Drupal security updating

Using drupal it's always good to stay up-to-date with security updates. The trouble is, how to update as it is usually a manual thing (please could you automate it Drupal?).

I've just found this article which documents it nicely

So, the manual process is:

1. Backup files
1. You really only need to backup the /Sites/All folder, but I backup all of it
2. I use FileZilla, and simply drag the whole online folder onto my machine in an appropriately named folder - /Backups/29-03-2015/webfiles/
2. Backup database
1. The database is probably the most important thing to backup
2. Log in to your myPHPadmin console
3. click on the database
4. Click on export
5. I just use the simple settings
6. When it's made the file, it'll give it to you to download
7. Download and put it in an appropriately named folder - /Backups/29-03-2015/database/
3. Download the latest Drupal release
4. Upload all the files
1. I use FileZilla, which doesn't replace folders, only files within folders. Very handy! You don't want to overwrite your /sites/ folder as this contains all your custom stuff!
5. Run the update
1. go to http://www.yourwebsite.com/update.php
6. Done!

Drupal Backup and Migrate - how to (in progress)

So, I have a drupal website. I'd like to write down the process of backing up and then restoring upon a complete failure.

So, to backup just use the default backup and set to download. Save these somewhere safe. Just to be safe I also did the same for Public Files Directory and Private Files Directory.

I guess thats the easy part. For the next part I've found it hard to find any documentation on restoring from a complete failure. Here's what I have found:

http://www.anexusit.com/blog/how-restore-backup-migrate-file-using-drush
http://drupal.stackexchange.com/questions/40490/how-to-restore-a-site-from-a-backup-done-with-backup-and-migrate-module-using-dr

Both are related to drush which is a command line shell and scripting interface for Drupal.

My best guess for restore is to install drupal, install drush and run the restore command line.

If you also lose files, then you have to make sure you have backup of all files as well.

I think what I'd really like is the backup utility used with Joomla, Akeeba. This is much easier. I don't even think you need to install Joomla to reinstall. And it backs up all files. There must be a reason it isn't as easy. Oh well.

Adobe Flash Player Install Manager failed to quit

I've got a couple of Mac suites with OS X 10.7.4 and have noticed this error appearing on them when trying to logout/shutdown the machines:

After doing a few searches I found firstly this adobe forum in which looked good, and next this adobe bug forum which provided a quick fix. Here's the quick fix as said in the last forum:

Go to and change Library/Application\ Support/Macromedia/mms.cfg

to:

AutoUpdateDisable=1

SilentAutoUpdateEnable=0

The actual problem is caused by two solutions to a previous problem related to Flash player security holes:

1. Apple have fixed a security hole by disabling old versions of Flash Player because of a security flaw which was recently made use of.
2. Adobe have enabled an update manager so that flash player is checked every hour, and updated (if needed) every day, to the newest version.

The problem with this solution is that Adobes update manager crashes at some point. The quick fix suggested here only turns the autoupdate off, but Adobe Flash will in the meantime not update automatically, and unless done manually, will be disabled.

The fix might be to update Adobe Flash Player to version 11.4 which apparently does not have this problem.

Unable to download IOS 5 software update through iTunes

I'm in the process of updating the iPads to IOS 5, but I'm stuck at the first stumbling block. I need to download the iPad update file. Whenever I click the update button through iTunes it starts to download the file, but a few minutes later it says:

There was a problem downloading the software for the iPad. Then network connection timed out

I found the file location it was downloading it to is:

/Library/iTunes/iPad\ Software\ Updates/iPad1,1_5.0.1_9A405_Restore.ipsw

It downloads approx 100MB, but this varies and then comes up with the error message. After a bit of searching I found this website which gives you direct links to the ipsw update files, straight from what looks like the apple download server. I've also found this website as well

Download location is for the iPad 1st gen is:
iPad1,1_5.0.1_9A405_Restore.ipsw

Download location for the iPad 2 - Wifi is:
iPad2,1_5.0.1_9A405_Restore.ipsw

Interestingly, after attempting this with Safari it also failed. I'm guessing it has to do with the proxy server we're using. I shall try another.

Finally downloaded it through another computer connected to a different proxy. Worked fine. Final file was approx. 750MB.

Loaded up iTunes, "alt" clicked the "Update" button and selected the downloaded file. Worked fine.


Update:
We're now on 5.1.1. Heres the link to the IOS update:

iPad 1

OS X 10.6.6 Active Directory login Extension Manager doesn't load

Well, what do you know. I updated from Dreamweaver version 11.0.0 to 11.0.3.4964 using AdobeDreamweaver-11.0-All-Update.dmg. Seems to work nicely now, I see a splash screen and next it tells me Adobe Extension Manager needs to load to finish the update.

Of course now this "Extension Manager" has the same problem DreamWeaver had. It just pops up and sits there not doing anything. But it does let Dreamweaver finish loading and lets me use Dreamweaver. The only real downside is that I get this message every time I load dreamweaver. In console I get about 20 similar error messages:

27/07/2011 15:04:35 Adobe Extension Manager CS5[3434] *** __NSAutoreleaseNoPool(): Object 0x210a5f0 of class NSView autoreleased with no pool in place - just leaking

Pretty funny: "no pool" and "just leaking"

On a quick search I found this post. Someone mentions a problem with Adobe Air but might be refering to a Windows problem. I shall update just in case.... updated from 1.5 to 2.3, which doesn't solve the problem.

I'll try loading this up using a local account, maybe it updates files on the Hard Drive, or maybe it updates files on the Users Home Drive?

Loaded it up on a local login to find that extension manager is a manager which helps control updates! I wish it could be easier, why another program? It updated Dreamweaver just fine. I think all it had to do was to log down that an update had been carried out.

It appears this Extension Manager runs on a "per user" basis, and hence does keep coming up on Active Directory logins until the process is complete. So if I don't want to see the error message again I'd have to fix the Extension Manager problem.

As a work around, I could copy whatever files it creates in a local users library to the active directory users library which might work, but it might create special codes.