Mini-Doc: Beginner's guide to creating backup/install cd of your site Topic is solved

[rscos]

This is all info I had to find and piece together when i first started out - and would have found usefull.
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Intro:
This overview guide tells you what's needed and gives an indication on how to create a cd with which to re-install your Joomla site from scratch with all the changes and customisation you have carried out. Although there are some very good extensions out there which backup your entire site, plus the hosting company's own site backups, I often keep a 'paranoia copy' - plus your customer may require a full copy of the site on CD.

Assumptions:
1. You are using cpanel, and have a basic understanding of Joomla, ftp, how to access cpanel.
2. You have installed Joomla, an additional template (not necessary but most people will)
3. You have created the basic layout you require, and added some content.
4. You have somewhere fairly secure to keep the backup CD

Guide:
1. Set up a folder on your local PC which will eventually become the cd - name it something meaningfull (ie the site name, status and date - eg. "mysite.com_initial full setup_30thJune2006" - from here, this folder will be classed the cd_root

2. Copy into this folder the full install zip of the base joomla installation which you used for the site (if you set it up initially with one version, then upgraded before taking this backup, then copy the initial install zip and the zip file you used to patch it to the later version - you could just jump to the full install zip for the version your site is currently running at, but the key here is to recreate the exact setup - ie. a known-good configuration). You may find it helpfull to copy these files into subfolders of cd_root - called, perhaps, 'Joomla Base' and 'Joomla Patch'

3. Also copy in the template install zip file (with any custom header images, custom css/html changes you've made included into the zip) to the cd_root - again, perhaps a subdirectory called 'Third party templates'

4. Copy in the install zips for any extensions - ie mambots/plugins, modules, components (note - this is especially important if you use things such as performs, php-shop etc which create their own fields in the database) - again, suggest a subdirectory called 'Extensions'

5. Copy in any images used in content on the site - use the same names as used on the site, and ideally in the same directory structure - although if your images only ever go into \images\stories\ then this will keep things easier (again, use a subdirectory called 'images')

6. [Optional] create a text / word file (can, and probably should be password protected) which contains usernames and passwords to the site including: ftp/cpanel login and pass, database username and password, database name, administrator backend login and password. It's your call whether or not to include this - if the CD falls into the wrong hands then it's a security issue.

7. Log onto the cpanel for your site, go to the backups app, and take a backup of the database which will be saved to your local pc as database_name.gz
Copy this file into another subdirectory in your cd_root ('database')

8. [optional but worth doing IMO] create an instruction text file, detailing in which order to install everything and any special steps required.

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For example, the instruction file could read:
This site uses joomla (http://www.joomla.org) on a mysql backend. To install, do the following:
1.install joomla base install note - drop existing tables when prompted
2.install joomla patches (if required)
3.install custom templates (if used)
4.install extensions (if used)
5.upload pics to xxxxxxx
6.via cpanel, restore the database
7. check site!
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9. Test it! (if at all possible) - but it's worth having a sandbox / model-office site somewhere you can test this on

10. Burn required number of CDs, again, label them something meaningfull, and probably label also with 'Commercial In Confidence' or RESTRICTED orwhatever yo ufeel appropriate - especially if password info is on there.

11. Check your CD can be read by another machine, and store it somewhere safe.


Feel free to elaborate on the instructions put on the cd - you may want to link to the joomla install guide on this site for example.