2
Unless you are well versed in PHP, HTML and SQL you might need to have some help from someone to help you update.
To upgrade your xoops core you can download any core package and it should contain the upgrade scripts.
Your BEST bet with a system with this old of a core system is to duplicate the site locally on your PC at home or somewhere other than the site.
2.5.5 is the latest and most secure of xoops to date but depending on the modules your system uses you will need to upgrade or replace them as well.
First step here is to backup everything.. The database and the files. Expect the upgrade to break the site so you want to make sure you back up everything first. Because of the likelyhood of things breaking you will want to do this upgrade on a copy of your site and figure out what you need to do before doing it on the live website. You can run a copy of the site at home or in the office by using one of the "LAMP" software packages that are available to most computers out there.
You will want to get an inventory of the following items and post what you have here.
PHP version used on server
MySQL version used on server
What control Panel is your host using (Not important but can be helpful for us to help you.)
Look at all of the modules you are using and list them here with their versions.
What theme/template are you using?
Sorry to say this is not a quick and easy upgrade but in the end it will be well worth the effort.
Other versions of Xoops that can be used include 2.4.5 and 2.3.3 both of those also use PHP5. The older the version the more likely it is to be compatible with what you have but also is less likely to be as secure as 2.5.5.
As far as the modules go, before updating you will want to research which modules have updates and which modules need to be replaced. If you have a bunch of "cutsie" modules that don't have updates but really don't do that much for your site you may want to consider uninstalling them completely before upgrading your xoops version.
The PROPER way to upgrade xoops is to disable ALL of your modules just prior to doing the upgrade. This will prevent the incompatible ones from taking down your system. Then do the upgrade of the core and see if it works.. Chances are if it doesn't work it is due to a problem with your upgrade or an incompatible theme. You want to make sure it works after this simple upgrade before you try messing with the modules. Once this is working for you then you can start enabling modules that you use one by one and checking for problems.
If you are using 2.5 or newer you will notice any module templates that have been modified will exist in the theme directory. Customized templates in older versions were stored in the database and has been removed from the database in 2.5.
This should be enough to get you started.
Respond back with what versions you have and we can help you from there.
