Installing demo version of xwiki and later changing to a different database

[robertsaron]

If I install the demo version of Xwiki, which uses we will say database 1, for example. And later on I want to move the demo version to a different database software, will call it database 2. Is that possible?

Basically migrate to postgresql post install later of xwiki?

[pjeanjean]

Hi,

It should be possible, but I haven’t actually tried that.
In theory, you would mostly follow the backup/restore guide, with a few changes:

• Backup: https://www.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/documentation/xs/admin/backup/backup-instance/
  • Don’t copy the permanent directory
  • Don’t copy WEB-INF/hibernate.cfg.xml
  • Make a XAR export of all pages: https://www.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/documentation/xs/admin/backup/xar-export/ ticking the options “With history” and “Backup package”
• Restore: https://www.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/documentation/xs/admin/backup/restore-instance/
  • Manually reinstall the extensions (if you installed some on the previous instance)
  • Import your XAR backup on the new instance https://www.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/documentation/xs/admin/imports/import-xwiki-pages/ ticking “Replace the page history with the history from the package” and “Import as backup package”

Note that this full backup/restore process can be simplified if you only care about the pages content and users: then you can manage with only the XAR export/import.

Hope that helps!

[robertsaron]

I decided to not use xwiki. It is incredibly painful to get working on a self hosted environment. Getting everything to work with java is a nightmare on linux. It would be better if xwiki were coded in C++.

Thanks for the response.