Access to PHPMyAdmin via Sonic.net is now gone for my site

[dwhittaker]

I installed WordPress on my server in September, in a "test site" area for a clients web site and blog. The blog and all the related WordPress files are here: http://www.neptunemedia.net/BronTaylor/blog. After we installed it, I was new to WordPress and wanted to check everything out. On Sonic's web site, under "databases" it gave me an option for PHPMyAdmin. I remember accessing it and familiarizing myself with the interface.

Fast-forward to today. We're ready to transfer the clients blog from the test site to the live site. Before doing that I want to upgrade WordPress to the latest version. The first step in this process is to back up the database (taken directly from WordPress support codex) to my local drive. To do this I need access to PHPMyAdmin but for some reason, it's now gone from the "database" portion of Member Tools.

I called Tech Support today and was first told I had no MySQL database on my site. I showed the guy my test Blog and the posts which are clearly there, indicating there is in fact a MySQL database. He spoke to someone else who then said "... because I used the One-Click WordPress install, this option doesn't show up for users." This is clearly wrong because I indeed had access to it a number of months ago. Furthermore, whether or not this is a One-Click install, Sonic needs to give users access to this Administration page. I was told I had to use some weird software on some weird site to get access to it. I shouldn't have to go through hoops to get this access. That answer is unacceptable.

Can someone at Sonic fix this for me? Thanks!

[dwhittaker]

This still isn't fixed by Sonic. I need access to PHPMyAdmin as soon as possible.

[joemuller]

David,

The support representative was correct. When you choose the "One-Click" automatic install for Wordpress, our systems set up both the Wordpress files and a database. The database is not set up with phpMyAdmin access because it is meant only for Wordpress - doing a "One-Click" is opting-in to automatic updates and managment by Sonic. If you want more control, you should manually add a database via Member Tools, then use that as the database for your Wordpress site.

If you just need to make a backup of the database, you can use mysqldump on our shell server or any number of Wordpress plugins. (Credentials are located in the wp-config.php file for your Wordpress install.)

-- Joe

[Daniel]

Sorry for the late reply. Too swamped with work lately.

Regarding your answer:

First of all, when anyone chooses a "One Click Install" you guys do not give any details about the limitations of this. I was never told at any time that you would keep control of the database and prevent me from using PHPMyAdmin. You state "... doing a "One-Click" is opting-in to automatic updates and managment by Sonic..." I was never told this prior to installing WordPress. If you go to your One-Click Install feature, you'll see that Sonic gives no details whatsoever.

After using your One-Click Install on a clients site (a subdomain of my own hosted by Sonic: Brontaylor.com), I was a relatively new user of WordPress and this of course never occured to me. After getting familiar with WordPress and after installing it on another clients site (another subdomain: religionandnature.com), I'm realizing there may be many reasons to monitor or administer the database.

This database is connected to a site that I'm the webmaster for. It's my responsibility to maintain it and monitor it if need be... not Sonic's. Given your lack of support for WordPress, and the fact that whenever I post a question on this forum it usually takes 24-48 hours for a reply, you can see how this would create problems for me, especially if some issue arises with data. I shouldn't have to wait days to fix any problems that occur with a database. You keep control over it but give very little support for it... that's unacceptable.

You also state: "The database is not set up with phpMyAdmin access because it is meant only for Wordpress..." It isn't meant for WordPress... if it was there would be no need for PHPMyAdmin. It's meant for the owners and administrators of the WordPress site to have an interface to administer the database.

So are you telling me that you cannot, at this point, give me access to PHPMyAdmin and I'd actually have to uninstall WP and reinstall it manually?

If anything I think you guys need to make this very clear on your One-Click Install page.

-- Daniel

[Daniel]

Just noticed this post in the forum right under mine:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2587

Good example of when someone may need to administer their database. Although in this case I'm assuming your answer would be that if Sonic held control over the database, this would have been done automatically?

Am I just worrying over nothing? How often do problems arise with WordPress databases? Perhaps I'm just being a control freak? LOL

Thanks

Daniel

[joemuller]

Daniel,

Unfortunately, the way that the system is layed out right now prevents me from adding PHPMyAdmin access to a database after-the-fact.

There is a way that you can get PHPMyAdmin access, though it's a bit involved.
- perform a MySQL dump of the Wordpress database ( See: http://codex.wordpress.org/Backing_Up_Your_Database )
-- if you have turned on shell access for your account, you can run mysqldump on shell.sonic.net
- create the new database (be sure to keep the username/password/hostname options somewhere safe)
- import the database backup file via PHPMyAdmin
- update the wp-config.php file in wordpress to use the new database credentials
- test to make sure everything works
- contact Sonic support to let them know you're using your own database for Wordpress now, so they can remove the oneclick install (but not the files)

We are going to update the wording on the One-click installer page to include a warning about not having phpMyAdmin access.