Clone wordpress to a DA-user who doesnt't have a domain name - yet

[Teubl]

Hi there,

We are creating a new wordpress-site. The domain name resides elsewhere, so we'll be pointing that DNS to our server-ip later.
We created a devsite on a subdomain of another DA-user on our VPS. This way we can easily work there - as the live domain name already existed (and i don't want to change the localhosts and i want to see the current site's content.)

Q: (How) can i clone a wordpress-site to a new created DA-user X who doesn't have a domain name yet? We're using Installatron in DA to clone wordpress-sites.

Or could we - once the devsite is ready to go live - do the following:
- in DA add the real domain name to specific user X;
- (externally) redirect the DNS;
- clone the wordpress to specific user X;

It feels a bit like a chicken and egg story..

Regards, Teubl

 

[DrWizzle]

Don't use Installatron, found it awful to use.

Easiest way in this instance, as you don't have the domain to go to yet is to download a plugin called "Duplicator" in Wordpress. Open the plugin and create a backup with it. It's simply 2 or 3 clicks. THere are 2 options you can use:

Full backup
DB Only (and then manually copy files across)

When it's backed up, download the installer.php and site.zip file from the plugin and keep them safe.

Upload both files to new server in the folder you want the new site to reside and run the installer.php script from a browser.

Make sure you have a new MySQL/MariaDB DB created before you run the installer as this is required. The installer only wants a valid DB connection to load DB into, and will rename everything in the config files and change all traces of old domain to the new one. Installer screen looks like this

Under the settings tab it will tell you what the site used to be called, the old path and domain, and will tell you where the site will be installed, and the new domain and path taken from the PHP and environment variables.

When done, log into the admin of your wordpress site with the link the installer script gives you and it will delete all the backup files as a security measure.

All in all, you can literally migrate a site and have it up and running in under 10 mins this way.

There are other ways, but this is the easiest i've found in certain instances.

 

[Teubl]

Hi DrWizzle,

That looks like a solid way. However, how would i access the DA-user's FTP without it having a domain-name assigned to it? (normally, i'd use Filezilla with host:ftp.domainname.here)

Add: Ah i can access FTP through ip and user. Let's see how far we can get.

Cheers, Teubl

 

[DrWizzle]

Log into the DirectAdmin control panel on new server and upload the 2 files with the file manager.

On the DirectAdmin CP you would've created the account and the domain i'm guessing, so the directory and file structure will be there already, You don't need the domain pointing to the new server yet to create the hosting account. You can get new server ready and prepped beforehand. Then, about an hour before when you're ready, adjust the A record for the domain to the new server IP and run the script as soon as domain resolves.

(A quick way to do this would be to set A record TTL to 5 on the DNS Master and let the cached copies of A record round the planet timeout. That way, when you change to new server, A record propagation would be pretty much instant due to 5 second TTL. Change TTL back to 3600 once domain resolves to new server )

Alternatively, if you have the new servers IP address, provided FTP uploads are allowed by admin on your DA server, use either the hostname of the server (if FQDN resolves) or simply the Server IP address, and login with your account username and password. PureFTP will see these details and log you into your selected users jailed environment.

 

[Teubl]

Ah, you mean just add the real domain-name beforehand in DA.
Then i wouldn't be able to access the site, but through the backend/ftp i could set everything up.
After that make the DNS redirect to it.

One thing that comes to mind, whether i should take SSL into account? (using Lets Encrypt here).

Sounds like a plan. Thanks sofar!

 

[DrWizzle]

Yes, Upload with either FTP (Port 21) SFTP (Port 23) of via the Control Panel File Manager.

Basic settings outlined below. Won't be every setting you need to do, but you get the gist.

Step 1: Install and setup your DA Server (And setup nameservers if you're using the DNS on DA Server)
Step 2: Create the user account, package and domain. DNS Records will automatically be created ready to use - This will NOT affect operations of the existing site on the other server.
Step 3: Upload the 2 files you created ready to install.
Step 4: Change your DNS A Records at Domain Registrar, or update nameservers when you're ready to perform swap
Step 4a: Create a database and make a note of login details
Step 5: When Domain resolves, run installer script
Step 6: Install SSL Cert. This can be done before you install the script or after, but domain must resolve or ACME will fail and refuse to issue a cert.
Step 7: Log into WP and tweak as needed

** Footnote **
If using CSF and LFD with Directadmin, just double check the FTP ports are open (they should be) before you try and upload files via (S)FTP