There are 2 versions of the update instructions, the Quick Update Instructions or the Full Update Instructions. If this is the first time updating the software, or if you are updating from a version before 7.0.0, or if you just like having all the instructions right in front of you with nothing left out, see the Full Update Instructions.

These instructions are smart instructions: When you first view the instructions, you will enter in the product and version you are updating from. It will then generate a set of instructions specific to that product and version, only showing the steps necessary for that update path and skipping anything that does not apply, such as any steps for updating older versions than you already have.

We highly recommend using these instructions as they are much more thorough and include every step you might need. As long as you follow every single step in the instructions, you should have a smooth update.

Full Update Instructions

Note: Any sections highlighted the same way that this note is, denote version specific steps. This makes it easy to spot the "special steps" that are different than normal, for anyone who is already familiar with the update process.

These instructions are great for anyone that is already familiar with the update process, to use as a "checklist" so nothing is forgotten. These instructions are short and to the point, and may be hard to follow if you are not familiar with the update process. If one of these steps is not clear to you, we recommend sticking to the full update instructions until you are familiar with the update process.

<tip c w>Compatibility: If you are updating from a version before 7.0.0, use the Complete Update Instructions.</tip>

1. Turn your site "off": In the admin panel, at Site Setup > General Settings change the setting Site On/Off Switch to off and save the changes. <
2. Turn Geo cache off (if currently turned on): In the admin panel, at Site Setup > Cache change the setting Cache System to off if it is currently on, and save the settings. <
3. Create a full DB backup, and a full File backup. Be sure to "set aside" any built-in files that you have customized, for instance if you have replaced a built-in image with your own. <
4. Download the latest update package from the client area. <
5. If your preferred downloaded package was:
   • Wizard: If you choose the "wizard" package, double-click on the downloaded executable file, and follow through the steps. Problems with executable see here. If the wizard does not automatically start up the "web based" portion of the update script, follow step III in the zip instructions below. <
   • Zipped:
     1. Un-zip the file to your PC.
     2. Upload the files to your site.
     3. Run the update script on your site at upgrade/index.php.

< <

1. Restore any custom files if they were over-written. These are the custom files you "put aside" in step 3.<tip c w>Warning: Do NOT attempt to do this with a PHP file, where you keep using the same old PHP file in newer versions. Instead if you have made PHP modifications, re-apply your modifications to the new PHP file in the new version.</tip> <
2. Go to Addons > Manage Addons and update any addons that need updating. When updating, be sure to read any messages given in case special instructions for updating are needed. <
3. Turn your site "on": In the admin panel, at Site Setup > General Settings change the setting Site On/Off Switch to on and save the changes. <
4. If you wish, turn Geo cache "on": In the admin panel, at Site Setup > Cache change the setting Cache System to on, and save the settings. <
5. Delete the upgrade/ directory if you have not already. <

<tip c n>Note: If you have custom system, module, or addon templates¹⁾, don't forget to check to see if adjustments are required for your update! See Geo Updates & Customized Templates for instructions and tips to help you do this.</tip>

Are you worried you will have to re-apply your settings? Or wondering if your site design will be reset when you update? Below we answer some of the most asked questions about what an update will affect.

<tip c n>Note: Everything mentioned in this section is assuming you are following the Quick Update Instructions above or the Complete Update Instructions. If you skip any of the steps, such as the ones for backing things up, this information may not apply to you. </tip>

When you update, the following is a short list of what people tend to worry the most about, when asking the question of what is or is not changed. This is not a complete list, just the list of things people ask about most often.

<tip c w>Warning: The following is true most of the time, but there are special cases, the most notable from if you are updating from a version before 3.1.0. In such special cases, when you use the Complete Update Instructions, it will tell you about them specific to the product and version you are updating from. Those special cases are most likely to occur in feature releases where we tend to make the most changes in order to add new features to the software. We will also make note of those types of changes in the Release Notes, and will usually mention it in the forum post for the new release. </tip>

What is or is not Changed

• [Not Changed] : Most existing settings set in the admin panel²⁾
• [Sometimes Changed] : BETA settings³⁾
• [Not Changed] : Existing Users
• [Not Changed] : Existing user groups/price plans, and category specific pricing.
• [Not Changed] : Categories & any category specific settings.
• [Not Changed] : Existing Listings are left intact
• [Not Changed] : Existing Module settings⁴⁾
• [Not Changed] : Extra Page contents under Pages Management > Extra Pages
• [Not Changed] : Logged In/Out HTML Module Contents as set in admin panel.
• [Not Changed] : Existing text placed within the "mainbody" of the system. Any extra languages or translations to the text within the system is not changed. But note that almost every version update adds new new text to the system. This new text is added to all languages currently in the system but is not translated within any "non-English" languages. You may need to go through the language export to find any added text and translate it there. Any new text added to the system will be at the end of the export.
• [Changed] : Template files in the default template set under geo_templates/ directory. This will not be an issue if you did not overwrite any of the files in the default template set, like it instructs in this user manual.
• [Not Changed] : Template files in a custom template set under geo_templates/ directory. ⁵⁾
• [Changed] : Images in the default template set under geo_templates/ directory. This will not be an issue if you did not overwrite any of the files in the default template set, like it instructs in this user manual.
• [Not Changed] : Images in a custom template set under geo_templates/ directory.
• [Changed] : PHP files⁶⁾

For anything not in that list, the general rule of thumb is this: If it is a file, it will most likely get over-written in an update. If it is something you change in the admin panel, it will most likely not change in an update.

Here at Geodesic Solutions, we have gone through different policies as far as how to name a release. Beginning back with 3.0.0, we started a standardized method for the version numbers, to make it easy to know the nature of a new version just by looking at the release number. Below are the latest release naming policies. Note that these may change over time, so a "beta" release may have meant something different for a release in the past than what is defined below.

Each normal version will have 3 numbers in it, separated by dots.

The first two numbers in a GeoCore version now represent the YEAR and MONTH of that particular version's release. The third number will begin at zero and increment for any secondary releases (usually maintenance-level fixes) within a given month.

For example, the first GeoCore release of February 2016 would be version 16.02.0. If another release is needed during February, it would be numbered 16.02.1. A release the following April would be 16.04.0.

Sometimes you will see a release that looks like 4.2RC1 or 6.5beta1, these are "special" releases. Typically, a special release will only be made for major or minor feature releases, not for maintenance releases (see above). As such, many times the 3rd number is omitted, so that the "special" part of the version replaces the 3rd number. For example, 6.5beta1 rather than 6.5.0beta1.

Across the net, the terms may hold different meanings. Below is what each of them mean for Geodesic Product releases:

RC1 This signifies Release Candidate 1. It means we have done all the internal testing, and are ready to release the software, but are first releasing it to anyone interested in "trying it out". Typically we will only have Release Candidates on major feature releases, but we might sometimes also have them on minor feature releases too. We especially do this if there is some reason that a particular release has a "high chance" of causing problems. If anyone finds a bug in a release candidate that was not caught in the internal testing, we will fix the bug, do all the internal testing again, and then release a second Release Candidate. Once a release candidate has been out for a long enough time, with no bugs found, we make the final (non-special) release.

pre1 - Signifies Preview Release 1 - We rarely use this one. This is a release intended primarily for 3rd party developers, to give them a preview, or a "head start" on making sure their addons or code modifications are compatible with the next release. The "state" of the software for a preview release will vary, but typically the release will be considered "unstable", since it is being released sometimes weeks or months before the normal release, and should not be used in a live environment.

beta1 - Signifies Beta Release 1 - This is a beta release, for testing or feedback purposes, usually to test or get feedback on a specific feature or set of features. This is the most "common" type of special release.

Beta releases are not for everyone. It is provided for anyone that has the time and desire to try out new features we are working on and give feedback. They are not suitable for everyone, if you do not have the time or desire to do the extra work required to try out a beta version, we recommend to not use it. The point is that these are here as an added service for those that wish to use it, no one is forced to use a beta version.

A beta release may not be as stable as the normal releases. We do not recommend it to be used on a live site, at least not until you have tested it for yourself on a test location. The Geocore license is able to be installed on 2 locations, one for your live site and one for testing purposes so that you can create a test installation to try things out if you wish. If you do not have a test installation yet, you can find instructions for creating one using the Installation Migration guide.

These are available to anyone with GeoCore Classifieds, GeoCore Auctions, or GeoCore MAX, and have a current download access. If you aren't sure, just try to download the beta version, if it allows you to download then you have current access.

In the admin on the home page, where it lists the latest version available, beta releases will have their own checks and will show if there is a new beta version. When using a "normal" release, the latest version displayed will always be the latest "normal" release (non-beta release).

Problem: When running the update, you get the following error displayed:

Internal Critical Error (265):Progress data in database is corrupt (entries in `geodesic_upgrade_progress` do not match upgrades array). Please contact Geodesic Support.

Explanation: This can happen if the previous update was never finished fully, if the person that did the update did not click "finish" after the updates were run. Basically what happened is that the previous update progress was never cleared, so when you try to run the new update, even though it is some time later, the update progress from the last update is still there and it does not match up with the updates that need to be run.

Solution:

In 4.1.2 and above: In your browser, go to upgrade/index.php?resetProgress=1 - for example, if the software was installed at the location example.com, the URL you would go to is http://example.com/upgrade/index.php?resetProgress=1.

Or, remove the tables geodesic_upgrade_progress and geodesic_upgrade_queries using PHPMyAdmin.