Upgrade instructions for Movable Type 3.31

Movable Type 3.3 is now available and I downloaded version 3.31 yesterday and went through my normal upgrade proceedure. This is really simple now that the templates are in the database. Movable Type 3.3 looks like a good solid upgrade with lots of nifty extras - like the little buttons in the Entry body field where I am typing now, that allow you to make the input box a few lines bigger at each click - a small but really good user feature. There are Tags as well now, which I am going to have to spend some time considering if and how I can use them.

Here is my upgrade proceedure.

First I created a new MySQL database named MT331- I use Cpanel on my hosting account so this was just point and click stuff.

Then using PHP Admin, available in CPanel, I navigated to the MT3.2 database, chose Options and I simply copied the MT3.2 database data and tables into the MT331 database (using the full database name and unchecking create database).

Next I uploaded the MT331 .tar into my cgi-bin folder, unpacked it and renamed the folder. My cgi-bin now has several versions of MT in it.

I then renamed the static folder to mt331-static and moved it and its contents to the root level (they were in the cgi-bin and you don’t want the there).

Then I edited the MT331 mt-config.cgi file (having changed its name to mt-config.cgi from mt-config.cgi-original) with the database settings and the paths for the static files. You may have to change the permissions to 755 - mine were already set at that.

Next I put the url to the mt.cgi page in my browser and off it went - the script realising I was upgrading from 3.2 to 3.31 automatically upgraded the database. Brilliant!

The next thing I did, and I always do this, is alter the topnav logo inside of MT to my own custom version. This is my custom one:

Then I rebuilt all my files.

If I have any problems then I can log into MT3.2 and rebuild the files from there and the site is then back on MT3.2 - as it was I did not have to and I can remove the MT3.2 build and databaser at my leisure - I have turned off all commenting and trackbacks on the MT3.2 set up to stop the spam.

Plug-ins - these need checking to see if there are new versions and installing but currently I am not using anything special on the site

This method is safe because you are creating a new database and static files directory and as the previous version is still in place you can revert very easily.

If you need more details on upgrading please do read Elises article A safe way to upgrade to MT3.3. Its very simular to my method.

Posted by Simon at August 6, 2006 12:49 PM

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