This is the story of upgrading change.bbvx.org from WordPress 2.0.7 to 2.1.3.

2.1.3 issues

1. Replaced deprecated wp_get_linksbyname('Blogroll') with wp_list_bookmarks('category_name=Blogroll&categorize=0&title_li=0')

Miscellaneous plugin upgrades and additions

1. Replaced c2c_get_recent_posts with post processing of data returned by query_posts
2. Upgraded category access - check configuration
3. Upgraded event calendar - check configuration
4. Upgraded role manager - check configuration
5. Upgraded search everything - redo configuration
6. Added feedlist 2.2. Replace wp-includes/class-snoopy.php; Move feedlist.php to plugins directory
7. Added Category Order 2.0.1
8. Added MyLinkOrder 2.3; Note that old link order was not preserved over the upgrade
9. Added Post Template 1.2.1 (weirdness with Server Error here. Not reproducible)
10. Added InlineTagThing 1

Editor issues

1. Added Advanced TinyMCE. Configured. Note requires install of plugins in wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins. But this didn't work -- maybe WP 2.3, maybe something else -- and the author doesn't seem to have an interest in keeping it up to date.
2. Deleted Advanced TinyMCE and added TinyMCE advanced -- explicitly supports WP 2.3. Newer version also supports a style picker -- which was the missing feature that caused me to use Advanced TinyMCE earlier.

Category Access/Theme problems

Support issue filed

See support issue.

Error message

If Category Access is the only plugin activated, and error_reporting(E_ALL) is set, then the following error message appears:

Notice: Trying to get property of non-object in

<server directory>/wp-content/plugins/category-access/category-access.php on line 325

Reported to plugin developer.

Attempts to resolve this by changing the theme

• branches-theme: problem exists
• coolstar
• thirteen -from Becca. Broken
• abstract-4 from http://themes.rock-kitty.net/theme.php?id=557 - seems to work, but design is just too far off what I need.
• BlueMechanics from http://themes.rock-kitty.net/download.php?id=400 - Works. Not great, but may be okay.
  • does have three links in the footer, one blatantly commercial.
• Green leaves from http://themes.rock-kitty.net/download.php?id=13 on http://themes.rock-kitty.net/?page=36 - works. May be a possibility. Posted question about the licensing. Sidebar before content.

Other issues

1. Added function_exists wrapper for the event calendar, feedlist

How to install the upgrade

So now I've got a running version and I want to install it in the production server. There's a discussion of "moving wordpress" that seems roundabout to me. Here's what I did -- assuming shell access on a site like Dreamhost.

Assumptions

1. Old Web files are in xxx.yyy.com, URL is http://xxx.yyy.com
2. Old Database is db1 in db.mydb.com
3. Test web files are test.yyy.com, URL is http://test.yyy.com

Steps

Core files

1. mv xxx.yyy.com xxx.yyy.com.old
2. mkdir xxx.yyy.com
3. Create a "this site is down" index.html in xxx.yyy.com
4. extract WordPress files into xxx.yyy.com

Database

1. Export the database from db1 to a SQL file
2. Create db2
3. Edit the SQL file to replace test.yyy.com with xxx.yyy.com
4. Upload the modified SQL file to db2
5. Edit wp-config.php to insert the authentication info for db2

Plugins, Themes, etc.

1. Copy the wp-content/plugins and wp-content/themes/ directories from test.yyy.com to xxx.yyy.com
2. Copy in .htaccess, if used
3. Copy in other files (e.g. replacements for core files that are needed by plugins) from test.yyy.com to xxx.yyy.com

Longer term questions

1. What criteria, aside from a resonance with the graphics design, should be applied when picking a theme?
   • Compatibility with a WordPress version? [I don't care about the need to add code to show/edit tags. But tracking down deprecated calls can be a pain.]
   • Good CSS standards -- sidebar after content, etc. But I'm not qualified to really list these.