09-09-2019, 11:15 AM
This is not a tutorial, but could probably be used in that way. It's a description of my experience today with loading a VERY OLD WordPress backup with the WP Duplicator plugin.
So today after @Pacific Spirits post about DirectAdmin I had to dig deep into my WordPress sites to find a blog I'd created for the Admin control experience of DirectAdmin. That was an interesting exercise, as although I had backup, the backup was Duplicator backup, and my WordPress migration tool of choice had been WP All-in-One Migration tool for many years. For me the faster the better, and the latter tool did that for me. Also, why I had dropped Duplicator at one stage was because of how strict it is, and therefore easy to conflict with the server one is using it on - particularly VPS. So I was wondering whether I'd get it to work for getting a VERY old backup (2016/2017) working again.
I thought that in preference to my VPSs that a cPanel such as at Gigarocket may have a better chance to succeed. And it did work that way. I then had to revisit a very old YouTube tutorial that I really like for brushing up on the Duplicator steps. And was happy to discover it still existed at YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_conti...07RAt-IkMk
So one of the challenges we're having at Gigarocket is that our Softaculous installer has not been renewed. Due to cost concerns of course. So what's nice with Duplicator is that in contrast with the All-in-one Migration tool where you have to create a new WordPress Installation first, you don't need to load a WordPress installation before you load the backup with Duplicator - you only need to create a new database. So in this case it was working better for me already.
The steps for Duplicator are very simple and easy:
1. Load the Duplicator Plugin on the WordPress Site that you want to migrate.
2. Then create a backup of your WordPress Site with the Duplicator tool: it will create an installation page and a zipped package that one downloads to one's computer.
3. Then next you have to set up the new domain at the Destination Server. Make sure the name servers have been changed. Then check that the DNS has propagated before you migrate the site.
4. At the Destination Server you have to create a new database and new database user, set them up together with all privileges, and write down the password etc.
5. Then get the new domain url up, click on the installation linked file, and it will prompt you to installation of the backup.
So after doing this today, I'm wondering whether I should move back to Duplicator, as I am worried that the All-in-one WP Migration tool is not as safe as it should be. Like maybe a more strict tool like duplicator would be safer. Or better yet, maybe I can use both tools to have two sets of backups. So if I have WordPress installation issues like at Gigarocket, then I can use Duplicator to create a WordPress installation without a WordPress Installer because there would be no need for installation of WordPress first. And if I do have Softaculous, that would make WordPress installation easy, then the All-in-one tool maybe the better one to use. Lots of options these days!
Any way, I was very disappointed in the end, as although I had made a good start on finding a VPS to test DirectAdmin from an Admin side of things, I never actually loaded one, so I guess now that HostUS has offered VPS Holders with UK IPs a free DirectAdmin License, I've finally got my chance to try out DirectAdmin from the top down in Admin capacity. Looks like I'm going to learn some new lessons again soon, unless it irritates me too much - I may not have the same patience I had when I was learning how to use DirectAdmin from the user side of things.
So today after @Pacific Spirits post about DirectAdmin I had to dig deep into my WordPress sites to find a blog I'd created for the Admin control experience of DirectAdmin. That was an interesting exercise, as although I had backup, the backup was Duplicator backup, and my WordPress migration tool of choice had been WP All-in-One Migration tool for many years. For me the faster the better, and the latter tool did that for me. Also, why I had dropped Duplicator at one stage was because of how strict it is, and therefore easy to conflict with the server one is using it on - particularly VPS. So I was wondering whether I'd get it to work for getting a VERY old backup (2016/2017) working again.
I thought that in preference to my VPSs that a cPanel such as at Gigarocket may have a better chance to succeed. And it did work that way. I then had to revisit a very old YouTube tutorial that I really like for brushing up on the Duplicator steps. And was happy to discover it still existed at YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_conti...07RAt-IkMk
So one of the challenges we're having at Gigarocket is that our Softaculous installer has not been renewed. Due to cost concerns of course. So what's nice with Duplicator is that in contrast with the All-in-one Migration tool where you have to create a new WordPress Installation first, you don't need to load a WordPress installation before you load the backup with Duplicator - you only need to create a new database. So in this case it was working better for me already.
The steps for Duplicator are very simple and easy:
1. Load the Duplicator Plugin on the WordPress Site that you want to migrate.
2. Then create a backup of your WordPress Site with the Duplicator tool: it will create an installation page and a zipped package that one downloads to one's computer.
3. Then next you have to set up the new domain at the Destination Server. Make sure the name servers have been changed. Then check that the DNS has propagated before you migrate the site.
4. At the Destination Server you have to create a new database and new database user, set them up together with all privileges, and write down the password etc.
5. Then get the new domain url up, click on the installation linked file, and it will prompt you to installation of the backup.
So after doing this today, I'm wondering whether I should move back to Duplicator, as I am worried that the All-in-one WP Migration tool is not as safe as it should be. Like maybe a more strict tool like duplicator would be safer. Or better yet, maybe I can use both tools to have two sets of backups. So if I have WordPress installation issues like at Gigarocket, then I can use Duplicator to create a WordPress installation without a WordPress Installer because there would be no need for installation of WordPress first. And if I do have Softaculous, that would make WordPress installation easy, then the All-in-one tool maybe the better one to use. Lots of options these days!
Any way, I was very disappointed in the end, as although I had made a good start on finding a VPS to test DirectAdmin from an Admin side of things, I never actually loaded one, so I guess now that HostUS has offered VPS Holders with UK IPs a free DirectAdmin License, I've finally got my chance to try out DirectAdmin from the top down in Admin capacity. Looks like I'm going to learn some new lessons again soon, unless it irritates me too much - I may not have the same patience I had when I was learning how to use DirectAdmin from the user side of things.