Upgrading from 4.5.2 to 4.5.2.3

How to upgrade from 4.5.2 - 4.5.3h
This guide describes how to update Mambo version 4.5.2 to version 4.5.3h.

First of all,it is important to determine which version of Mambo *exactly* you are running.You can do this by looking in the "includes" folder in your Mambo directory and reading the file named "version.php".

If indeed you are running 4.5.2,you are advised to bring your Mambo up to version 4.5.2.3 before attempting to patch to 4.5.3.For this you will need the Patch_4.5.2_to_4.5.2.3.zip

The first and most basic rule is to back up your current Mambo files before attempting any upgrade - FTP* a copy of your Mambo folder to your PC,or at least copy all your Mambo files to a directory named "backup" outside of public_html, your server web folder.Take a back up of your database too.Here's how.or,at a pinch if you don't have phpMyAdmin,you can use this method though phpMyAdmin is preferable.

* FTP - Windows users should be aware of these issues:http://webtips.dan.info/misc.html

With your back ups safely stored,you can proceed to the next step.Take your Mambo site offline,there are two means of doing this.You can do it via Mambo's Administrator Console Site > Global Configuration > under the "site" tab change Site Offline to "yes".(you'll need to make configuration.php writable to do it this way.CHMOD 777 is sometimes the only value which works on some servers,and that is scary,even for a moment)

Alternatively,take a copy of configuration.php,open it in a text editor on your computer and set $mosConfig_offline = '0'; to $mosConfig_offline = '1'; upload this modified file in ASCII mode to your server,overwriting the old.You can also do this via cPanel's file editor - but take great care not to insert a carriage return (space) after the final ?> or you will get an array of errors all over the header of your Mambo site which will scare the heck out of you and keep everyone scratching their heads until they figure out the mistake.

Check that your site is now offline by accessing your Mambo URL - taking the site offline during patching is important because your server can lock files and prevent them from being overwritten correctly if you do not.

Next,simply unzip Patch_4.5.2_to_4.5.2.3.zip on your computer,fire up your FTP client and copy the extracted folders and files inside to your Mambo directory,carefully overwriting the corresponding folders/files.Basically,click "Yes" or "O.K" each time your FTP client prompts you,asking if you want to replace the existing folder/files of the same name.

** See this note from Asphyx:http://forum.mamboserver.com/showpos...21&postcount=5

That done,you can repeat the process with the 4.5.2.3 - 4.5.3h patch.

These are the official patch instructions from within the Patch_4.5.2.3_to_4.5.3h.zip

Mambo 4.5.2.3 to 4.5.3h Patch Installation Instructions:

Below you will find the steps to bring a Mambo 4.5.2.3 system up to the 4.5.3h version. This will NOT bring prior versions up to date. You should first try to bring prior versions up to the 4.5.2.3 patch level before applying the 4.5.3h patch.

Step 1: Backup your site (both database & site files).

Step 2: Take your site offline: Site->Global Configuration->Site Offline (YES).

Step 3: Extract all files inside the patch into your Mambo installation. The files are organized in a hierarchy identical to your 4.5.2.3 install. Let them overwrite the existing files.

Step 4: Log into the Administration system of your Mambo site, goto the Site>Global Configuration screen, click on the "Server" tab and turn ON register globals emulation. With a brand new 453h install this will default to ON, but with the patch you will need to set it manually. Leaving this OFF may cause certain site functions and/or components not to function as expected.

Step 5: Bring your site back online: Site->Global Configuration->Site Offline (NO).

That's it. Patch complete.Another alternative to the 4.5.3h patch is to simply replace all the core files in your Mambo directory with the full 4.5.3 package.

There are no database upgrades between the above mentioned versions.

Many thanks to maligned-geek for permission to use his upgrade guide