Resolved automatic Joomla updates through Plesk

[onki]

Hi,

I was testing the Plesk application installer with Joomla 3.8.x.
I love the feature that it will automatically install Joomla updates.
How is this done. Is plesk using a special version of Joomla?
My question is because I want to use this feature with other existing Domains and manual Joomla installations.
So I could gat a backup of these Installations, install it through Plesk and then overwrite all files and the database content. But this only works if the update is done using an external module not with a modified Joomla.

Any help is welcome.

Best regards
Onki

 

[Bitpalast]

The Joomla version is nothing special, but an ordinary Joomla installation. However, when installed through the Plesk application installer, a link and some extra functions are created in Plesk for it.

When you install Joomla from a different source, you cannot link it in the same way to Plesk unless you subscribe to the Plesk Joomla Toolkit (this is NOT for free). More information on that can be found here: Joomla! Toolkit extension - Plesk

A "User Voice" request for a Joomla toolkit function alike Wordpress toolkit exists since 2015, but it only has five votes as of December 2017:
Autoupdate Joomla CMS (same as for WordPress Toolkit)
As a toolkit exists that can be bought from Plesk (see above) I doubt that developers will make similar functions available for free by user request.

 

[onki]

Hi all,

Thank you for this information.

I tried to use the automatic updates on my existing installations this way:

• Backup the whole site using Akeeba backup

• Note all important parameters (database, user, password etc.)

• Install a Joomla site on the existing location through plesk by using identical users, database location and user like the existing site with no sample data. After installation there is only a blank site.
• Clear all database tables in the current database to avoid that Kickstart (Angie) will create a "bak_" table. This will temporarily destroy the site.
  
• Restore the old installation by using Akeeba Kickstart using the same database and logins / passwords than before.

This will bring back the old content but keeps all database and user information into Plesk. All works smooth now but I will see if the automatic update works when the next Joomla version is available.
In case something is wrong I can restore my old installation using the daily Akeeba Backup file. If so I can also disable the automatic update in Plesk. But as long as the admin user name and database settings are identical with the existing installation it should all be fine.

Best regards and Merry Christmas

Onki

 

[onki]

Hi again,

just a quick feedback on my automatic update solution for Joomla.
Since there was a new Joomla version available I had the chance to test the auto update feature using my existing but modified installations.
It worked very well on all domains. I got a mail that alls domains had been updated to the latest version.
It took about a day from the first automatic announcement of the update through my website but as the update only had minor changes and no serious secrurity fixes this was OK.

I just hope that if there are important security fixes required, that Plesk provides faster updates.

Best regards
Onki