I think it’s time to move back to Vanilla (again). It integrates so much better, and even though I absolutely loved it the last time I used it, it looks so much slicker now.

I’ve been doing some tinkering, and it’s NOT going to be an easy process. There’s a script that’s supposed to help with the migration – but it fails horribly for me no matter what I do to try to coerce into behaving. I’ve mapped out a lot of the fields (maybe I should actually write all of that down and share it) and that portion isn’t so bad. It’s the differences in the way that bbPress and Vanilla each store the content of the first post of each topic that’s going to be the biggest pain. Thankfully my little forum is pretty low traffic, so I can take my time.

So far I’ve tried a LOT of different approaches, and ruled them all out. I think I have a game plan now, and just need to sit down for a day and get it done. I’m hoping it actually works and I’m not wasting my time. It’s not entirely a waste though – I consider myself a database n00b, and hacking through all of this is teaching me quite a bit.

I didn’t make any changes to the forum, though I have been attempting to integrate WordPress with a new install of Vanilla. I didn’t think I had made any changes that would impact bbPress, but apparently… I did?

Check back later this weekend. Might need to continue moving forward with the Vanilla install and manual data migration.

Note that I keep WordPress in its own folder to keep the files/folder structure on my webserver clean… It’s key in this upgrade method.

1. Always make a backup of your WordPress database before proceeding!
2. Manually download the WordPress zip file.
3. Open your FTP program of choice and upload the zip file to the same folder level that your WordPress folder resides.
4. Unzip the WordPress zip file on your webserver.
   • This can cause weird problems if you unzip it on your local computer before uploading.
   • It will unzip it to a “wordpress” folder, so make sure that this is not the folder name that you choose to keep your WordPress files in.
5. Compare the wp-config-sample.php of the new version, to your existing wp-config.php.
   • If there isn’t any new content (like new salt/keys, etc.), then copy your wp-config.php to the new folder “wordpress/”.
   • If there is new content, save the new wp-config-sample.php as your new wp-config.php and copy over your settings from your original wp-config.php. Then make any other changes needed for the new content.
6. Copy your theme folder from the old install to the new install location.
7. Copy your plugins files/folders from the old install to the new install location.
   • The new install already has Akismet and Hello Dolly – so you can leave these.
   • It’s a good idea to verify that your plugins are all compatible with the new version before doing this.
8. Copy over any of the other folders & files from your old wp-content (like “uploads”, “cache”, “backup-db”, etc.)
   • Up through this point, you’re still using the old version and have had zero downtime. You can choose to wait and finish later without having any impact.
9. Rename your old WordPress folder to something else, like “wp_old”.
10. Rename the new WordPress folder to the name of your old WordPress folder.
11. Open your browser and go to YourDomain.com/Your-WordPress-Folder/wp-admin.
12. You will be prompted to update your database if necessary.
13. Verify that everything functions.
14. Remove the “wp_old” folder.

Done! It’s not as fast as the automatic upgrade, but it’s great for the paranoid, or those who prefer to just perform the upgrade themselves.

I have a couple of other categories that I use for writing up technical How-Tos and reviewing concerts, computer hardware/software, etc. Check the top navigation for a quick direct link to that page. Otherwise, browse each category via the Archvies page.

As I have time I will also be adding a “Links” page. Let me know if you’d like to be included or if I have an out of date link for you.

Thanks!

Enjoy!