Upgrading FAQ

[Elpie]

We seem to be getting a lot of similar questions relating to the upgrade process so I am starting an Upgrading FAQ here so we can get the answers to common questions into one place.

1. Which file do I download?
The latest release of Mambo can always be found on our Mambo code forge. The latest release is near the top of the page here: http://mambo-code.org/gf/project/mambo/frs/

If you are using Mambo Lite then download the Mambo Patch Lite version-whatever. If you are not using Mambo Lite then select the patch that does not have "Lite" in its name.

Choose tar.gz if your compression utility supports tarballs, otherwise choose .zip.

Upgrade instructions are included - look for the text file with "patch instructions" in the name. From Mambo 4.7 on we will also be publishing the patch instructions separately so you will not need to open the package before uploading it to your server.

Important!
Do NOT use the complete package (the ones that do not say "Patch") unless you are planning to do a complete new install.

We have had many reports of people uploading the full Mambo release to their sites. The full release is designed to be used on new installs of Mambo only and if you upload this it will overwrite all of your files and you will lose things like template changes, editor configuration and comments settings. If you upload the full release you may also find the installation directory back on your site (if you get confused by seeing the install screen and go through the install process again you risk losing everything you have done on the site).

Upgrades should only use the patch files. Patches do not replace every file on your site, they simply update the files that need to be updated to bring your site to the latest version.

2. The instructions say I have to patch up to xyz before I run this patch - where do I get those files?
Older releases, including patches, are also on the Mambo code forge. This is the direct link to those downloads:
http://mambo-code.org/gf/project/mam...s_package_id=1

3. Something got corrupted or went missing when I did the upgrade.
This happens occasionally and the two most common causes of this are:

- uploading the files in the incorrect format. If this happens to you often then consider changing your FTP client. Filezilla is the most reliable FTP client and is free to download and use.
PHP files should always be uploaded in ASCII mode while images should be uploaded in BINARY mode. In a good FTP client you just need to set the mode to AUTO and it will automatically transfer files in the correct mode.

- file ownership issues on the server. Sometimes an FTP client or server control panel does not have sufficient privileges to overwrite files. You will not always get a warning that the file update couldn't happen. If you suspect this is the problem please contact your host.

4. I am seeing database errors since I did the upgrade
The most common cause of this is that people do not read the upgrade instructions. Some patches include updates to the database. These require you to run one or more SQL queries so that the database is upgraded.

5. I have problems with my WYSIWYG editor
The default Mambo editor is released separately whenever it is updated. This ensures that people can run the latest releases of the editor when they are ready and do not have to wait for a core release. The reason its done this way is simple - the editor is optional and not used by everyone. It is not included in Mambo Lite distributions. So, putting out an upgrade patch for Mambo does not make sense if the patch contains nothing more than an editor upgrade.

MOStlyCE latest releases can be found here: http://mambo-code.org/gf/project/mostlyce/

Information on how to upgrade MOStlyCE can be found here: http://forum.mambo-foundation.org/showthread.php?t=5974

The editor troubleshooting FAQ is here: http://forum.mambo-foundation.org/showthread.php?t=3001

6. Why should I upgrade Mambo when my site is running well on an old release?
All software, whether its free open source software or an expensive proprietary application, has bugs. Sometimes some bugs are little more than just an annoyance, somethings they have major impacts on functionality. In every Mambo release we include improvements in functionality, often these also involve bug fixes, and as Mambo is developed we also add new functionality and features.

However, even if you are happy with the version you are using there is an even more compelling reason to upgrade - the Web is full of people who love to find vulnerable sites and play with them. Crackers and script kiddies are always developing new ways to deface sites or destroy them. As a result, security hardening is something software developers are always working on. Improvements in security are usually included in every Mambo release and we know for certain that there are security vulnerabilities in all versions of Mambo prior to 4.6.5. For those who are running sites on servers that have hardened security these risks may be minimal but the only way to ensure that your site is exposed to little or no risk is by keeping your Mambo install up-to-date.

7. I installed Mambo through Fantastico - does that mean I am running the latest version?
Unfortunately, NO!
Fantastico is a 3rd party autoinstaller that is used by some cPanel hosting providers. Mambo has no involvement at all with the Fantastico developers and has no control over which version they use. Fantastico sells its licenses to hosts but hosts may or may not keep their Fantastico installs up to date. There are still hosts around that are offering Mambo 4.5.3 through their Fantastico installs. It is not uncommon for servers using Fantastico to be offering scripts that are two or three years old.

Before you install Mambo through any external autoinstaller please check which version it is offering and compare this to the latest version on our code forge.

8. I upgraded through Fantastico and now my site is broken
As I said above, Mambo has no control over what Fantastico puts in their scripts. If they wanted to they can add, remove, or change Mambo to suit their installer and because Mambo is released under a license that allows this they do not need to tell us what they are doing. You should post on the Fantastico forums to let them know the upgrade broke your site.

This FAQ will be added to as other issues arise. Please don't use this thread for discussion (start a new thread if you want to discuss anything I wrote here) but if you have an upgrading tip to share then please do add it to this thread.