[Resolved] Theme interim 'staging'

[John]

Kind of a strange question, I suspect.

How does one ‘stage’ a live WP install to transition between themes?

I just got me some Generatepress Pro, and was going to do a test site. But as I thought about it, I don’t want to do all that extra work… I want to switch my site over directly (I’m moving from Minus theme).

However, that will take some doing to be presentable…. so I’d like to stage the new theme… have it in ‘pre-production’ as I shift over to get everything squared up again.

Is that possible?

[Tom]

Hi there,

I’d like to write an article on this.

1. Use a plugin like Duplicator to duplicate your current site: https://en-ca.wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/

2. Create a new, empty database using your hosting cPanel.

3. Upload your Duplicator files into a sub-folder on your site, you can name it whatever you like. For example: v2

Then you would go to yoursite.com/v2/installer.php and it will duplicate your site in that folder.

Once you’re all done, you would just reverse the steps back into the root folder.

Let me know if you need more info 🙂

[John]

Awesome. As easy as that!

I’m in an all-day webinar/ bootcamp thing today, but I’ll give it a shot tonite.

[Tom]

Awesome, let me know if you run into any issues 🙂

[John]

Well, I obvs did something wrong (many times, today)

The current install constantly refreshes to the version I copied. I must be missing a basic part of the puzzle.

I’ve tried so many ways now, I no longer have any idea what might or might not work.

If I understand correctly: I upload a .zip archive and an installer.php into an empty dir on the server. Run the installer giving particulars about a new DB for the purpose. THAT has worked, afaik, or at least it reports that it has.

How does the actual WP proggie and files thing go? I copied over my existing. Didn’t work… that’s where the refresh to the ‘old’ install happens. I tried a fresh copy: didn’t work… it’s an empty brand new WP install.

[John]

Note: the .zip and installer are created by the plugin, of course.

[Tom]

If you used Duplicator, then the last step confirms the old URL and the new URL. It will then go through your database and replace the old URLs etc.. to the new URL.

Then you’ll be able to login like yoursite.com/new-folder/wp-admin and login.

Let me know 🙂

[John]

“the last step” is probably part of a single-step install, which I cannot do because of a #524 time-out not completing the transfer.

I guess I’ll figure it out manually. Not sure why I am even *asking* you: not your plugin.

[Tom]

Ah that’s a pain, that’s an important step.

Perhaps try reporting the timeout error to your hosting to see if they can up the time limit?

[John]

Currently playing with All-In-One Migration.

I’ll figure it out. Thanks, tho.

[Tom]

No problem, that’s a very popular one as well 🙂

[John]

And you got me on the right track. I had no idea before I asked and now I have some idea 😉

[John]

I realize you are losing sleep over this and that it is aggravating your ulcer, so just thought I’d let you know that All-in-One got it done first pass. Not as (theoretically) easy, and very slow, but hey… it worked 😉

[Tom]

Great news! Thanks for the update 🙂

[Author]

Posts