Upgrading

= Updating your version of OpenSimulator =

Upgrading your version of OpenSimulator involves 2 major steps

1. Updating your existing data for the new version of OpenSimulator.

2. Updating the config files for the new [opensimulator.org/wiki/0.9.0.0_Release#Pivot_Release:_0.8.2.1]. opensimulator.org/wiki/0.9.0.0_Release#Pivot_Release:_0.8.2.1]version of OpenSimulator.

NOTE: If you are upgrading from a version of OpenSimulator prior to 0.8.2.1, then you MUST first upgrade to *0.8.2.1* and then proceed to upgrade to 0.9.0.0. Full details can be found in the wiki page found at: http://opensimulator.org/wiki/0.9.0.0_Release#Pivot_Release:_0.8.2.1

Updating your existing data
The first step is very easy. OpenSimulator has a data migration system which will automatically update your old database schema and data for use with the new version of OpenSimulator. This will be valid for many past versions of OpenSimulator (currently all the way back to OpenSimulator 0.6.9 and quite possibly before).

Naturally, we very strongly recommend that you make a backup of your old database first, but the upgrade process almost always occurs without a hitch. However, one could always suffer a power cut or other major computer failure during the ugprade.

[edit] If you're using SQLite, then you will also need to copy over the database files since these are in the OpenSimulator bin directory. These will be all the files ending with .db (e.g. Asset.db, inventory.db).

Performing this upgrade means configuring your new OpenSimulator version to access your existing database. This brings us onto the next step.

Updating your config files
This step is a little more involved. We don't recommend that you simply copy over your existing config files to the new OpenSimulator installation. Although this will often work, sometimes it's quite possible to miss new configuration settings which end up causing subtle and unexplained problems.

Instead, we strongly recommend that you look through the new config files and copy over the settings that apply to both the new and old config.

This applies to both the main configuration files (e.g. OpenSim.ini and config-include/*.ini) and any region configuration files.

SEE Discussion at Talk:Upgrading for examples of How-To Back Up & Restore your system PRIOR to ANY Migration or Upgrade!

Examples
METHOD 1: If Using SQLite in StandAlone Mode 1. Build the latest version from source (or download the binaries) 2. Put this new installation in a new folder 3. Copy the following files from the old \bin to the new \bin - All *.db files - The opensim.ini file

4. Look through the following configuration files and copy over your changed settings. - The opensim.ini file - The bin/config-include INI files - The bin/Regions XML files - The bin/estate_settings.xml (if it has been amended) 5. Launch the new opensim.exe

METHOD 2: If Using MySQL in StandAlone Mode 1. Build the latest version from source (or download the binaries) 2. Put this new installation in a new folder

3. Look through the following configuration files and copy over your changed settings. - The opensim.ini file - The bin/Regions XML files - The bin/config-include INI files - The bin/estate_settings.xml (if it has been amended) 4. Launch the new opensim.exe

TODO: Need to write example/instructions for migrating ROBUST. This is actually a lot simpler - one just needs to copy over settings in Robust.ini as appropriate.

= Changing the database used by OpenSimulator =

Since SQLite is our default database, there often comes a time when people outgrow it and want to move on to another database backend (usually MySQL).

An alternative method is to change to each region (change-region) before backing up their contents to a separate OpenSimulator Region Archive (OAR) for each region. Then change the database backend and then reload the OARs in each region separately. The disadvantage of this is that it's a little laborious if you have many regions.

You can use the "command-script" feature of OpenSim.exe to semi-automate this. E.g., create a file in your "bin" directory, called something like "dobackup", which contains the necessary commands, for example:

change-region My Island 1 save-oar MI1 change-region My Island 2 save-oar MI2 change-region Another Region save-oar AR change-region root

This can be run from OpenSim.exe by typing "command-script" followed by the name you gave the script (eg "dobackup"). Note that this will overwrite the previous backup of the same name.

Note that using a save and reload via the OAR mechanism would not normally migrate your avatar inventories (you would need to rez everything out to the region, convert the data base, and then derez them again to your inventory).