Setting up staging or dev copy

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rjcuser
Posts: 36
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:32 pm

Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by rjcuser »

Hi

I currently have a production version 6.1.1 running and want to set up a staging or development site of it, so that I can make some serious theming and styling mods to the template. Can I copy the site across and use the same database or should I set up a new database and link to this some how? Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks for any help or pointers.

Cheers
Richard
ISC Ultimate v6.1.1 - Windows 2003 Server IIS6 - PHP v5.2.13 - mySQL v5.0.51b
bart
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Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by bart »

I would create a new database for the test site. Better to make mistakes on that than the live site...
If you create a new folder say 'test' and install from there then you can import a backup with your store data and copy across the template files.
You can copy your files across then edit the config/config.php file with your second database settings and urls to point to the files within the 'test' folder.

If you want to keep everything very separate you could install to a server on your computer. If you install a WAMP such as Wampserver http://www.wampserver.com/en/ you can run php files on your computer and also not need to be connected to the internet to make changes. This can be useful for making changes to the php files as you then wont need to keep uploading changes you can work on them direct.
rjcuser
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Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:32 pm

Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by rjcuser »

Thanks

Cheers
Richard
ISC Ultimate v6.1.1 - Windows 2003 Server IIS6 - PHP v5.2.13 - mySQL v5.0.51b
mors3
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Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by mors3 »

Hang on a sec, what about the license? We've tried to get this sort of thing running on a local box (for PHP debugging) but then you can't get into /admin as the license blows it up?

Am really hoping we've missed something staggeringly obvious here as I'd LOVE to have a local version to batter and source control! :D
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Martin
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Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by Martin »

mors3 wrote:Hang on a sec, what about the license? We've tried to get this sort of thing running on a local box (for PHP debugging) but then you can't get into /admin as the license blows it up?

Am really hoping we've missed something staggeringly obvious here as I'd LOVE to have a local version to batter and source control! :D
There are copies out there that basically remove that protection.

That's the quickest and easiest way to resolve the issue... and as you have a license are developing, etc... then the legal issues boil down to Interspire basically giving you the middle finger on support of new domain keys, etc... In short, they've not a pot to piss in...

Obviously the above does not constitute accurate or even implied legal advice but you get the gist :)
mors3
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Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by mors3 »

Heh! roger wilco on THAT, cheers bud
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myshop
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Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by myshop »

There is a copy of ISC floating around that contains some dodgy code - I wouldnt be using it.

Why not set up a dev copy on the same domain - just stick it in a subfolder /dev or somthing - this way you dont need a new/different license.
mors3
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Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by mors3 »

:) cheers for that, totally agree, I don't want to be pushing out changes from a hacked version of the codebase to live, god knows what might be embedded into that muck.

After martins comment, yesterday I went and had a bit of a quiet dig around the code for license key management.

Tracked down a function call to ech0() in /lib/general.php (in my version of isc - 6.1.8) that carries through $LK, it looks like it returns false if the license isn't valid, so theoretically, if one were to make the returned value ($v) true irrespective of anything else that happens in the function (to ensure minimal impact on dev code so site should still react as similar to the live and staging versions as possible) the site will react as if the license key checks return a valid license key.

All is theory obviously, certainly not advocating anyone using this method to avoid license key issues, was an interesting experiment into how ISC manages its legal licenses is all.
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mors3
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Re: Setting up staging or dev copy

Post by mors3 »

Ok, got some more info on this, I'll create a new thread on how to set this all up :)
ISC Ultimate (et al) 6.1.8
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