Troubles upgrading from 1.5.3 Database Upgrade Greyed Out

I am having problems upgrading smoothly from 1.5.4. I do not get offered a database upgrade option unless I rename my admin, which seems to be the first problem. Furthermore upon renaming my admin I have problems with my admin (or any admin) username/password working so I can complete the install.

Currently my development site is set up for 1.5.4. I receive an error when visiting the site that my database needs patching to a higher level. I have copied the zc_install folder over in it's entirety from the installation package. Running the 1.5.4 zc_install shows the following 'errors' upon checking.

/admin/includes/configure.php does not exist more info...
store configure.php is not writeable more info...

Every option on the bottom of this page is greyed out except for the "Re-Check" Button.

I have tried changing the permissions of the include/configure.php file to be 777. This gets rid of the later warning but does not enable the database upgrade option.

As I've been told that renaming your admin is not required during installation I'm going to stop here and ask for advice. I will leave the problems with the admin password for later if they pop up.

What browser are you using, and have you tried a different one? (I've come across that issue in upgrades from previous versions as well, but can't seem to remember exactly how I got around it, or whether it was a database connection issue of some sort.)

Hopefully you have also reviewed: http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.php?215694-Known-Bugs-%28and-fixes%29-with-v1-5-4 for possible corrections necessary to further support installation...

Further, correct the admin directory does not need to be renamed to support a database only upgrade. Perhaps some other browser "plugin" may be causing the issue?

mc12345678:

What browser are you using, and have you tried a different one? (I've come across that issue in upgrades from previous versions as well, but can't seem to remember exactly how I got around it, or whether it was a database connection issue of some sort.)

I was trying Chrome, I have tested with Firefox and Opera and the problem exists with all browsers.

Hopefully you have also reviewed: http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.php?215694-Known-Bugs-%28and-fixes%29-with-v1-5-4 for possible corrections necessary to further support installation...

I have reviewed these, nothing seems to fit my circumstances.

Further, correct the admin directory does not need to be renamed to support a database only upgrade. Perhaps some other browser "plugin" may be causing the issue?

It was worth a shot, but with it misbehaving in three browsers I think this is server side.

I will continue to look for the problem.

llynix:

I do not get offered a database upgrade option unless I rename my admin, which seems to be the first problem.
The Database-Upgrade button is grayed-out if the database-credentials in the /includes/configure.php don't allow it to make a database connection.

On the system-inspection screen, add &debug=ON to the URL and press Enter to reload the page. Perhaps the info listed there might help you. If not, post that URL here so we can review it for you.

llynix:

I have problems with my admin (or any admin) username/password working so I can complete the install.
What PHP version are you using?

So I ripped through the install code and eventually figured out what exactly was happening.

Long story short I had the line:

/**
 * dist-configure.php
 *

In the top of my includes/configure.php file. This invalidated the variable: $zen_cart_previous_version_installed in this code snippet:

    //read the configure.php file and look for hints that it's just a copy of dist-configure.php
    $lines = file('../includes/configure.php');
    foreach ($lines as $line) {
      if (substr_count($line,'dist-configure.php') > 0) $zen_cart_previous_version_installed = false;
    } //end foreach

Removing that line in the comments enables the database upgrade option. It also gives me a new option to upgrade my config files (which is disabled).

llynix:

So I ripped through the install code and eventually figured out what exactly was happening.

Long story short I had the line:

/**

• dist-configure.php

> 
> In the top of my includes/configure.php file.  This invalidated the variable: $zen_cart_previous_version_installed in this code snippet:
> ```
    //read the configure.php file and look for hints that it's just a copy of dist-configure.php
    $lines = file('../includes/configure.php');
    foreach ($lines as $line) {
      if (substr_count($line,'dist-configure.php') > 0) $zen_cart_previous_version_installed = false;
    } //end foreach

Removing that line in the comments enables the database upgrade option.Hmmmm ... ya, that'd be a problem. :)
I'm pretty sure it's a non-issue in v1.6.0 because I'm pretty sure it doesn't check for that scenario in the fully-rewritten zc_install used there.

llynix:

It also gives me a new option to upgrade my config files (which is disabled).
The upgrade-config-file option is only coded to convert v1.2.x to v1.3.x config file format. It doesn't build new v1.5.4 files.
So, if you'd like the new conveniences offered by the new config files, you can build those yourself ... I presume you're more inclined to copy dist-configure again so I won't bother directing you to make a fresh new install in a new folder for a staging site like a usual upgrade procedure advises (mc12345678 gave a link to you already for that), and use that file as your template.

DrByte:

The upgrade-config-file option is only coded to convert v1.2.x to v1.3.x config file format. It doesn't build new v1.5.4 files.
So, if you'd like the new conveniences offered by the new config files, you can build those yourself ... I presume you're more inclined to copy dist-configure again so I won't bother directing you to make a fresh new install in a new folder for a staging site like a usual upgrade procedure advises (mc12345678 gave a link to you already for that), and use that file as your template.

I have been copying configuration changes into my new files. Other then credentials and paths my current config mirrors those of 1.5.4. They just unfortunately had that dist-configure.php comment in them.

I'm trying to find where I messed up. Reading through the original instructions and the current instructions seems to advise copying dist-configure.php into your own and changing credentials. No where do they mention modifying the comments.

I can re-install a fresh copy and use those config files. I still have yet to see in the upgrade documentation where this step was required, but I could have missed it. Also the link mc12345678 gave me seemed to be current problems, none of them pertained to the config files so if there is another link I have missed please let me know.

The typical instructions that have been suggested to follow are found: http://www.zen-cart.com/entry.php?3-How-do-I-rebuild-my-site-on-the-new-version-instead-of-upgrading

I made an assumption that such a process was followed based on the description and instead went to the next step of potential problems that have been identified and other fixes that might apply.

Further the typical instructions involve setting up the site in a location and then either using the existing configure.php file of the operational store or copying the new configure.php generated from the new install and modifying as necessary to account for it's new location in the store's final location. See: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?160-i-have-installed-zen-cart-to-a-directory-how-do-i-rename-or-move-that-directory