[Support request] good way to set up GP on a live site displaying different theme?

[Gary L]

Hi,

I saw one thread talking about using a sub folder to set up a working GP install so you can get it the way you want. Not sure how that would move over to the index page when I’m ready to switch.

I need to change out some sites but don’t want them to be down while I install GP and go through all the designs.

Mainly the sites I have, once the index page is set up, the rest of the site changes very little, except for the header image that is on the index page. I tried setting up GP on another scratch URL and uploaded the .js files to the site being worked on using “theme switcha” plugin. I think this plugin is more for developers because it says to stay away from the customizer because saving will change the site.

Transferring the .js files, it worked for the most part except for widgets and header info. So I guess this isn’t the ticket? or did I miss something?

I used to use a script and move installs from one site to another but it quit working. Haven’t used much else. What’s the best way to go about this. One of my sites is pretty big so there might be a time out issue that makes me cautious of backup plugins. But I need to figure out something, since I lost my script I’m kinda at a loss.

Thanks,

[Tom]

The best way in my experience is to build it in another folder, like you mentioned.

This way you can build it out exactly as you want it – design, pages, links etc..

Then you use a plugin like Duplicator, which packages up the website into two files, a .zip and an installer.

Then backup the live website, and remove the files on the server so the root of the live site is empty. Your website will be down at this point.

Then you upload the .zip and installer and follow the instructions.

There’s a decent amount of steps involved, but it’s the only 100% way to build a new site while keeping the existing site up and running.

Let me know if you need more info 🙂

[Gary L]

Ok, I think I got it.

Use Duplicator to back up the live site,

I create a subfolder, http://www.LiveSite.com/scratch

Create a database for the /scratch folder

Upload the LiveSite duplicator files to the /scratch folder (I guess it would be a good idea to temporarily check the “no bot crawl” in settings of /scratch ?)

Design the new site at /scratch

When I get finished I backup /scratch using duplicator.

Upload /Scratch files to LiveSite (after deleting all wordpress files)

And pretty much should be good to go? Something goes wrong I can upload my original duplicator files of LiveSite

Thanks

[Tom]

Exactly. That method should work perfectly 🙂

[Gary L]

On this part:

“Then backup the live website, and remove the files on the server so the root of the live site is empty. Your website will be down at this point.”

What’s the best way to do this? I could use softaculous in cpanel to remove wp and database or is it better to just delete the wp files through cpanel file manager and assign the original database when duplicator asks for a database?

I’m thinking softculous is better, just want to make sure, I don’t lose any non wordpress folders in root.

Thanks

PS My server does daily backups so all is not lost if something goes wrong.

[Tom]

As long as your files are backed up, I would just move the root files and folders into a sub-directory.

That way you can just move them back to root if something goes wrong.

[Gary L]

Hi,

Maybe there is a setting but when I went to backup the /scratch site I noticed the .zip file is twice as large as the mainsite.com backup. I was wondering if it backed up both sites. So I put /scratch install on a dummy domain to see and it was like it was was supposed to be. just the /scratch backup. The mainsite.com was 40meg when I downloaded the .zip, the backup zip was 80meg on the /scratch site… but it was just a clone of the mainsite.com. Have you noticed this?

The only thing different between the two sites is the /scratch site is using your theme and plugin, your theme is smaller and more streamline than flexsqueeze I would guess. Do you know what else would cause this?

Thanks,
Gary

[Tom]

I haven’t noticed that. GP itself is really small, so it wouldn’t be that.

It could be images, or it could be that the backup is doing all of the sub-folders with other data/sites in them.

There’s an option when using Duplicator to ignore specific folders.

[Gary L]

Hi,

I see why the file is so large on the second site, after running installer and I performed the “delete all installer files” it’s missing the .zip file that is sitting in the root directory for some reason. Must be a setting, next time I use the “delete installer files” function, I’ll pay attention to the files it lists to be deleted.

[Tom]

Ah, good to know!

[Gary L]

Hi,

Appreciate your help. Using your method to rebuild a site with GP & plugin where I rebuild the site in a subfolder, when you move your rebuild back to root and install. When it asks for a database, do you let it use the one that was the original site’s database, or do you delete that one and make a new one?

I know it deletes all content, just wondering if you use a brand new one for some reason. It would save some steps to use the original but didn’t know if something else was going on and may need a brand new one.

Thanks

[Tom]

I believe you could point to the new subfolder database, but it might be safer to create a fresh one and then just delete the others when all is good.

[Junior Gong]

Hey guys

I am using Theme Switcha to work on GP settings in the background. It would be great if GP Premium Settings menu would show up in WP Admin even when no Generatepress theme is active. That way I can make all settings while a different theme is displayed to visitors

[Tom]

Unfortunately that would cause quite a few errors, as a lot of GPP functions rely on functions that exist inside the theme.

[Author]

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