WordPress -> 2.3.1

A small deviation out of the family’s topics 😉
How to upgrade WordPress from 2.0.5 to 2.3.1 with Coppermine integration

Actually, WP itself was pretty simple. But the fun starts when you use couple of plugins where authors disappeared. Namely psnGallery2 and Coppermine integration.

So a simple cook book:
– take VMWare (player for example) and download VirualAppliance LAMP (Linux package with MySQL etc): virtualappliances.net
reason: you DO want to test the whole stuff before upload
– backup your site – copy files + database
– put it to the virtual server (Samba sharing works, phpMySQLAdmin as well – so it’s pretty straightforward)
small issue: if your database even in gzip format is too large for php admin, copy it to the server directly, then logon using telnet to server, run mysql from command line and upload data: „source yourfile.gz“
– create the same database users as on the live system
– fix the parameter in wordpress – the blog location
-try your test system – it should work
– upgrade the wordpress – following the complete guide (e.g. turn off! the plugins or you could end in long hours debugging why the database connection doesn’t work)
– check the web page: your theme could be broken, so try to fix it or get the new one, there are plenty of great ones on the web
– turn on the plugins
– debug the plugins…

In fact both of my Coppermine plugins had problems with new version on WP. Namely usage of wpdb object has been changed with numerous impacts. And as I found out, all web pages related to the plugins are gone. So with the help of online docs and looking to the other source codes, I realized that I have to change instances of data retrievals:
obsolete:
$result = $wpdb->query(“ sql … „);
$row = $wpdb->get_results(); or get_row();

correct one:
$row = $wpdb->get_results(“ sql …“);

Plus small change in the Coppermine integration to the new post – already mentioned in the WP forums.

Finally – I have WordPress 2.3.1 live with all functionality. It’s ready for redesing with new template to utilize the options with Widgets etc. Plus if anyone is interested in I uploaded the patched Coppermine as well.

Results: Coppermine_3_11_fixed