Upgrading ownCloud to New Version Releases

ownCloud does not have a feature for automatically or for manually initiating the installation of new version releases. An administrator "update" feature (third party) is available, but will only work in a "traditional" LAMP server environment using ownCloud install defaults. Moving to a new release is achieved by installing a newly updated "one click install" Amahi package. Installing a new ownCloud release manually is also possible but can introduce security risks due to manual configuration changes. Reinstalling a new Amahi package is a safer practice than a manual install.

When there is a new ownCloud version release, any third party applications written by a "third party author" may not work as expected with a new release. It takes time for third party authors to update their applications to work with a new ownCloud release. Some third party applications can be "restored" from backups or re-installed from the ownCloud applications store successfully for a new ownCloud version release.

When moving to a new ownCloud version release the ownCloud Community has defined two activities, "updates" and "upgrades", as specific implementation activities.

• Update: Bring an ownCloud instance to a new "point release" (ownCloud 4.5.5 => 4.5.6).

• Upgrade: Bring an ownCloud instance to a new "major release" (ownCloud 4.5.6 => 5.0.0).

Updating ownCloud on Amahi

Use the following steps for updating ownCloud:

• Catalogue all applications active in the current ownCloud instance. Take special care to identify the "core" applications that were activated and third party applications that were installed.
• Review and document all ownCloud sharing techniques used in the current ownCloud instance.
• Do backups of the ownCloud database, binaries and stored files.
• Go to the Amahi Dashboard, Apps => Installed, and uninstall the current ownCloud instance. This will remove the ownCloud binaries and ownCloud database.
• Go to the Amahi Dashboard, Apps => Available, and install the new ownCloud release.
• Using a "terminal" connection, "cd" in to the ownCloud directory containing the binaries.

cd /var/hda/web-apps/owncloud/html

• Restore the ownCloud "config" directory from backups.
• Using a "terminal" connection and using the command-line OR an Amahi MySQL application restore the ownCloud database from backups.
• Login to the admin ID as usual.
• Navigate to Settings => Admin and the confirm new version release number.
• Confirm some of the other settings and make appropriate changes (file upload/download sizes, versioning).
• DO NOT turn the system over to users yet!
• Navigate to Settings => Apps.
• Compare the list of third party that were used in the previous ownCloud instance with the third party applications available in the newly installed release.
• If all the third party applications match then restore the applications from backups.
• If there is no match for the third party applications; activate the "core" applications needed, enable the third party applications needed. Please remember applications not available will take time for the third party authors to update for the new release version.
• Login to a normal user ID and test ownCloud functionality (i.e. sharing) and applications.
• If the prior testing was successful have other users test their ownCloud IDs.
• The update is now completed.

Upgrading ownCloud on Amahi

Use the following steps for upgrading ownCloud:

• It is extremely important that your current ownCloud instance is at the latest release number before the next major version release. This is important as there may have been some important meta data fixes (or other fixes) that the new major release is dependent on. If you skip this step the upgrade for ownCloud may have some problems.
• Catalogue all applications active in the current ownCloud instance. Take special care to identify the "core" applications that were activated and third party applications that were installed.
• Review and document all ownCloud sharing techniques used in the current ownCloud instance.
• Disable all third party applications (not the "core" applications).
• Do backups of the ownCloud database, binaries and stored files.
• Go to the Amahi Dashboard, Apps => Installed, and uninstall the current ownCloud instance. This will remove the ownCloud binaries and ownCloud database.
• Go to the Amahi Dashboard, Apps => Available, and install the new ownCloud release.
• Using a "terminal" connection, "cd" in to the ownCloud directory containing the binaries.

bash code
​cd /var/hda/web-apps/owncloud/html​

• Restore the ownCloud "config" directory from backups.
• Using a "terminal" connection and using the command-line OR an Amahi MySQL application restore the ownCloud database from backups.
• Login to the admin ID as usual.
• Navigate to Settings => Admin and the confirm new version release number.
• Confirm some of the other settings and make appropriate changes (file upload/download sizes, versioning).
• DO NOT turn the system over to users yet!
• Navigate to Settings => Apps.
• Activate "core" applications that were used in the previous ownCloud instance.
• Compare the list of third party applications that were used in the previous ownCloud instance with the third party applications available in the newly installed release.
• Enable the third party applications that are available. Please remember applications not available will take time for the third party authors to update for the new release version.
• Login to a normal user ID and test ownCloud functionality (i.e. sharing) and applications.
• If the prior testing was successful have other users test their ownCloud IDs.
• The upgrade is now completed.

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