Unable to update Joomla from 3.4.8

rcecinati 2020-07-11 10:45:39 UTC #1

IMPORTANT, please fill the questions

We assume you are using Bitnami to deploy your application.

Which version of the application are you using?:
3.9.19
Please choose how you got the application: Installer (Windows, Linux, macOS), cloud image (AWS, GCE, Azure, ...) or VM (VMDK, VBOX):
Linux installer (bitnami-joomla-3.9.19-0-linux-x64-installer.run)
Have you installed any plugin or modified any configuration file?:
Describe here your question/suggestion/issue (expected and actual results):

I have a 3.4.8 Joomla installation, up and running, on Amazon AWS (mysite.com). As it's aged, and I missed to update regularly, I am trying to perform an upgrade to the latest version (3.9.19) , referring to:
https://docs.bitnami.com/bch/how-to/migrate-joomla
I am working on a backup EC2 instance (accessible on mysite2.com), leaving the production site untouched.
I have been following the steps in the tutorial, so I won't recall them right now.
The .jpa I am working on is the one obtained from the current Akeeba backup instance (Akeeba Backup Core 6.4.0 (2019-02-12)

After services restart , they look like up and running: sudo ./ctlscript.sh status
apache already running
mysql already running

But when I fire on my browser mysite2.com, I get the bitnami welcome page:

Awesome! Joomla! is now installed.

Access Joomla!

but clicking on Access Joomla! a blank page is returned (pointing to "mysite2.com/joomla") Ditto for the the backend administration "mysite2.com/joomla/administrator". No errors.
The Apache error log (below) refers to "Joomla\String\String" (don't understand)
Note: The IP 88.147.109.29 is the one my browser is seen from.

Thank you for helping!

Steps to reproduce the issue (if relevant):

Copy the apache log (if relevant):

[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.791856 2020] [ssl:warn] [pid 4014] AH01882: Init: this version of mod_ssl was compiled against a newer library (OpenSSL 1.1.1g  21 Apr 2020, version currently loaded is OpenSSL 1.1.1d  10 Sep 2019) - may result in undefined or erroneous behavior
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.792399 2020] [ssl:warn] [pid 4014] AH01909: localhost:443:0 server certificate does NOT include an ID which matches the server name
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.806149 2020] [mpm_prefork:notice] [pid 4014] AH00163: Apache/2.4.43 (Unix) OpenSSL/1.1.1d PHP/7.3.18 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.806168 2020] [core:notice] [pid 4014] AH00094: Command line: '/opt/bitnami/apache2/bin/httpd.bin -f /opt/bitnami/apache2/conf/httpd.conf'
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.806172 2020] [mpm_prefork:notice] [pid 4014] AH00171: Graceful restart requested, doing restart
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.836359 2020] [ssl:warn] [pid 4014] AH01882: Init: this version of mod_ssl was compiled against a newer library (OpenSSL 1.1.1g  21 Apr 2020, version currently loaded is OpenSSL 1.1.1d  10 Sep 2019) - may result in undefined or erroneous behavior
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.836999 2020] [ssl:warn] [pid 4014] AH01909: localhost:443:0 server certificate does NOT include an ID which matches the server name
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.846614 2020] [mpm_prefork:notice] [pid 4014] AH00163: Apache/2.4.43 (Unix) OpenSSL/1.1.1d PHP/7.3.18 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Sat Jul 11 06:36:25.846623 2020] [core:notice] [pid 4014] AH00094: Command line: '/opt/bitnami/apache2/bin/httpd.bin -f /opt/bitnami/apache2/conf/httpd.conf'
[Sat Jul 11 07:18:34.146190 2020] [php7:error] [pid 5195] [client 5.188.210.101:32966] script '/opt/bitnami/apache2/htdocs/echo.php' not found or unable to stat, referer: https://www.google.com/
[Sat Jul 11 07:34:24.802830 2020] [php7:error] [pid 5194] [client 88.147.109.29:36872] PHP Fatal error:  Cannot use Joomla\\String\\String as String because 'String' is a special class name in /opt/bitnami/apps/joomla/htdocs/libraries/vendor/joomla/registry/src/Format/Json.php on line 12, referer: http://www2.centrostudi-sv.com/joomla/installation/index.php?view=setup
[Sat Jul 11 07:37:29.652045 2020] [php7:error] [pid 5262] [client 88.147.109.29:36982] PHP Fatal error:  Cannot use Joomla\\String\\String as String because 'String' is a special class name in /opt/bitnami/apps/joomla/htdocs/libraries/vendor/joomla/registry/src/Format/Json.php on line 12, referer: http://www2.centrostudi-sv.com/
[Sat Jul 11 07:47:40.554467 2020] [php7:error] [pid 5194] [client 195.54.160.135:34592] script '/opt/bitnami/apache2/htdocs/index.php' not found or unable to stat
[Sat Jul 11 08:24:28.652349 2020] [php7:error] [pid 5198] [client 122.51.241.23:51750] script '/opt/bitnami/apache2/htdocs/elrekt.php' not found or unable to stat
[Sat Jul 11 08:24:30.082172 2020] [php7:error] [pid 5197] [client 122.51.241.23:52720] script '/opt/bitnami/apache2/htdocs/index.php' not found or unable to stat
[Sat Jul 11 10:06:02.188794 2020] [php7:error] [pid 5198] [client 88.147.109.29:38026] PHP Fatal error:  Cannot use Joomla\\String\\String as String because 'String' is a special class name in /opt/bitnami/apps/joomla/htdocs/libraries/vendor/joomla/registry/src/Format/Json.php on line 12

davidg 2020-07-13 10:02:49 UTC #2

Hello @rcecinati,

It seems to be a similar problem:

The first reply says:

Joomla 3.4.x is not compatible with php 7 as stated in the release
announcement.

So it seems you should upgrade Joomla to 3.5 itself first before migrating it.

I hope it helps

rcecinati 2020-07-13 16:40:36 UTC #3

hello @Davidg,
thankyou for your advice. I was considering

where I read
Software Recommended Minimum More Information
PHP[1] https://downloads.joomla.org/technical-requirements#footnote-3xPHP 7.3
+ 5.3.10
But I missed a footnote:
1] PHP 5.3.1 is required for versions 3.0 through 3.2. At 3.3, the minimum
is raised to PHP 5.3.10. Joomla! versions 3.5 and later are compatible with
PHP 7.

Before doing wrong again, is it correct that I:
1) maintaining PHP 5.3.30, perform an upgrade to Joomla 3.5 using the
update tutorial and Akeeba Backup Kickstart
2) install PHP 7
3) save a new .jpa with Akeeba Backup from php7+joomla 3.5
4) upgrade to Joomla 3.9.19
5) reload the backup .jpa from 3) w/ Kickstart
6) complete upgrade

It it the very last time I will have missed a major release, I swear

Riccardo

davidg 2020-07-14 08:59:51 UTC #4

Hello Riccardo,

Your steps look correct to me. Just to clarify, we have documentation to migrate Joomla, so the steps should look like these:

0) Perform a backup so you can recover the previous state if something fails:
https://docs.bitnami.com/aws/apps/wordpress/administration/backup-restore/

1) Maintaining PHP 5.3.30, perform an upgrade to Joomla 3.5. This is our documentation to upgrade Joomla
https://docs.bitnami.com/aws/apps/joomla/administration/upgrade/
but probably you will need to use this for your specific version:
https://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?t=963065

2) Launch a new Bitnami instance with PHP 7 where you can migrate your Joomla installation

3) Migrate Joomla to the new machine
https://docs.bitnami.com/aws/how-to/migrate-joomla/

4) upgrade to Joomla 3.9.19

Regards

rcecinati 2020-07-20 17:30:29 UTC #5

hello @davidg,
sorry for replying but my self-confidence on this matter is sinking. The only point which I was able to perform is 0) (i.e. backup) .
Then I downloaded the upgrade to 3.5.0 from
https://downloads.joomla.org/it/cms/joomla3/3-5-0/joomla_3-5-0-stable-update_package-tar-gz?format=gz
and copied to the root of my site, which is supposed to be
/opt/bitnami/apps/joomla/htdocs
then stopped services

$sudo /opt/bitnami/ctlscript.sh stop

and expanded

$sudo tar xvf Joomla_3.5.0-Stable-Update_Package.tar.gz

then restart services

$sudo /opt/bitnami/ctlscript.sh start

which starts properly. But from then on, all what I can see is the welcome page

Awesome! Joomla! is now installed.

Access Joomla!

and clicking on Access Joomla! a blank page is returned (pointing to "mysite2.com/joomla")
Ditto for the the backend administration "mysite2.com/joomla/administrator".

Should I install a brand new Joomla 3.5.0? But in such case I miss the advantages of a Bitnami stack, such as MySql, PHP and so on.

The hints you gave me
https://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?t=963065
seem to be only discussing about automating an update through "Upload and Update" or "Extensions » Install" , not how to migrate a particular Bitnami/Joomla version....
What I feel I am needing is a repository of BITNAMI versions (including the milestone 3.5.0) , not of Joomla versions (such as the one downloadable from https://downloads.joomla.org/it/cms/joomla3/3-5-0/joomla_3-5-0-stable-update_package-tar-gz?format=gz). )Is there one?

I don't know where to wander
thank you

Riccardo

davidg 2020-07-21 11:18:37 UTC #6

Hello @rcecinati,

I guess you are following this guide, right?
https://docs.joomla.org/J3.x:Upgrading_from_Joomla_3.4.x_to_3.5

Using method A worked for me upgrading from 3.9.0 to 3.9.1 (instead of 3.9.20 that is the latest one).

I have also found this known issue page:
https://docs.joomla.org/J3.x:Known_upgrading_issues_and_solutions

Here you have the installer for version 3.5.0-0.
https://downloads.bitnami.com/files/stacks/joomla/3.5.0-0/bitnami-joomla-3.5.0-0-linux-x64-installer.run

Note that you could use the same link for other versions, just changing the version in the folder and the installer (e.g. 3.6.0 --> https://downloads.bitnami.com/files/stacks/joomla/3.6.0-0/bitnami-joomla-3.6.0-0-linux-x64-installer.run )

rcecinati 2020-07-21 14:00:07 UTC #7

hello david,

I will be checking tonite
RC

system 2020-08-04 14:00:13 UTC #8

This topic was automatically closed 14 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.

Bitnami provides free all-in-one installers, virtual machines and cloud images for popular open source applications. Get them now!