Upgrade Typo3 3.8.0 to 4.2.0 (and PHP 4 to PHP 5)¶

What is this document for?¶

This tutorial contains a well structured 10-step-guide (or even more :-) to upgrade Typo3 version 3.8.0 (PHP 4.x.x) to Typo3 version 4.2.x (PHP 5.x.x), which means upgrading both Typo3 and PHP. It will consider data security as well as ease of execution of the following logical steps. While TYPO3 3.8.0 can be run with PHP 4.x.x, TYPO3 > 4.2.0 requires PHP 5. That is the reason both has to be upgraded (PHP & TYPO3).

What is the target group?¶

This document is addressed to Typo3 administrators and developers.

Why upgrade to PHP5?¶

Never Typo3 versions > 4.2.0 can only be used with PHP 5.x.x.

Does these steps here fit to all installations?¶

No! This tutorial is just a documentation of what I had to do during the upgrade. It may give you hints what steps have to be performed and what you should think about. But you should also keep in mind, that each installation is different and there are always specific tasks for each upgrade.

Any Hints or Suggestions?¶

If you have any hints or suggestions (not basic questions), you may send them to me (see contact data in the document header).

Upgrade Typo3 Database and Extension Tables¶

Go to your Backend. Under “Tools”, click the link “Install”.

Under “Database Analyser”, click the link “COMPARE”.

Database Analyser reads the “.sql”-files from TYPO3 core and extensions. Then it reads the meta data from the MySQL database. These two definitions will be compared. As a result of this automatic procedure, you will get a list which is divided in different parts:

Add fields

• Change fields
• Delete unused fields
• Add Tables
• Delete Tables

Each entry has a checkbox, which defines if the action will be performed after a click on the button “Write to database”.

**ATTENTION:** Check each entry carefully! Escpecially if you have added own fields to TYPO3 or extension tables!!! Don’t delete fields you still need.

Upgrade Static and Description Tables

The tables beginning with “static_” are delivered with TYPO3 and should not be changed. These tables have to be updated as well.

ATTENTION: Be sure you did not change any table beginning with “static_”.

Go to “Database Analyser” again, then press “IMPORT” under Dump static data.

Activate checkbox “Import the whole file …” and press the button “Write to database”.

In the next step you can initialize cache tables. Mark the following entries and press “Write to database” again.

The next step clears the backend user preferences. Press “Write to database” again.

Clear Typo3 Cache¶

Clear both – FE cache and cache in typo3conf/:

**ATTENTION:** Please check via FTP, that all “temp_CACHED…” files in the folder typo3conf/ are deleted.

Switch On Debugging¶

In order to check errors it is good to switch debugging on while you are testing your upgraded Typo3 installation.

Go to the part „configuration“ in your Typo3 backend:

Under the tree item „SYS“ you can configure the debugging:

Set the following parameters in you localconf.php:

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['FE']['debug'] = '1';

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['SYS']['sqlDebug'] = '1';

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['SYS']['Debug'] = '1';

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['SYS']['displayErrors'] = '1';

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['SYS']['devIPmask'] = '*';

Change of Charset to UTF-8¶

Since version 4.2.0 the charset is set to UTF-8. This means you might need to change special characters. The best is to use HTML signs for special chars! A good resource for this is http://www.asciitable.com/

Own Classes and Database Connections¶

If you have own classes and database connections (even in external files and included over content type PHP), you need to change them as well! Check that the right database is being selected and all paths are correct! I had global Typo3 errors, because of errors raised in external PHP files.

RTEHtmlArea Now a System Extension¶

If you use the wysiwyg editor RTEHtmlArea then there is a surprise: This extension is now a system extension and already being delivered with the Typo3 installation. Be sure to deinstall and maybe delete your local version. Then clear all cache and install the delivered system extension. If the editor is not being displayed, the error might be that your local installation is not properly undone.

If the editor is still not being displayed (I had this problem), then be sure you have set the following parameter in localconf.php:

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['BE']['RTEenabled'] = 1;

Once correctly installed you may wish to use all options the RTEHtmlArea. Therefore select the following options preset:

This will show everything. Works fine for me, even if it says „Not for production environments.“.

Replace Paths to New Directory¶

Be sure that you have replaced all paths from the old installation directory to the new one. A good way to do this for content in your new Typo3 installation is using „DB check“. For this log on to your Typo3 backend an choose „DB check“. Then select „Search whole database“:

Select „Raw Search in all fields“ as search method and search for the old path:

You can update this directly by using the symbol:

Update Date2Cal Extension¶

I had installed the date2cal extenion, which makes date fields in the backend selectable by a calendar:

I needed to update this extension to a new version. Then it worked again.

Languages Configuration and Flags¶

I needed to change my secondary website language, because new flags were delivered:

TT_News locallang.xml¶

My tt_News did not work anymore. Error message was something like „invalid locallang.xml“. I have downloaded the single file „locallang.xml“ from the Typo3.org repository. Then it worked for me. Be sure to download locallang.xml for the right version of your tt_news installation.

Check and Correct Indexed Search Engine¶

The indexed search did not work anymore. Here you may use a new configuration for it. I have decided to use the old version as it was easy to implement again.

Reindex Alll Pages¶

Clear all cache and index tables in your database (index_*, cache_*). Then you have to reindex the entire site. A good way to reindex an entire website is an offline browser like HTTRACK http://www.httrack.com/ . With the call of each site, the called sites will be indexed.

Scrollbars Missing in the Template Frameset¶

In the backend while editing a template in the object browser: The left scrollbar was missing. So I had to change the file typo3/alt_mod_frameset.php by changing „frame list_frame option scrolling=" **yes"** “.

Update Dh_LinkLayout¶

I had installed the extension dh_linklayout, which enables you to configure an own rendering for your links. After the upgrade it did not work anymore. I needed to reinstall it and configure it new.

Performance Enhancements¶

It is, especially when you let host your site by en external hosting provider, advisable to check the Typo3 performance. I had several problems after the upgrade. Things you can do are:

**Set Memory Limit**

ini_set("memory_limit", "45M"); in index.php

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['SYS']['setMemoryLimit'] = 45; in localconf.php

(Set the memory limit to as small as possible.Around 45 seemed fine for me.)

**Index on MySQL tables**

Check especially that large and often used database tables are inddexed correctly.

**Load Control**

It may be necessary, especially if you have a low performance server of a public hosting company, that you limit number of users and reloads of your website. Therefore I am currently developping a new extension. See point „Typo3 Load Control“ later in this document.

Own Page Content Type from USER to USER_INT (if Cache is used)¶

If you use Typo3 cache system and you use a custom rendering part in your template of type „USER“ you may change it to „USER_INT“. This way the content will be dynamic (important for counters etc.).

Configure System Parameters¶

You may need to do the following things:

• Remove debugging parameters (see point switch on debugging)
• Deactivate install tool
• Set the following parameters, if necessary in the localconf.php

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['FE']['maxSessionDataSize'] = x;

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['FE']['lifetime'] = x;

$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['FE']['maxSessionDataSize'] = x;

(x = number)

Typo3 Load Control (Upcoming Extension mv_typo3_load_control)¶

It may be necessary, especially if you have a low performance server of a public hosting company, that you limit number of users and reloads of your website. Therefore I am currently developping a new extension called „mv_typo3_load_control“.

That was it :-)

Upgrade Typo3 3.8.0 to 4.2.0 - 13