How to update a Contao installation using the Live Update Service
The Contao Live Update Service is a commercial Contao add-on provided by iNet Robots, the company of the Contao founder and core developer Leo Feyer. It allows you to update your installation with a only few clicks in the back end, without having to download a Contao archive or using an FTP program to replace or synchronize files.
The update process explained ¶
Open the Contao back end and go to the system maintenance module. Enter your Live Update ID and click the Run the update button.
Choose a target version
On the next page, you can choose which Contao version you want to upgrade to. To additionally remove deprecated resources, select "Remove deprecated core modules and files".
Table of contents
The table of contents will show you the files of the update archive. Check against this list if you have modified any core files.
Creating a backup
Contao optionally backups the replaced files so you can easily rollback the Live Update. The backup archives are stored in the Contao root directory, e.g. LU200901281100.zip (year month day hour minute). To restore a backup, simply unzip the archive right in place.
Installing the update
Contao automatically creates or updates the new files and folders. Please note that this requires write permissions. If your server requires using the Safe Mode Hack, make sure it is configured correctly as described in this user guide!
Your installation is up to date
After running the live update, your installation should be up to date.
Troubleshooting ¶
99% of all Live Update issues are caused by wrong file permissions. Contao requires write permissions to manage files and folders, therefore if the Live Update does not work properly, check your server configuration and make sure to set up the Safe Mode Hack as described in this user guide! Unfortunately, there is a lot of outdated and wrong information out there.
Empty update archive
First of all, please note that the ZIP files in the Contao root directory (LU2009*.zip) are the backup archives and not the update archives with the new files. An empty update archive can only be recognized by an empty files list during the update process. In this case, go to the system maintenance module and purge the temporary folder (system/tmp). Then retry running the Live Update. If you are using Contao version 2.7.0 or 2.7.1, repeat the process up to four times if the update is not successfull.
How to get support
If you are having problems activating your Live Update ID or receiving the update archive, please contact the iNet Robots support. If you are having problems configuring the Safe Mode Hack or using Contao, please choose a support option on the support page.
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