(1) Backup Magento using the built in backup tool. Download and uncompress the resulting SQL script. If changing the server or domain, search and replace “old.mysite.com” with “new.yoursite.com” Execute it to populate the new database instance.

(2) Copy all Magento files with the exception of the contents of the var/ directory.

(3) Edit app/etc/local.xml on the target instance and change the database, user and password, but not the encryption key.

(4) Execute the following SQL to prevent those nasty “Integrity constraint violation: 1062 Duplicate entry” errors from the log files when adding to the basket:

TRUNCATE `log_customer` ;
TRUNCATE `log_quote` ;
TRUNCATE `log_summary` ;
TRUNCATE `log_url` ;
TRUNCATE `log_url_info` ;
TRUNCATE `log_visitor` ;
TRUNCATE `log_visitor_info` ;
TRUNCATE `log_visitor_online` ;

Now tidy up permissions:

chmod o+w var var/.htaccess app/etc
chmod -R o+w media

That should be it.

http://www.fliptextgenerator.com/

Uses apparently little-known character codes to invert most text (struggles with capitals).

http://www.freemaptools.com

At the auto-upgrade is a new feature of 2.7, I had never been able to test this functionality, although I had high expectations of it since the plugin upgrade has worked so well.

After searching the forums and Google for a while I found bassmadrigal’s solution – modify .htaccess for the WordPress installation in question and add:

AddType x-mapp-php5 .php

Works fine, and the auto upgrade of plugins stills works too.

The science bit

Using 1and1 as a host requires this directive in .htaccess as detailed in the WordPress codex. It forces the 1and1 server to parse .php files as php5 files (instead of, presumably, php4).

I had this before my upgrade to 2.7 (OK, technically a re-installation) and unfortunately the baby got thrown out with the bathwater.