Upgrading to Newer Versions of Cerberus Helpdesk 4.0
From Cerberus Helpdesk Wiki
Contents |
Introduction
The officially supported way of upgrading beyond Cerberus Helpdesk 4.0 is by using Subversion. Subversion is a version control system which will automatically update your helpdesk files to the latest version.
The major advantage of Subversion is that it will attempt to automatically merge official code changes with any customization you have done. It also gives you the ability to list all your local changes to any project files, and to revert to an official version when desirable.
On Unix-based servers you can check if Subversion is installed by typing:
svn --version
On Windows-based servers TortoiseSVN is your best option.
If SVN is not an option you can fall back on using the zipped build of Cerb4. How do you upgrade Cerb4 without SVN?
Warning
Cerberus 4.3.0 changed the php requirement from 5.1 to 5.2 double check that before you upgrade.
Preparation
- Always make a backup of your helpdesk database prior to upgrading. MySQL backups are best done with mysqlhotcopy or mysqldump.
- Copy your framework.config.php file to backup.config.php
- Download the Server Environment Checker and ensure your server meets the current minimum requirements for Cerberus Helpdesk 4.0: http://www.cerberusweb.com/downloads/cerb4-servercheck.php.txt
Updating with Subversion
If your most recent prior update was before 10 June, 2008, then you'll need to follow the instructions at Changing_SVN_Repository_Locations to relocate your SVN.
On Unix-based Servers
Change to your cerb4/ directory and type:
svn update
Changing between stable and development (optional)
Note: You should not run the development builds in production.
To switch your files to the latest stable version
svn switch http://svn.webgroupmedia.com/cerb4/branches/stable
To switch your files to the latest development version
svn switch http://svn.webgroupmedia.com/cerb4/cerb4
Viewing the ChangeLog
svn log | more
On Windows-based Servers
TortoiseSVN integrates with your Windows GUI. To update Cerberus Helpdesk:
- Open the folder containing your Cerb4 files.
- Right-click in the empty whitespace of the folder (as if you were going to create a new file).
- Choose "SVN Update" from the pop-up menu.
You should be shown a list of updated files and the new build versions for the project. Press the "OK" button when finished reading.
Finishing the Upgrade
Permissions
You should set file ownership and permissions again after updating your files using Subversion.
Unix-based servers:
From your cerb4/ directory at the console (replace www-data with your appropriate Apache user and group):
chown -R www-data:www-data . chmod -R 0774 storage/
Permissions, especially on php files are a common upgrade issue. See Troubleshooting (below) for more details.
Windows-based servers:
Use Windows Explorer to set the appropriate write permissions on the /cerb4/storage directory for your IIS user.
Database Patches
Some Cerberus Helpdesk updates contain database changes which require a helpdesk administrator to finalize. This will prohibit all helpdesk activity (e.g., logins, scheduled tasks, mail parsing) to prevent any database corruption while you're between versions.
After your files are updated, attempt to log into your Cerb4 helpdesk instance as you normally would. If a database update is required Cerberus will automatically prompt you. Upon finalizing you should be able to log in and continue working.
Community Tools
Very rarely, the index.php file which drives your Community Tools may change during an upgrade.
How to tell if you need to update your Community Tool file:
- Log into your Cerb4 helpdesk.
- Click 'Communities' from the top navigation menu.
- Select any Community Tool to edit it.
- Click the 'Installation' tab.
- Compare the following line from the index.php output with your deployed index.php:
define('SCRIPT_LAST_MODIFY', 2007091502); // last change
- If the number is different you should replace the index.php file for your Community Tool with the new version from the helpdesk.
We're working on a way to make this check happen automatically.
Install Directory
A Subversion update will recover your cerb4/install directory. You need to delete this directory again, since it poses a security risk if left available.
Troubleshooting
If you opted for a "safe" upgrade by making a backup and moving your install to a different location, you may see a blank page or 'zend_cache' error in your browser when loading the Helpdesk. Try clearing the cache to fix this.
Occasionally you may want to force your plugins to reload after a simple update that doesn't patch the database and clear out the cache. Click 'Helpdesk Setup' and select the plugins tab to automatically reload them.
Linux Errors Caused by PHP File Permissions
When upgrading, SVN can change file permissions. When this happens, you may see several symptoms
- Cerberus fails to start and the browser displays an Internal Server Error page
- Cerberus displays in a browser, but nothing happens when you click some of the buttons or links
- If you have access to your server logs, look for errors similar to SoftException in Application or other errors indicating a specific php file failed.
If you are receiving the Internal Server Error page, check the permissions on index.php in your main Cerberus directory.
If you are receiving the Internal Server Error page or Cerberus fails to execute when links or buttons are clicked, check the file permissions on the php files (index.php in a Cerberus sub-directory, or other php file which starts the function).
PHP Permissions
File permissions are dependent on server setup and vary widely. Before proceding, if you have any questions about correct php file permissions, check the permissions on other browser accessible php files that are currently working or check with a server admin.
If PHP permissions are causing these errors, the permissions may be set to allow group or public writing to these files. Disallow writing to public and group. Then test your installation.
You can use CHMOD or an FTP client to set the permissions. With the exceptions noted in the upgrade procedure, all files within the Cerberus directory and sub-directories usually have the same permissions.
