Upgrading OC to latest seems nearly impossible

Ok, I run multiple OC since several years and in general like the simplicity and rather inexpensive extensions available.

but since v 2.2 I really struggle to upgrade since so much has changed in code and since modules are no longer compatible (it also seems to me, that many extension dev's had enough of these code changes in between minor versions that break their modules).

If it takes you hours and hours to read through the OC forum and install scripts that suppose to fix the OC internal upgrade procedure, I feel like letting some steam out here:

I have just successfully updated 4 Prestashop installations within less than 20min!!!
All extensions still work, the theme/template still works and it's a fast and painless procedure.

I bet if the OC team is not going to improve their upgrade policy, they will suffer big time.
Just looking at the OC update instructions makes me laugh and pretty much sums it up.

Just my 5 cents... I'm done with OC for any new installations.

I've spent 3 weeks trying to upgrade from 1.5.6 to 2.3.0.2. Everything I've tried has resulted in an error I cannot resolve.
14 times I have tried to convert, or upgrade, or upgrade and convert. I've tried local, remote, using AMPPPS or XAMPP.
No MODs, NO Themes, fresh installs every time.

All result in an error. Posted some on here - no response.

Now I'm completely stuck with an upgrade I can't get to work So I'm looking at moving back to Cubecart

The safest error free way is to install a fresh copy of the version you want in a new folder in your hosting account, like eg yourdomain.com/testoc2303
Than install some extensions that allow you to export data from the 'old' version and import to the 'new'.
For the catalog there many excellent free extensions. For customers, orders and others they are mostly paid but still very affordable.
There would be no converting of any database tables as you are now using the local methods to save the data.

Once happy you simply move all files into the 'live' folder and update both config files to point to this folder. Iow remove the octest2303 from the paths.

Of course prior to moving you would take a backup of the old installation!

Worry free upgrade

But nobody EVER forced anyone, to try to UPGRADE a working software, NOT PLANNED or intended to ACT as upgrade for some existing 1.5.x Shops, in the first place. Or then, you would not have any of your problems.

But, for some reason, some always want to belong to the first, finding out. It's no difference to WINDOWS Users, many cannot wait, if something NEW comes out, despite of the Fact, that everybody knows, that Problems are waiting around the Corner. So, don't expext anyone to feel sorry with you, it's your own fault, trying to jump onto a NOT YET FINAL Version, still beeing updated every couple of months.

But it's of no Use, probably, to tell anyone, they won't listen, as long as they probably believe, to sell more, just, because their Shop looks a little different. It's an Ever-Newbie DREAM, but sure not a professional behaviour. And since OC NEVER advised or urged anyone, to update, because of security reasons, there is nobody else to blame...

just figured...
nothing personal !
Ernie

Reasons to upgrade are plenty. Otherwise we would al be driving t-fords polluting the air even more

better admin, bootstrap on both sides makes changes easier as everyone knows it by now and certainly makes dev life way easier, more payment mods, new mods are 90% oc2+, default theme much more current, new tech/javascript versions so no need to use compatiblity plasters (eg jquery 1.x), ...thus better speed and safer. Mmm some more probably

I've been trying to upgrade for 3 weeks and countless installs. All done locally so our live OC1.5.6 is unaffected.
I cannot get the upgrade complete no matter what I try. It errors at every turn

Please follow my steps and you'll be fine. I replied with the same answer on your other post but added more details here.
Don't take the walls with you. Just move the furniture.

So you are saying the only way to upgrade is to buy MODs that export from OC1.5.6 (of which I would need Customers, Orders, Products, Categories, Options, History etc).... and import into a fresh install of OC2.3.02?

If the available upgrade scripts don't work, I don't see any other solution. For me it is the only way that ensures success and like I said, extensions on OpenCart are very affordable. And also, you get to keep a working version of your previous shop, just in case.

artcore wrote:Reasons to upgrade are plenty. Otherwise we would al be driving t-fords polluting the air even more

Well, I would like to have a few of them in my Garage!
But I don't want to sound critical. I only don't miss anything, when it comes to be responsive, it's hard to even find out a difference, when looking at some of my latest Test Sites! And my admin is full of great and needed tools, still not existent anywhere else, by default at least.

I like to compare it with Windows, there is nothing, in latest WIN, I don't have, need, and use, in my beloved XP, and just to add problems, I did not have or knew before, I am just not willing to follow the Leaders, and playing Tester, for free!

But I am an old Man, so please be kind...
Ernie

IP_CAM wrote:

artcore wrote:Reasons to upgrade are plenty. Otherwise we would al be driving t-fords polluting the air even more

Well, I would like to have a few of them in my Garage!
But I don't want to sound critical. I only don't miss anything, when it comes to be responsive, it's hard to even find out a difference, when looking at some of my latest Test Sites! And my admin is full of great and needed tools, still not existent anywhere else, by default at least.

I like to compare it with Windows, there is nothing, in latest WIN, I don't have, need, and use, in my beloved XP, and just to add problems, I did not have or knew before, I am just not willing to follow the Leaders, and playing Tester, for free!

But I am an old Man, so please be kind...
Ernie

If 350 commits are not a reason to upgrade, then I don't know what is. There are some "real" bugs and issues in OC 2.2.20 and YES 2.3.0.2 is the last stable version according to OC.

I would never ever update a live site and none mentioned anything about this. I am talking about staging a site then trying to update to the latest version as there are real-live issues that need fixing since 2.2.0.

Just look at the github - but you probably already know what I am talking about. Maybe you are just trying to justify your position being stuck with OC and already having spent way to much time on this topic and now you must backup yourself. Don't get me wrong, I like OC and have built many sites with it, but the upgrade policy and procedure is complete utter crap. period.

Nordikota wrote:So you are saying the only way to upgrade is to buy MODs that export from OC1.5.6 (of which I would need Customers, Orders, Products, Categories, Options, History etc).... and import into a fresh install of OC2.3.02?

Forgot to mention you can hire forum admin and OpenCart guru Qphoria who offers an upgrade service. He's done 100s of upgrades and is considered pro in the community. He also co-wrote vqmod!

artcore wrote:

Nordikota wrote:So you are saying the only way to upgrade is to buy MODs that export from OC1.5.6 (of which I would need Customers, Orders, Products, Categories, Options, History etc).... and import into a fresh install of OC2.3.02?

Forgot to mention you can hire forum admin and OpenCart guru Qphoria who offers an upgrade service. He's done 100s of upgrades and is considered pro in the community. He also co-wrote vqmod!

Asking for a paid upgrade service just for upgrading to a newer OC version just doesn't cut it. Going by the Windows analogy someone mentioned above, Windows does not require you(at least in recent times) to hire a upgrade professional for upgrading to 8.1 from 8, and 10 from 8.1. Heck, even Linux servers we run Opencart on have a seamless upgrade cycle. Rarely anything stops working or breaks if you update Apache, WHM or CPanel.

However, with Opencart it is not simple. Even a professional server admin will not be able to update OC in the latest case without breaking anything. In the current scenario, it is almost a necessity to hire a developer to do it - even that does not guarantee upgrade would be downtime free. What ideally should & could have been a one click upgrade, is a quagmire. To upgrade the entire ecosystem(OC itself, extensions, themes, db) is a pain, to say the least. There is no onus on developers to update their extensions to the latest version either. I am myself stuck with several extensions which have till date not been updated after 2.2.

The fragmentation of versions(1.5.x, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3.x) is something that adds to the confusion. Why not get rid of older versions and force a community wide upgrade on everyone from within Opencart admin itself(with a backup and restore function, if anything goes wrong). This would ensure developers will have to update the extensions to stay relevant with only a single OC version floating around. A very good example would be comparing the mobile phone OS - Android and iOS - with Opencart behaving a lot like Android when it comes to versions floating around and upgrades.

Even Wordpress is a good example - all updates to Wordpress core and extensions are shown within admin itself, and everything is upgradable by a single click. And this is on a far larger extension/theme ecosystem and userbase than Opencart currently has. The argument that opencart is a cart solution and is different is again irrelevant here, since Wordpress has its own cart solutions. Both are PHP based, so why not?

I don't know how OC team handles the project upgrades and release cycles, but having been a project manager myself for a good decade and from what I have been observing on Opencart, I can say it is far from efficient. It is as if the Opencart team itself is trying to lose its own user base.

Don't get me wrong, I like Opencart much more than any other cart solutions around, and it is probably the fastest, lightest and the most customizable cart solutions available.

However, to say that the version upgrade process is fine and needs no rework would be a blatant lie.

It is not right to say upgrading data is impossible. I think users can use OpenCart upgrade tool if you can pay a part of cost for it and want to upgrade opencart latest version quickly. Migration tool helps to be sure that upgrading process run with no errors. You can try if OpenCart migration extension is suitable for your need.