Upgrading an SMF forum is easy! It can be done in six quick and simple steps:
Download the Upgrade Archive
The latest SMF upgrade package can be found on the "Download" page of our website.
First, you should download the latest version of SMF. Most of the time, .zip files are the preferred download type by forum administrators. Most operating systems have the tools available to extract .zip archives already installed.
Extract the SMF Archive and Upload the Files to Your Website
The SMF upgrade archive contains files that need to be copied to the correct place on your website before the upgrader can be executed. Wherever these files are located on the server, that is where your forum will be located. Extracting before uploading is usually the simplest method. If your host provides the necessary tools, you can try uploading before extracting.
You will need to use either FTP (in binary mode) or the tools in your hosting account's control panel (for more information on the control panel supplied by your hosting service, please see the documentation provided by your hosting service).
SMF can be uploaded to the site root, or to a directory on the site, such as www.yourdomain.com/forum.
Extracting Before Uploading
This is the way most people do it. It is easy, but can take longer.
- Extract the archive, usually by right-clicking the archive and selecting the "Extract All" option. When the upgrade archive is extracted, a new folder should be created with all the files and directories in the correct places.
- Set your FTP client for binary transfer, select all the files and folders and copy them to the directory where you want to locate your forum.
Uploading Before Extracting
Some control panels, such as cPanel, give the ability to extract an archive right on the server. This can be a quicker than waiting for all the extracted files to copy via FTP. First, upload the file via your account's control panel. Second, select the extract option to extract the archive to the desired location -- the directory where you want your forum to be located.
Set File Permissions
After the upgrade archive has been uploaded and extracted, you must set the files' permissions. This option is commonly called CHMOD. The correct CHMOD setting for SMF files is either 777, 775 or 755, depending on your hosting service. There are two methods for this step, the method used depends on the hosting service you are using.
Setting File Permissions With the Upgrading Tool
The SMF upgrading tool can set file permissions simply and easily. If you navigate to the directory where SMF is located, it should redirect you to the upgrade.php file and prompt the upgrade tool. In example: www.yourdomain.com/forum/upgrade.php. If the upgrade detects files that need their permissions adjusted, it will prompt for FTP details so it can set CHMOD for the install. This may not work on some servers.
Setting File Permissions With FTP
Using a control panel or FTP client, file permissions can be changed quickly and easily. Usually, FTP programs will allow permissions to be changed by right-clicking files/directories and selecting "Properties", "Attributes" or "Permissions". The desired numerical value can be entered, or if provided, check boxes can be changed.
The following files and directories should have CHMOD values of 777, 775 or 755:
- /attachments
- /avatars
- /Packages
- /Packages/installed.list
- /Smileys
- /Themes
- /Themes/default/languages/Install.english.php
- agreement.txt
- Settings.php
- Settings_bak.php
- upgrade.php
Back up the Database
Before starting the upgrade process, a backup of the live database should be taken. This protects the forum from accidental damage and any issues from upgrading. Although all steps are taken, and extensive testing carried out, sometimes issues develop. Therefore, having a backup is crucial. The upgrading tool can backup all database tables before it runs, however the best practice is to have a full backup available.
Back up a database using SMF
From SMF, navigate to Forum Maintenance. (Administration Center -> Maintenance -> Forum Maintenance) On the database section, save the data and the structure. Then, compress the file. Select "Download" and wait for the database to complete the download completely. It is recommended if you use this method to verify that the backup is complete by opening the file and checking the last line. If the file is not complete and has an error please try one of the other methods to backup your database.
Back up a database using PHPMyAdmin
PHPMyAdmin gives the option to export a database, from the initial page, select the "Export" option and follow the instructions. Select your SMF database. These are different based on host.
Back up a database using a control panel
If your hosting service provides a control panel interface, this can be used to back up a database. Selecting the "Backups" or "Backups Wizard" options should take you to a page, prompting you to back up your database. With different hosts, these options may have different titles.
Run the Upgrading Tool
The final step in upgrading SMF, is to run the upgrading tool. Navigate to the directory where SMF is located. It should redirect you to the upgrade.php file and prompt you to run the upgrade. In example: www.yourdomain.com/forum/upgrade.php.
Upgrade Settings
- Backup database with the prefix "backup_"
- Selecting this option will get the upgrade tool to copy all data in the database before upgrading within the original database.
- Maintenance Mode
- Selecting this option will place the forum into maintenance mode while upgrading rather than showing errors, this is highly recommended.
- Output extra debugging information.
- The upgrade tool can give detailed information while performing an upgrade by selecting this option, it will aid the support team to solve any errors if they occur while upgrading.
Finishing the Upgrade Process
Once all parts of the upgrade have completed, check the box to remove the upgrade files from the server. If this does not work, they will need to be deleted via FTP. All upgrade files should be removed from the server once the upgrade process is complete. They are a major security risk if they are left on a server unattended. Once SMF has been upgraded, they are no longer needed. The upgrade.php file will be the only file that needs to be removed.
