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PrestaShop introduced automatic upgrade in version 1.4.4 and 1.4.4.1, which was then turned into a free module for earlier versions (starting with PS 1.3) and later versions (including 1.5.x).
It enables shop owners to backup and update their site in a few clicks and no technical knowledge. It is explained in full details in the User Guide's Tools chapter, in the "Upgrade" section.
If upgrading from a version between v1.3.x and v1.4.3
No version of PrestaShop below v1.4.4 supported the automatic upgrade until v1.4.4. Therefore, automatic upgrade is not available to you unless you install the autoupgrade module. It is still an experimental module, so try it at your own risks!
You can download the module, and follow its instructions, on this forum thread. Please note that you need to be logged in the forum in order to download the module. Once installed, follow the instructions from this thread.
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Note that this module is still experimental. Use at your own risk. If you'd rather be safe, take the longer but more detailed manual instructions instead. |
Downloading and installing the Auto-Upgrade module
Simply follow the normal path to installing a module on PrestaShop:
- Download the Auto-Upgrade module this URL: http://www.prestashop.com/download/autoupgrade.zip . Save the Zip file to your desktop.
- In your PrestaShop administration panel, go to the "Modules" tab.
- Click on the the "Add a module" button", located at the top right of the list of available modules.
- In the form that opens, click on the "Browse..." button, then find and select the module Zip file that you just downloaded.
- Click the "Upload this Module" button. PrestaShop will put the module on your server, unzip it, and place the files in the
/modules/folder.
The module is now available, but you still have to install it:
- Still in the "Modules" tab, type "autoupgrade" in the module search box (not the global search at the top).
- PrestaShop should display the module you just installed. Click it, it should display in the main list.
- Click the module's "Install" button.
You're done! Now start configuring!
The Configuration Screen
If you have the latest version of PrestaShop already, the tool will simply display "You currently don't need to use this feature."
IMPORTANT: you should make sure to properly backup both your files and your database before attempting an automatic upgrade.
The "Current configuration" section gives you useful information on your current PrestaShop install, and how it might interact with the automatic upgrade:
- Root directory: indicates where PrestaShop is located in your current install.
- Root directory status: indicates if the read/write permissions are correctly set. If not, you will have to change them, using your FTP client. See the Getting Started guide for a quick explanation of how to perform a CHMOD.
- Autoupgrade allowed: indicates whether your install can be upgrade using this tool or not.
- Shop status: indicates if your shop is active or in maintenance mode. It is good practice to put your shop in maintenance mode during the whole process (file backup, database backup, automatic upgrade, verification), so as to prevent customers from losing orders...
- PHP time limit: the automatic upgrade can be a lengthy process, as it needs to download the archive from prestashop.com, unzip it on the server, replace the currently installed files, then trigger the update itself. Hence, the PHP settings might be too low, and break the upgrade altogether, mid-process at worse. In this row, PrestaShop gives you an indication of the current PHP settings. Ideally, it should indicate "disabled".
- Root directory: indicates whether the current access permissions for the root directory are correct. If not, the process will not be able to delete sub-folders and files.
The "Modify your options" button at the bottom of the section is in fact a link to the "Options" section, at the bottom of the page.
These options enable you to have some control on the upgrade process:
- Don't save images: the upgrade process normally doesn't touch your images folder. If you have made a proper back of all your files, you might wish to let the process take care of that folder too, in order to have a clean install again and re-upload your files. Nevertheless, it not recommended doing this.
- Keep theme "prestashop": the upgrade process overwrites the default theme with its latest incarnation. If you have made changes to the theme directly, you can protect these changes by choosing "Yes". As a reminder, it is NOT recommended to edit the default theme! You should make a copy of the theme, and make changes to that copy.
- Keep translations: same as for the default theme, if you have made changes to the PrestaShop translation files, you can protect these changes by choosing "Yes".
The Upgrade process
The update button itself is at the center of the page.
It gives you an indication of your version number, and the number for the latest version available on the PrestaShop servers. If there's a difference, you can click the "Upgrade PrestaShop Now!" button in order to start the upgrade process. A status upgrade then appears at the right, while the process is running.
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The area below the "Update" section will then scroll with a list of the various changes brought to your PrestaShop install: removed files (normally, the ones for the default theme), location of the backup archive (normally in the {{/\[admin\]/autoupgrade}} folder), files added to said archive, files copied from the new version (and therefore marked as upgraded). A lot of files are thus mentioned, and you do not need to read it all! |
You'll know the upgrade is over when the message "upgrade complete. Please check your front-office (try to make an order, check theme)" appears in green, along with the following status update: "Upgrade process done. Congratulations! You can now reactive your shop."
Indeed, the auto-update does deactivate your shop, but does not re-activate it automatically. Until you have checked that everything is okay in your back-office (everything is functioning correctly, all your products and images are there...), it is better to keep your shop from the public eye.
Once you have made sure your install is still correct, active your shop using the option in the "Preferences" tab, at the top of the options list, then make tests on your front-office: browse products, sort them, try to order one, etc. In short, go through the entire buying process, in order to make sure that you won't miss a sale.
Is everything working fine? Congratulations, you know have successfully upgraded your PrestaShop install!
Rollbacks
Sadly, not all upgrades are successful – which is the very reason why you should always backup all your files and data, and why PrestaShop performs an additional backup of said files and data itself (which you should not always count on, obviously. Make your own backup first).
PrestaShop's own backup files are saved on your server, and if it turns out your update has gone badly, you can find them in the "Rollback" section of the "Upgrade" sub-tab.
There are three available options:
- restoreFiles. Takes the files from the latest backup, and re-installs them in place of those from the current installed version.
- restoreDb. Takes the data from the latest backup, and re-installs it in place of that from the current database.
- Rollback. Triggers both restoreFile's and restoreDb's actions
The rollback's status is indicated at the same location as the upgrade process'.