migrationjoomla2.5joomla1.5

Joomla 1.5 to 3 migration

Hey guys ive searched everywhere i can think of for a relatively simple solution for this :/

K so the predicament is as follows:

I basically need to go from Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 2.5 or 3 (whichever is easier) i didnt build the site originally but i did google my template and it does say that it is compatible with the newer versions of joomla.

is there any free way to do this migration and what pitfalls am i going to have to be ready for?

i have looked into sp upgrade(paid) and JUpgrade is also paid?

what are my options? im hoping all my plugins will also be compatible as there are no complex plugins installed only gallery and the normal stuff...somebody must have had to do this before?

Thanks for the help in advance.

Solution

  • This really not a big deal unless you are using components that are no longer being developed. To upgrade the main site -

    1. Download and install jUpgrade to the existing 1.5 site (http://redcomponent.com/redcomponent/jupgrade). Be sure to get the free version, it works well enough.

    2. When doing the upgrade, make sure to have it preserve module positions. You will still have to recreate some modules as not all of them are supported.

    3. Once the upgrade is done, install the new version of the template, then set it to default.

    4. Recreate any modules that were not automatically moved over.

    5. Install any necessary plugins.

    6. The last step is the tricky part. jUpgrade does not move all component tables, only certain supported components (K2, Xmap, etc). For any unsupported components you will need to follow the instructions for upgrading that particular component. The other option is to install the component on the new site then add the data manually though most developers have an upgrade path from 1.5 to 2.5.

    Since the original 1.5 site is not touched in the upgrade process, you should be able to use if for reference while working on the new 2.5 site. Once everything is done, simply move the entire file structure of the old site in to a subdirectory and move the entire file structure of the new site to the root. If all goes well, you can migrate a simple Joomla site in a few hours.

    Don't bother going to 3.x, it is a short term release. You can upgrade to 3.5 when it comes out.