Manual Upgrade

This procedure is compatible with any version greater or equal to 1.4. For an older version, ask for help on the forum.

First and foremost, please do check Piwigo current requirements. Especially if your Php / MySQL configuration is NOT sufficient, do not go further as the upgrade process will fail.

Step 1 - Package preparation

Step 2 - Database preparation (Recommended)

Backup your current tables (3-5 min.)

If you are using a version from the PhpWebGallery 1.7 family or later, you can use the DB Backup plugin.
Previous releases users should have to backup their tables by other means, for example with phpMyAdmin [fig. A].

In any case, be sure to check the backup is exhaustive and has successfully completed (the result is sometimes truncated due to server limits).

[Our advice: unselect "Extended inserts" or reduce "Maximal length of created queries".]


[A] PhpMyAdmin recommended options.

Step 3 - File server preparation

If you're running Piwigo 2.1 or higher, skip this step.

Backup your customized files only or all files (5 min.).

  • Download the Prepare 2.1 Upgrade extension tool
  • extract the prep21up.php script and transfer it at the root of your Piwigo installation
  • open prep21up.php from your web browser http://example.com/photos/prep21up.php and you will receive an "upgrade21.zip" archive
  • On your computer, extract the "local" directory from upgrade21.zip into the "piwigo" directory (extracted during step 1).

Step 4 - Gallery preparation

Lock your gallery (1 min.) [fig. B].
With Piwigo 2.3 or earlier version: Configuration > General > Lock gallery. For Piwigo 2.4+: Tools > Maintenance.
From now on, non-administrator users of any gallery version should see something like: "The gallery is locked for maintenance. Please, come back later.".

[B] Lock gallery.

Step 5 - Cleaning

Remove all files of your current Piwigo installation, with the following exceptions, do NOT delete these directories:

  • galleries
  • upload
  • plugins
  • template-extension
  • local

Step 6 - FTP upload

  • Use your standard FTP client to upload the new release, ie the content of the "piwigo" directory (extracted during step 1 and updated during step 3), into the previous Piwigo installation directory
  • Check that your FTP client did not encounter any error

Step 7 - Database upgrade

Launching upgrade (2 min.).

In your web browser, open the upgrade.php script and follow the guide, http://example.com/photos/upgrade.php

[C] Starting upgrade page.
To avoid any upgrade by another visitor you are invited to sign on.
Your previous release is identified and you will get a summary of the upgrade operations; see [fig. D].
Plugins active before the upgrade will be switched off to inactive status, as they could fail to work with the new release and need their own specific upgrade.

[D] Upgrade memo page.

Step 8 - Check the upgrade result

Your first controls could take time because you are not aware of all the changes (15-120 min.).
You will see a list of all your previous plugins; some of them have been fully integrated in the core (like Plugins Manager), others are now distributed (like LocalFiles Editor), but any desactivated plugin has been so for a good reason.
Try to find an upgrade first; the plugins tabsheets can help you.
For themes and templates, keep an admin page opened in your browser in case you need to reverse any of your tests.
Don't forget that your members or visitors can have a specific selected theme which is not compatible with your new release. You'd probably better have to reset their theme in the Admin users page.

Step 9 - Unlock your gallery

You begin to be confortable with our last release, do not forget to unlock your gallery to give access to visitors (1 min).

Step 10 - Post upgrade cleaning

Nothing (0 min.)
Nothing has to be removed after any upgrade.
The upgrade.php itself is not to be removed.
Remember that the "No upgrade required" message and the sign-on process are protecting your gallery.
About this website · Donate · Contact Piwigo project © 2002-2013