Recovery or migration of a GeneWeb database

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This page describes how to recover a base from source files after version evolution of GeneWeb.

For minor revisions, implying no change in the data-base formats, it is sufficient to copy/paste the folder containing a base basname.gwd from one version to the other (assuming you have installed the new version in a separate folder as a precaution). Open your base with the new version to verify that your base is accepted by the new version of GeneWeb.

If you started from a GEDCOM file and have made no (or very few) modifications, you may choose to repeat the process with tne new GeneWeb version. From version to version, the GEDCOM to GW program may have improved and new GEDCOM tags might be accepted.

In the case of a major version evolution of GeneWeb, it is necessary to go through a save/restore cycle. In order to determine if this process is mandatory, you are encouraged to read the CHANGES file. Here are several cases where this is the case:

• From 5.02 to 6.xx.
• From 6.xx to 7.yy.
• From a version compiled on a 32 bits machine to a 64 bits machine (This is the case since version 5.01).

The process is almost the same as that of cleaning a base: as in the "cleaning" case, the base is firstly saved, then restored. Other files associated with the base are copy/pasted. and launch the consanguinity and notes links restauration processes.

Repeat these steps for each of your bases.

Saving the base to GWformat

With the older version of GeneWeb, launch gwsetup, then select Save a GeneWeb source file. Remember the name of the saved source file with extension .gw (default name is that of your base). Close gwsetup. You may also trigger yourself the save process through a command-line with the gwu program.

Importing a saved base

With the newer version of GeneWeb, launch gwsetup and select Create a base ... from a GeneWeb source file (gwc1) or ... from a GeneWeb source file (gwc2). The source file to submit is the .gw file created at the previous step. You may also trigger yourself the import process through a command-line with the gwc1 or gwc2 programs.

Transferring auxiliary files

Copy/paste the other files associated with your base: cnt, etc, images and src from the older bases location to the newer (depending on evolutions, your template files in etc may require adjustments). Copy/paste the configuration file for your base (base_name.gwf) if one exists.

Restoring an archived V7 base

With the new folder organisation proposed by GeneWeb V7, it becomes possible to archive an entire base (content, images, documents, personnalisation) with traditionnal archiving tools such as tar, zip or rar. Provided that the executable files operating GeneWeb have not introduced any incompatibility, those tools can be used to restore an archived base.

Launching auxiliary programs (optional)

With the newer version of GeneWeb, launch gwsetup and select the initialization of consanguinities and Update links page / family chronicle (update_nldb).

GeneWeb Manual

• Download and install GeneWeb program under GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD; on Mac OS X, Linux or Windows using Docker; or in CGI mode behind a web server.
• Understand GeneWeb server, homonym, consanguinity.

Use and manage genealogical databases

• Import Gedcom .ged or GeneWeb .gw files with gwsetup or in command-line.
• Update datas (add/remove individuals and families), merge duplicates, type dates.
• Use wikitext syntax, macros, keyboard shortcuts.
• Clean, recover, rename, save, archive a database.
• Merge and split multiples databases.

Technical annex

• Personalize CSS, header and trailer, templates, lexicon and declension.
• Configuration file .gwf (for templm), wizard notes, passwords for friends/wizards and access restrictions to databases.
• Add images in notes, further remarks for experts.