Upgrading from a previous version

Additional pages:{toc}

Before you start...

... read this because it is very important: Always backup the files and the database of your current installation!!!

You can do this using a database administration tool like phpMyAdmin and a file manager! If you don't know how to do this, you should not proceed but ask someone who knows or use the ComfortUpdate instead.

The quick way (for minor version changes)

You can use these instructions if you are doing a minor upgrade (for example from 2.00 to 2.01):

• Backup your files and database (Upgrading_from_a_previous_version#Before_you_start... did we already mention that?)
• Delete all the old files/folders except for:
  • /application/config/config.php;
  • /upload directory - NOTE: If you have any customized templates sitting under /upload/templates, make sure you refresh those with any changes from the new version. The easiest way to check for such changes is to file-compare your old template with the new version of the default template, and if you see any differences other than your customizations, a refresh is needed.
• Copy the new files from the new LimeSurvey package to the existing location.
• Open the admin page in your browser (e.g. https://www.example.com/limesurvey/admin) and check if a database scheme upgrade is necessary.
• After the upgrade: Clear your browser cache and cookies!

The thorough way (for big version jumps)

Unfortunately there are a couple of things to consider, so please scan the following instructions closely.

Upgrading from version 2.0x to 2.50 or later

• Please note that the template structure has changed. Your old templates will not be working anymore as the template system is now using responsive templates.

Upgrading from version 1.50 or later to any later 2.xx version

1. Download the latest version of LimeSurvey.
2. Prepare and backup the old installation;
   1. Backup your installation directory files and SQL-based database just in case;
      1. At the command-line level, make a .zip or similar archive of the whole installation directory tree of files. For example, in Linux 'tar cvzf foo.tgz cps100' will tar and zip the whole of the cps100 directory;
      2. Using phpMyAdmin or similar to export all tables; or use the database export function of LimeSurvey that is available in the Configuration dialog (under the Advanced tab) to backup the entire database.
   2. Copy your config.php file, modified template directories and the /upload directory separately for quick access later;
3. Replace all the installation directory files;
   1. Delete all old files in the existing installation directory;
   2. Upload and unpack the new code version into the same installation directory;
   3. If your previous version was older than 1.90: Copy any customized templates to /upload/templates - you will also need to rename each template directory whose name matches an existing template in /templates.
   4. Copy your /upload directory back to the old location;
   5. Double check the permissions set on the directories (write access to /tmp, /upload and and their subdirectories is required) as described in the Installation section;
   6. Open http://<yourdomain>/<yourlimesurveydir>/admin in your browser and follow the instructions (you can use the old config.php as reference). The existing database will be automatically detected and if necessary, upgraded after confirmation.
4. Check if any special manual checks apply as listed below;
5. Now clear your browser cache and cookies! and you are good to go.

  If you upgrade from e.g. 1.92, it might be necessary to first upgrade to latest 1.92, then to 2.00, then to 2.06, and then finally to the latest version (e.g. 2.55.x).

Special checks after an upgrade:

• from any earlier version to 2.xx:
  • The templates have been changed in a lot of places. Please check your customized templates if they are still looking right. If not you will have to edit your templates accordingly (check out the original templates to see what was changed). The upgrade process tries to replace the template.js inclusion by the placeholder {TEMPLATEJS}. If you have javascript issue with your custom template, verify if your template have the placeholder {TEMPLATEJS} in startpage.pstpl.
  • Proper question codes are mandatory now. After upgrade check the survey logic of all surveys and correct the codes where necessary.
• from a version earlier than v1.53: When upgrading from a version before v1.53 to the latest version, please check the global user rights of each user. There was a new superadmin right introduced in v1.53 that can give a user the same privilege as the master administration account created during the install. The upgrade script is guessing who to give this right to in the older versions. As this is not perfect, it should be carefully checked.
• from any earlier version to v2.06: From 2.05 to 2.06 some unused permissions when editing global permission for 'surveys' were activated. So if a user has any permission besides the 'create' they will be able to apply this additional permission on other surveys then their own. So please check the global permission of admin users that should only be able to see their own surveys and make sure they only have the 'create' permission assigned for 'surveys'.

Upgrading from version 1.50 or later to any later 1.xx version

1. Download the desired version of LimeSurvey.
2. Prepare and backup the old installation.
   1. Backup your installation directory files and SQL-based database just in case.
      1. At the command-line level, make a .zip or similar archive of the whole installation directory tree of files. e.g. tar cvzf foo.tgz cps100 will tar and zip the whole of the cps100 directory.
      2. Using phpMyAdmin or similar to export all tables; or using the LimeSurvey Administration button to backup the entire database.
   2. Copy your config.php file, modified template directories and the /upload directory separately for quick access later.
3. Replace all the installation directory files.
   1. Delete all old files in the existing installation directory.
   2. Upload and unpack the new code version into the same installation directory.
   3. Edit or replace the config.php file:.
      1. If your previous version was < 1.70: Edit the new config.php in order to reflect the changes from the backup config.php file. Do not just overwrite the new config.php with your old one!.
      2. If your previous version was >= 1.70: Simply replace the new config.php with your backup config.php file (as the file format has not changed).
   4. If your previous version was older than 1.90: Copy any customized templates to /upload/templates - you will also need to rename each template directory whose name matches an existing template in /templates.
   5. Copy your /upload directory back to the old location.
   6. Double check the permissions set on the directories of LimeSurvey (write access to /tmp, /upload, and to their subdirectories is required) as described in the installation wiki.
4. Finishing the installation.
   1. Once you open the URL to your LimeSurvey administration, the database tables will be updated after confirmation.
   2. Remove or rename the /admin/install directory as/if instructed by the installation script.
   3. Check if any special, manual checks apply as listed below.

Special checks after an upgrade:

• from any earlier version to 1.92: The templates have been changed in a lot of places. Please check your customized templates if they are still looking right. If not, you will have to edit your templates accordingly (check out the original templates to see what was changed)
  
• from a version earlier than v1.53: When upgrading from a version before v1.53 to the latest version, please check the global user rights of each user. There was a new superadmin right introduced in v1.53 that can give a user the same privilege as the master administration account created during the install. The upgrade script is guessing who to give this right to in the older versions. As this is not perfect, it should be carefully checked.

Upgrading from a version earlier than v1.50 (v1.0 through v1.44)

Since the data structure and a lot of other things were changed, upgrading from any version previous to v1.50 is NOT possible. If you have old survey structure files with a *.sql extension, the only way to get these into a newer version is to install version 1.50, import the .sql file(s) there, then upgrade that version to the most recent LimeSurvey version. Check the page related to how an installation can be transferred for more details.

Upgrade FAQ

What is the most recent LimeSurvey version that still supports PHP4?

The last release offering PHP4 support was version 1.82+.

Can I upgrade even if I have active surveys?

Yes, you can. Exceptions may be mentioned in the thorough instructions above. We strongly advise to test your surveys after upgrade to check if your design templates still work alright.

What is best way to port the *.sql survey structure files of LimeSurvey to the latest version?

Install version 1.50, import the file, and export the survey structure to the newer .csv format. The latest version can still read the .csv survey structure format.