Troubleshooting a Pain in the . . . Problem - 👀 WMW 237

Written by: Tim Davis Created: 24 January 2024

Category: Watch Me Work Live Streams

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Joomla 3 to Joomla 4 Migration Watch me Work Live Streams Joomla Training Cohort

One of my client's site has had an unknown "Pain in the [you know what] problem" the last couple of days. During this live stream I am going to give it one more try to see what is going on and then I will probably end up beginning the process of migrating the site from Joomla 3 to Joomla 4.

00:00:00 – Introduction & Initial Issues
00:01:50 – Diagnosing the Problem
00:03:39 – Testing Templates & Modules
00:06:41 – Module Check-In & Unpublishing
00:10:26 – Identifying the Problematic RSS Feed
00:23:53 – Fixing the Live Site
00:26:17 – Joomla 4 Migration & Template Work
00:54:38 – Design Adjustments
01:17:41 – Footer & Copyright Fixes
01:54:50 – Final Fixes & Cleanup
02:12:37 – Wrap-Up & Outro

✅  Summary

1. Client Site Goes Down

   • Homepage fails to load while subpages work intermittently.

   • Contact with hosting support reveals high server load; possible attack or bad processes.

2. Server Process Troubleshooting

   • Killing all user processes temporarily restores site.

   • Backend access becomes possible after repeated cleanups.

3. Template Swap Reveals Culprit

   • Switching to Protostar loads homepage—points to template or module issue.

   • Suspicion grows around RSS feed modules.

4. Staging Site Setup & Testing

   • Site cloned to staging environment.

   • Issue replicates when switching back to the original template, confirming module-related problem.

5. Module Audit Begins

   • Global check-in done; modules unpublished in batches.

   • Homepage starts working after RSS Feed Reader modules are disabled.

6. Identifying Problem Feed

   • Plugin not Joomla 4 compatible.

   • Step-by-step reactivation reveals Aeronautics Online feed as the root issue (site no longer active).

7. Fix Applied to Live Site

   • Bad RSS module unpublished.

   • Homepage restored; client site fully functional again.

8. Template Migration with Creator CK

   • New Joomla 4 template built using Template Creator CK.

   • Corporate-style layout recreated, matching old site’s design.

9. Layout Enhancements & Fixes

   • Two-column and three-column homepage layout added.

   • Sidebar, header, shape dividers, and responsive tweaks applied.

10. Final Cleanup & Replacement

• Dynamic copyright, footer, and Google Translate integrated.

• Old Gantry framework removed, staging site deleted, and "Enhanced News" chosen as RSS alternative.

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Written by: Tim Davis

Tim Davis is the founder and owner of Cybersalt.