Migration Concrete5 website version 8.0.3

Installation
#1

I have been trying to migrate a Concrete5 website version 8.0.3 from one server to another server, but I don’t manage to get my site working. I keep on getting a internal server error.

I do exactly like written here: Moving a website but it keeps on going wrong. So yes, I have been:

  • getting a copy of the database.
  • downloaded the the Concrete5 root directory (which contains application/, concrete/, updates and more).
  1. putting the files in the new environment.
  2. creating a new, empty database in the new environment and importing the exported database from the first step
  3. Modifying my configuration file for the new site to the new database name, username and password.

What else is there that I might not be seeing or forgetting?

#2

Sometimes it is skewed data. To minimise such, before making the copy: put the database into development mode, disable and clear all caches, disable pretty urls, turn off canonical urls

#3

OK. Thanks. I’m going to try this and let you know.

#4

I end up moving quite a few C5 sites around, for one reason or another. Sometimes they work straight away sometimes not. The first thing that I always do is to manually empty application/files/cache and application/files/temp, on the new install, via FTP or File Manager in cPanel.

The other thing to check is that the new server’s PHP version is compatible.

These two things usually get me out of trouble, along with John’s advice of course!

#5

Thank you both for the advice.

Like @JohntheFish said I exported the website and database again this time the caches disabled and pretty urls and canonical urls. But it still gives me the internal server error.

@ppisoban I don’t have the folders cache in application/files/ nor temp.

Any other tip?

#6

Do you have the site configured for a full debug report? If not, search for Debug in the dashboard and enable debug before exporting (or hack the equivalent in your imported site /application/config)

#7

Check your htaccess file for server specific code, the server devs some times modify it to suit the server your on.

#8

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply. Did you get this sorted?

My method for moving a site is usually a bit long winded but works nearly everytime.

  1. Check the exact version of Concrete on the existing installation
  2. On the new server, make a clean install of that version
  3. From the old site, download:
    /application/files (excluding the /cache folder)
    /packages (if you have any add ons)
    your theme (this may be in /packages or in /application/themes)
    your .htaccess file from the /public_html
  4. Upload the above to the corresponding folders on the new server (except .htaccess)
  5. Turn off pretty URLs on the old site
  6. Take a back up of the existing db from the old site
  7. Empty the db on the new installation (drop all tables) and then import the backup from the old db
  8. Login to the new installation (using the old admin credentials) and set up the dashboard as you like and reinstate pretty URLs
  9. Upload .htaccess to /public_html
  10. Test the site

The above may not work if you have any customised code in your old installation but for me, this ‘belt and braces’ method works well and probably takes about 45 mins for a smallish site.

Bear in mind that all of my sites are all hosted with the same company and so the servers are all pretty much the same. You may have issues if they are configured differently.

Hope that helps.

#9

Thanks for your reply.

I have been trying to do a clean install of the version on which the website is running (8.0.3), but I can’t keep that version running either.

The current website is in hands of another agency, who has to hand the website over to me, like the client is asking. So I’ve been asking know to that agency to update the website to the latest version, maybe that will solve something?

I’ll keep you posted here.