Clone and Backup ready – new Multiple Streams Theme

I’ve just been testing out the final v1.0.0 release of the Clone and Backup plugin, and it works a treat.

After all the comments we received about hosting requirements we decided that this first version shouldn’t be just limited to cPanel.

Now I love cPanel as it has some really cool features in it, but I know that not everybody is as big a fan as I am.

So we decided that for v1 of the plugin we’d skip the cPanel centric attitude and instead create a version that would work with any hosting platform.

I do have to say that we haven’t tested with other hosting platforms (such as hSphere), but because of the approach we’ve used we can see no logical reason for it not working just fine.

(Please raise a support ticket at http://support.plugingreat.com/ if you have problems with the plugin.)

However, there’s always a trade-off when you want to do things for a broader audience.

In this case it means you have to go create the database and user/password at the destination site. This will take you about 2-3 minutes if you don’t do it very often and probably less than 60 seconds once you’ve done it a few times.

At any rate, if you’ve just registered a new domain and assigned a web host, it’s very likely that you’re already going to be logged into your web control panel. Yep?

That’s the logic we’ve used when thinking about this.

So by going with that trade-off, it means you cant (yet) get the plugin to auto-create a database for you with cPanel. The next step for us is to add in that cPanel functionality as I think it will address 80% of our intended audience.

And it will certainly make things easier for me too. 😉

Then we’ll investigate hSphere and any other popular and common web hosting platforms that we get asked to look at.

This means that if your host uses a proprietary web control panel then it’s unlikely that we’ll provide a streamlined database creation method for it. You’ll have to stick with the generic v1.0.0 method.

Okay?

How it works is like this.

#1 – You create and maintain a copy of WordPress somewhere and we suggest on a sub-domain for convenience. We also suggest this installation has no posts/pages/comments and has all your favourite themes and plugins installed and activated and up to date.

So you have a fully functional copy of WordPress that you’re going to use as your master.

#2 – You take out a new domain or sub-domain (or use an existing one if you like) and while going through your normal admin functions to set it all up, you also create a database for WordPress on that domain, and assign a user and password with full permissions. Your web host is responsible for explaining this to you if you don’t already know how to do it.

#3 – On your master copy of WordPress go to the PG WP Clone admin function and fill in the 6 boxes – destination site, FTP user and password, database name, user/password and click the “Clone This Site” button.

WordPress Clone and Backup

After 15-30 seconds – it may take longer depending on the number of themes/plugins/files etc – your new WordPress installation will be complete and you will be given a link to visit your new installation.

All the login details, active plugins and theme etc for your new WordPress installation will be the same as your master.

🙂

You can now go back to your personal download page and grab the plugin only, with the docs to follow in a day or so. I wanted to get the plugin out to you as quickly as possible for test and feeedback.

It’s easy to use.

(If you didn’t bookmark your personal download page, then please raise a support ticket at http://support.plugingreat.com/ and someone will look it up for you.)

If you don’t have the Clone and Backup plugin, you can still get it with a ten dollar discount at $27.00 from here.

***

Finally… The latest in the Multiple Streams Themes is now complete, and on Tuesday at 6.00pm GMT (1.00pm EST) I’ll be running a 50-copies-only sale at $10.00.

I had this theme designed for my own personal use on the free Page Template Plugin site (available soon), but it’s so good I decided to release it as one of the Multiple Streams Themes.

It’s a “softer” cleaner brighter theme in light blue and white, and I’m also tempted to use it on my personal blog as it contains all the features I want that my current theme doesn’t. So don’t be surprised if you see it change in a few days when I decide for sure. 😉

It comes with a hefty selection of pre-designed banners including blank JPEGs and PSDs for them, plus umpteen sidebars, a selection of built in page templates, plus plugins (Ads Manager, Redirection, Squeeze Page Templates), and a set of theme options too.

The theme options allow you to turn on and off the header, top boxes and top and bottom ad areas, change footer text and add analytics code if you don’t have the Script Manager plugin.

And of course the theme supports the WP 3.x features of custom menus, custom header, and background. That last one allows you to further lighten the feel of the theme or darken it down if that’s your preference.

It’s really nice… 😉

More on this in the next 24 hours.

-Frank Haywood

P.S. My apologies if you’ve been waiting for a reply from me this past week. I still haven’t completely shaken off the couple of bugs I picked up in December, and I’ve spent a lot of time sleeping and popping pain killers.

My productivity even this last week must be pretty close to zero.

I’ll answer any outstanding questions I find over the next few days, and then sort out the affiliate scheme. ClickBank have approved it, the centralisation script is in place, I just need to start loading up the products.

Thanks for your patience.

Posted by Frank Haywood

12 comments

WordPress Plugins

One of the attractions of this plugin was the fact that it was going to create the database automatically in cpanel wihout the hassle of having to manually create the db and user. As you point out, 80% of your intended audience use use cpanel so it’s a real shame that you have decided to inconvenience the vast majority to add the flexibility for the minority. What’s the eta for the cpanel version?

Frank Haywood

@WordPress Plugins:

The plugin developer is working on that and a number of other enhancements now. My guess is within a few days, probably by the end of next week, it will work with cPanel and we’ll then add other web control panels where possible.

(As an aside, I’ve just had it pointed out to me that a competitor plugin – naming no names – sends your database and FTP details including passwords off to a third party site. Unbelievable. I can assure you we’ll do no such thing with our plugin.)

-Frank

WordPress Plugins

Have there been any updates to this plugin? Did you release a cPanel specific version?

Frank Haywood

Yes. Currently v2.0.0 and it’s quite a lot bigger than the original v1.0.0.

The version we have in test at the moment adds what I think is a killer feature. It’s not quite working properly yet, but I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a stunning concept.

😉

In the meantime you can go back to your personal download page and grab the latest v2 for free.

-Frank Haywood

Hi Frank,

im still having a problem with the pg clone pluggin, it looks great an all, but it still aint working,
how much longer do we have to wait,
all the best

Mick

Frank Haywood

Hi Mick,

Version 2.0.1 is now available and seems to be working perfectly – at least it is for me. Go back to your personal download page and snag a copy.

I just checked and the documentation isn’t done for that version yet, give us a couple of days and it will be. In the meantime, you can probably work out the bulk of it, but there’s one really nice feature that will need explaining – it’s of enormous benefit to you and I can see a spin-off market appearing from it. 😉

-Frank

FreeMaverix

Hi Frank…
Sorry to read those British persistent bugs are causing You so much trouble – wasn’t it cold enough (I mean don’t germs freeze when it gets really cold?) ? Hopefully your encounter will leave You now immune for the rest of 2011 !

A few things:

1) In my last post, when we talked about the Gravatars, I had asked, whether this feature is availbale for MST blogs too?

2) Thanks for your positive comment on my article on my blog (FreeMaverix.com) and your linking back (back in early Dec – and I didn’t see this until lately). And guess what, I a trickle of traffic is coming and I get comments. However it seems to be all just comment bots with stupid generalized remarks (which might be ok on an autoblog – but not on a quality content blog!), keeping me busy having to edit and delete all that crap. I am going to shut the commenting feature off again. Does that happen everywhere? Any cure against it?

Now to your announcement right here:
3) The clone feature. Is it compatible with 1and1 (the largest hosting company)?
they unfortunately do not have a CPanel but their own.

4) Is that now another new MST ? Would that be MST-5?
If so, I would appreciate if You would give and stick with Version #’s, in order to better keep track. But, since I have been buying them from #1 on, I am not so happy to having to pay every time again, and see my old purchases just be outdated and thus getting dumped from me. Is there no free update for old customers of yours? I rather would pay a one time fee for free lifetime updates (just as the other themes producers are doing it.)
Also a membership would be great, were reduced prices for all your new products would apply – opposed to new customers.

5) And yes, finally a single Affilate link (program) for all your products is highly appreciated.
Which again would be a good combination with a customers membership site.

Want to consider ?

Take care !

Frank Haywood

@FreeMaverix:

Sorry about the delay in replying, I’ve had little time available to me, and I’m sorry I’ve had to “bump” a few things.

I hope to goodness I don’t get another month like this last one any time soon.

#1 – I have always assumed so, but I guess I better go find out.

#2 – Use the Akismet plugin. It’s free to get an API key, but you may have to sign up as a single blog in order to get it for free. It didn’t used to be like that – times change eh?

Akismet will keep your blog mostly free of spam automatically, although you may also get the odd genuine comment marked as spam. I’ll sometimes check my spam and see a regular commenter in there and I have to “unspam” them.

If the spam bots are finding you, then it means you’re showing up in the search engines. 😉

#3 – It should be. Er… Just because they say they’re the largest doesn’t mean they’re the best or even any good. 😉 I happen to know that they collate their databases differently to the rest of the world which causes people problems when they eventually try to move host and restore their databases to the new host. Very VERY naughty but easily fixed with a bit of Googling.

We won’t ever build an automated db/user/passsword creation bit of code for 1&1, you’ll have to rely on creating those manually.

#4 – Ah… How can I put this?

There are 3 components to a WordPress installation. Content, functionality and design.

The content is supplied by you when you add new posts and pages. The functionality is supplied by the base WordPress script itself, plus any plugins you add to your installation.

The design is down to the theme you choose to use.

Our philosophy is pretty much compliant with how WordPress set things up in the first place. So if we want to add functionality, we create a plugin. And if we want to offer a new design, we create a theme.

Themes don’t really go out of date except for those occasions when WordPress make changes to the core functionality of WordPress to either add new features, or sometimes core changes they make break something within some themes.

Now as far as updating other themes, what someone has suggested is that we create a parent theme with *some* built in functionality and then release child themes which plug into the parent.

That way if updates are required, we can amend the parent theme and any children you’ve purchased benefit from the update. 🙂

We’re going to go down this route, but probably not until the end of March when I’d like to also see all previous themes retrofitted to work as child themes.

I hope that makes sense. We’re definitely not dumping you or previous themes.

#5 – Working on it. It takes so much time and effort, but well worth it for both of us though if we get it right, on both the unified affiliate scheme and the customer membership site.

-Frank

Mike Claggett

Hi Frank,

I purchased my copy and registered it.

I did submit a support ticket regarding a “Fit” for this application.

And no need to apologize for your pain pill dilemma. I’m going through something similar and can certainly sympathize with what you’re going through.

It amazes me that in your condition you manage to get all you do here on your blog and behind the scenes.

Best of luck on your full recovery.

Awaiting your support ticket reply.

Mike

Frank Haywood

@Mike Claggett:

Sorry for the delay in replying. Yes, while there usually aren’t enough hours in the day anyway, when illness rears its head the little time you have to do things evaporates.

Luckily I have some great staff, and I can pretty much give them some tasks and off they go. 🙂

-Frank

Rob P. Cruisin

G’day Frank,

Glad to hear you are getting back up to speed.

You piqued my interest with the upcoming Multiple Streams Theme as you say it will be good enough for you to change your theme here to it.
Looking forward to seeing, it must be good.

I am eager to give the latest plugin a spin reads like it is nice and easy to use.
Will happily report back after I have given it a work out as I have two projects waiting for it.

Right time to play get back to 100% Frank I look forward to see what you have coming next.

Regards

Rob Paris Cruisin

Frank Haywood

@Rob P. Cruisin:

Yep, when I get a spare thiry minutes or so I’ll be changing to MST005 in this site. It’s a nice colour blend, supports all the new WP 3.x stuff (it’s an old WP2 theme on this site) and gives me the extra bit of flexibility I’m after. 😉

-Frank