. You're going to need it to update the database later. Just name is something no one might stumble on easily until you can finally delete it.
8. Make sure test.YOUR_SITE.com is working correctly and the SSL is working.
9. OPTIONAL -- If your current site is fully operational, lat9 and I agree that using Mod List to get a look at what mods you were using is very helpful. Be sure to use version 1.2a as your existing site is not 1.5.7. Note that MANY changes have taken place since 1.5.4 and some old mods might not work on 1.5.7a.
10. Search the plug-ins for newer versions of the mods you are using and place them in a folder on your computer.
11. Copy the images folders from your old site to the new. They are in the /includes, /YOUR_ADMIN, /includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE, and /emails (if you changed the e-mail header). For now, copy the /includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/images folder to /includes/templates/responsive_classic/ as YOUR_TEMPLATE does not yet exist on the test.YOUR_SITE.com
12. At this point, I load a couple of mods before going any further.
    
    • Display Logs - Activate through the Admin >> Modules >> Plugin Manager. This will quickly notify you of problems created by loading a mod you've used before.
    • Mod List - In the 1.5.7a site, get the 1.4.1 version to place it as an option in the Plugin Manager mentioned above.
    • Clone a Template - Great tool to add a level of testing/recovery for every template.

After those twelve steps, we have a test site with the latest version, our original images, and a few mods for testing/troubleshooting.

The next big step is to bring over the old database.

1. Using phpMyAdmin or whatever program you use to access your databases, use select all on the new database and delete all of its tables.
2. Using phpMyAdmin or whatever program you use to access your databases, copy the tables from the old database.
3. Using phpMyAdmin or whatever program you use to access your databases, paste the tables from the old database into the new database.
4. Rename that folder that was the zc_install (see item 6 above) and name it back to zc_install.
5. Open test.YOUR_SITE.com/zc_install and do the database update.
6. Remove the zc_install folder as it will not be needed again.

At this point, we have a working cart with our old items and their images, all our customers, and all their orders. If we added a shipping and payment module, we could go right to making money. But, you probably want to tinker.

Here's where you decide what mods you MUST have. Some things, like Display Logs, a NonCaptcha Captcha, etc. are now part of the core. You may not need all those old mods.

Next steps get us ready to work with a template.

1. Load all the mods you HAVE to have.
2. Verify their operation under the PHP version set for the test sub-domain
3. Monitor/fix any display logs
4. Use Clone a Template to clone the responsive_classic to YOUR_SITE or some name you prefer.
   
   • This gives you a new template to work with, and...
   • If you have problems, you can use the Template Select to return to responsive_classic for testing.
   
   
5. Use Tools >> Template Select to set your template to the new one you created.
6. Use Tools >> Layout Boxes Controller to adjust the sideboxes to match your desires for site layout.

You now have all your mods, products, images, and layout that you are going to improve to finalize your site.

I won't go in to the next set of steps (finalization and replacement of the old site) here.

This information will get you to the installed point and set you up to properly go into the finalization stage.

[Ted Grapler]

Thank you dbltoe. I used the info you just posted and am now looking at my site running 1.5.7a on VPS test environment with all my customers, orders, products, history, etc. Storefront looks to be working perfectly and so does Admin. No errors!

[dbltoe]

Great!

Glad you had all the tools at your disposal to do it. Many hosts don't allow a second database or sub-domain. Some won't let you go above the root. Some won't let you set PHP for different levels.

It's the only way to go for me.

When it's time to transfer over - make sure to set both sites Down for Maintenance, re-import the old database if you don't want to lose customers or orders, compress and save the old site, delete the old and copy the new to the old, fix the configure.php files and make money.