Many people like to develop their Joomla sites locally and then move their work to a live host when completed. This weeks tutorial will show you how to move an exact copy of your site from your localhost to a live server, database and all.
We're going to use a fantastic component called Akeeba Backup to help us with the process. We'll first use it to make a backup of our local site (files + database), and then we'll use a provided tool (Kickstart) to restore the backup to our live server.
Here's how you do it:
Download the Akeeba Backup component. Make sure you get the latest release, which at the time of this newletter is 2.2
Download the Kickstart app, again making sure you ge the latest release, 2.2Stable - unzip the package for later use.
In the administration area of your local Joomla site, go to Extensions >> Install / Uninstall and upload the Akeeba Backup component file: com_Akeeba Backup-2.2-free.zip
In the administration area of your local Joomla site, go to Components >> Akeeba Backup >> Configuration and we're going to change a setting before we backup and migrate. Click on the 'Advanced' tab and then locate the 'Archiver engine' and change it to 'JPA Akeeba Backup Archive, and click Save.
Click on the Backup Now button (you'll notice a warning regarding the default directory being used for the backup - we can ignore this *for now) and then the 'Backup Now!' You should see the backup process begin, and be given a success page when completed.
Locate the backup file in your localhost joomla_root/administrator/components/com_Akeeba Backup/backup - the backup file will have the extension .jpa. Upload this file to the directory on your live server where you will do the restore. For most this will be the root directory, /html or /home etc
Upload the Kickstart app file to this same directory. You should have unzipped the package in an earlier step, if not, unzip and then upload the file.
Create a new database using phpMyAdmin or the tool provided by your host to do so. This new database will be used for our restore to populate with our backed up data. Make note of the hostname, username/password and database name for further steps.
Navigate in your browser to http://backup_directory/kickstart.php (where backup_directory is the directory your backup file is located). Insert your Host, Username, and Password information and click on the green Start button. You will see the process beign - do not close this browser window!
Once the file extraction is done you will see a message to 'Please click here to open Akeeba Backup Installer restore script in a new window'. Click there.
A new window will open, and you will see a typical looking Joomla installation page, however this is the restore script. Go through the installation process, making sure you put your new information for hostname, username, password and database in Step 4.
After successful Joomla installation (restore in our case) go back to the other browser window and click on the link to restore your .htaccess file if you need to do this step, and close the browser window when done.
The restoration process should now be completed, and you can log in to your newly moved site at /administrator to continue development on the live server.
Hey I'm having a problem. I followed all your steps, but been stuck on number 9. Then i click on the start button i see the process timeline but it doesn't extract anything. What's wrong? please help Best regards Oliver
Sorry, just noticed that you commented on this and it's been a while not.
For support related questions, it's best to ask them in the support forum which we get answered within 24 hours. It is really hard to do support on commenting systems however.
Is there any other way besides this procedure, or manually uploading through FTP and modifying files ? To keep it simple i mean. I tried with my server and it was a total nightmare. The steps were accurate, and worked to the point until the kikstart option. Their server didnt make this part easy at all.
I'm trying to follow directions to move from my server to a GoDaddy server. I did all the steps but may have messed up on the last one...where Kickstart cleans up the files. So I manually deleted the installation directory, the kickstart installer and the backup archive. But the database files are not there. I guess I have to do it again, but how do I get back the kickstart wizard.
I've done all the steps correctly and Kickstart worked flawlessly regarding the extraction method! When the second window appeared and the option of the Db was selected, there was an error saying that if i want to erase the old data of the db as it had detected that I am restoring on a different server than the backup was made. What should i do? Do i have to upload the phpmyadmin folder that i had on my localhost (my pc) as well on the server? Any ideas?
If you are restoring on a different server then allow it to erase the old data and you should enter the new database, database user, and database user password.
Won't there be a problem with adding a new database since i had an already added one on my local host? I mean, won't there be a mismatch since i will add a new name and my website will look for the old database name?
Just spent the whole day trying to migrate from localhost to a live server.
Unfortunately there is very little documentation on this.
I have followed all that was out there. The problem is what exactly to type in the connection parameters window?
I created (several in the end!) a new database in my cpanel using mysql carefully noting down name and user name.
I tried various combinations of hostname_admin and admin etc for database name and usere name. with password and without.
Exhausted now, with a not too happy client to boot. Will have to spend all day tomorrow uploading it manually.
Such a shame as the module works so well in migrating from one site to another. What should have only taken a few clicks in migrating from a local sie will now take me two days.
If only there was more detailed instructions on the parameters on localhosting :-(
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Comments
I'm having a problem. I followed all your steps, but been stuck on number 9. Then i click on the start button i see the process timeline but it doesn't extract anything. What's wrong? please help
Best regards Oliver
Sorry, just noticed that you commented on this and it's been a while not.
For support related questions, it's best to ask them in the support forum which we get answered within 24 hours. It is really hard to do support on commenting systems however.
Kind regards,
Nick
There are other options but they are still the basically the same. Why don't you open up a support request on the forum and we can help you out? :)
Kind regards,
Nick
To get back kickstart, you can just follow step 2 in the directions above and redownload it.
Feel free to post in our support forum if you have any trouble along the way.
Kind regards,
Nick
I've done all the steps correctly and Kickstart worked flawlessly regarding the extraction method! When the second window appeared and the option of the Db was selected, there was an error saying that if i want to erase the old data of the db as it had detected that I am restoring on a different server than the backup was made. What should i do? Do i have to upload the phpmyadmin folder that i had on my localhost (my pc) as well on the server?
Any ideas?
Thank you for your time!
If you are restoring on a different server then allow it to erase the old data and you should enter the new database, database user, and database user password.
Kind regards,
Nick
Won't there be a problem with adding a new database since i had an already added one on my local host? I mean, won't there be a mismatch since i will add a new name and my website will look for the old database name?
No, you can have practically an unlimited number of database.
Plus, you'll be deleting the old configuration.php file and when you go through Joomla 1.7's installation you'll enter the new database info.
Kind regards,
Nick
Unfortunately there is very little documentation on this.
I have followed all that was out there.
The problem is what exactly to type in the connection parameters window?
I created (several in the end!) a new database in my cpanel using mysql carefully noting down name and user name.
I tried various combinations of hostname_admin and admin etc for database name and usere name.
with password and without.
Exhausted now, with a not too happy client to boot. Will have to spend all day tomorrow uploading it manually.
Such a shame as the module works so well in migrating from one site to another.
What should have only taken a few clicks in migrating from a local sie will now take me two days.
If only there was more detailed instructions on the parameters on localhosting :-(