Upgrading WordPress MU 2.9.2 to WordPress 3.0 (beta) with MultiSite

The main feature of the WordPress 3.0 is the merge of WordPress MU. However, upgrading from WordPress MU to WordPress 3.0 (beta 2) is not an automatic single-click process. In this post, I’ll cover upgrading WordPress MU 2.9.2 to WordPress 3.0 (beta 2).

  1. Replace WordPress Files:
  2. Download and unzip the latest version of WordPress 3.0 (beta 2). Delete the wp-admin and wp-includes folders. Upload the unzipped files to the server, overwriting the old files. Ensure that you overwrite all the files and pay attention to the wp-content folder. You must overwrite the files in this folder and not replace the folder with the new one since it contains the themes and plugins.

  3. Update WordPress:
  4. Log in to the WordPress back-end and follow the link to the Update Network screen to update all sites(blogs) in your network.

  5. Update wp-config:
  6. WordPress encrypts cookies but you must add NONCE_SALT code shown at the top of the admin area to wp-config.php. For example: define( 'NONCE_SALT', 'a<u3S[ g<.4I)#p^-iy?sbb3JPu+W~-Zk|aPLMN[TvoiHIKGI_bbB-h?iliBb2ra' ). This code will be unique to your installation. Add it above the line that says: /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */

    define( "WP_USE_MULTIPLE_DB", false );
    
    define( 'NONCE_SALT', 'a<U3S[ g<.4I)#p^-iy?sbb3JPu+W~-Zk|aPLMN[TvoiHIKGI_bbB-h?iliBb2ra' );
    
    /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
    
    /** Absolute path to the WordPress directory. */
    if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
    	define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');
    
    /** Sets up WordPress vars and included files. */
    require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');

  7. Update Rewrite Rules:
  8. The wp-content/blogs.php file was deprecated in WordPress 3.0 and you must update the rewrite rules to use wp-includes/ms-files.php. Delete wp-content/blogs.php and change it to wp-includes/ms-files.php in .htaccess:

    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteBase /
    
    #uploaded files
    RewriteRule ^(.*/)?files/$ index.php [L]
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !.*wp-content/plugins.*
    RewriteRule ^(.*/)?files/(.*) wp-includes/ms-files.php?file=$2 [L]
    
    # add a trailing slash to /wp-admin
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^.*/wp-admin$
    RewriteRule ^(.+)$ $1/ [R=301,L]
    
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
    RewriteRule . - [L]
    RewriteRule  ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(wp-.*) $2 [L]
    RewriteRule  ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(.*\.php)$ $2 [L]
    RewriteRule . index.php [L]
    
    <IfModule mod_security.c>
    <Files async-upload.php>
    SecFilterEngine Off
    SecFilterScanPOST Off
    </Files>
    </IfModule>
    

    wpmu-settings.php was also deprecated in WordPress 3.0 and can be deleted.

You should always backup your databases before attempting to upgrade WordPress. If you are not sure how to backup your database, you can find complete instructions in the WordPress Codex.

33 thoughts on “Upgrading WordPress MU 2.9.2 to WordPress 3.0 (beta) with MultiSite

  1. Pingback: Upgrading to 3.0 - WPMU Tutorials

  2. I just completed this yesterday, and this was NOT my experience at all. The original wp-config.php for MU did not want to work with the 3.0 codebase. The site also complained that there wasn’t any wp_* tables in the DB and it threw errors like crazy.

    If you run into these shenanigans, you might want to check out this article: http://otf.me/Am

    • That almost sounds like you were upgrading from WordPress 2.9.x and not MU. WordPress MU already has the wp_ID_* tables in the DB and shouldn’t throw any errors when upgrade to 3.0.

  3. Pingback: Actualizar de WordPress Mu a WordPress 3.0 | Ayuda WordPress

  4. Pingback: Cómo actualizar de WordPress MU a WordPress 3.0

  5. Pingback: WordPress MU 升级到 WordPress 3.0 的方法 | Dreamcolor's Cote

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  7. I’ve had to re-install WPMU since I didn’t have quite the same experience with the process as you seemed to have.

    As soon as I uploaded the new files (yes I deleted wp-admin and wp-includes) all my sites and admin was inaccessible. So many errors saying files/directories didn’t exist coming from wp-settings.php. I tried uploading the wp-includes folder to fix this (since that was where the said files were supposed to be), but that just made matters worse. I then got unidentifiable functions so I gave up and reinstalled wpmu.

    Anyone else have the same problems?

    • You need to maintain the folder structure when you upload the files. When you unzip WordPress 3.0, it creates a /wordpress folder but the wp-admin and wp-includes folder go were the old folders used to be. You shouldn’t get any errors if you overwrite all the old files with the ones from WordPress 3.0.

  8. Pingback: WordPress MU 升级到 WordPress 3.0 的方法

  9. I’l got into a mess would anyone like to login to my ftp and try install wp3 upgrade.

    a.t.m i’m getting this error to try and load the site!

    Parse error: syntax error, unexpected $end in /home/invest/public_html/blog/wp-includes/comment-template.php on line 990

    990 is the very ast line and it has:
    comments_number(

      • I’m getting in deeper trouble here.

        I have deleted the old wp-content folder and only have a database backup of the mySQL and tables, the uploads folder and plugins folder.

        I’ve tried to go in and do a full install again but getting a different error now loading the site -

        Fatal error: Class ‘WP_Rewrite’ not found in /home/invest/public_html/blog/wp-settings.php on line 219

        • Extract the WordPress 3.0 Beta 2 in your public_html folder or public_html if that is where your old installation was. You'll need to keep your old wp-config.php file and then copy your old themes and plugins folder to wp-content. That should take care of your problems.

          • Yep, that’s what it sounds like in theory but i don’t know why it’s not bringing successful results.

  10. Anyone face this issue i face in wp 3.0? when i activate a specific theme to a sub directory blog, the landing page for the sub directory blog is still the default theme but not the new theme that had been activated.

    • Are you sure you are activating the theme and not just enabling it for a blog? Themes can be enabled for blog form the Themes screen under Super Admin or from the Blog Options screen. You can activate a theme on the Themes screen under Appearance in the backend for a blog.

  11. Will similar methods also work with upgrading the regular WP 2.9.x install to the 3.0 beta 2? Just replace all the files and so on? I really need to have the 3.0 install as there’s a bug fix that I’m in an urgent need of.

  12. Pingback: How to Upgrade WPMU 2.9.2 to WordPress 3.0 in 5 Easy Steps - WordPress MU and BuddyPress plugins, themes, support, tips and how to's

  13. Pingback: » Migrating From WordPress MU To WordPress 3.0 Multi Site MaisonBisson.com

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