Here’s a link with more information about the Movable Type 4 upgrade. This upgrade, like the ones that preceded it in prior years, was essentially painless and fairly easy.
First, I backed up my database using phpmyadmin, as described here.
Then I created a new database using Pair’s control panel.
The import via phpmyadmin didn’t work, though it has in the past when doing previous upgrades. Undaunted, I took the command line approach (the actual user, db and host names have been changed in the listing below):
#backup current production database mysqldump -a -u birdsong_n -p -h db6na.pair.com bs_mt32aug05 > atp.sql # delete recently created db mysqladmin -u birdsong_p -p drop bs_mt4aug07 -h db1nna.pair.com #recreate db mysqladmin -u birdsong_p -p create bs_mt4aug07 -h db1nna.pair.com #restore db from previously created backup mysql -u birdsong_p -h db1nna.pair.com -p bs_mt4aug07 < atp.sql
After setting up the database I downloaded the newest version of Movable Type, the 4.01 beta.
After finishing the pre-work, I turned to actual installation. Here’s the steps I followed:
- Created a new folder parallel to the existing installation and unpacked the files.
- Edited the config file to set the path and db parameters.
- Renamed mt-static to mt3-static and then copied mt-static from the installation directory to the production folder, alongside mt3-static.
- Visited the new site’s control panel, and as expected it churned its wheels for a few minutes and then announced that the database had been successfully updated.
I then made a test posting, and noticed that my page styling was gone. I quickly realized the problem had to do with the renamed mt-static directory, so I edited the appropriate template to reflect the new path and rebuilt the site.
And that was that. Total time, not counting time wasted trying to upload the backed up database? Maybe an hour, plus or minus 10 minutes.
After over 5 years, with just one brief dalliance with WordPress, I guess it’s safe to say I continue to be very happy using Movable Type, and I’m excited about exploring all of the new features in Movable Type 4.
Speaking of new features, here are a few things I’ve noticed so far:
- An entirely new interface, much more polished looking and so far I’ve been able to find whatever function or feature I’ve needed.
- Color coded syntax when editing templates! (Why not when editing posts?)
- Live preview: you see your posting with all page stylings; in the past the preview was much more basic and only showed font changes and images. Not a big deal, but a nice surprise.
- Autosave when composing a post; need I say more?
Anyway, I’m off to explore more of the goodies available with this great new release of Movable Type!