CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

Here is what I do.  I didn't have a chance to test it just now so YMMV, but I think it is right.

1. Drupal expects all user files to be under the files folder (where ever you configure that to be).  It is usually under sites/default/files, or if you are using multisite under sites/yoursite.com/files (or some such).  So I recommend directing civicrm to put it's "user files" there as well (file attachments to contacts/custom fields, etc.).  I don't have all the configuration screens handy for that so you may have to fish around.

2. There are some civicrm specific files that won't end up in that files directory (or at least may not if you miss a configuration).  However, anything that doesn't end up there should at least end up somewhere under your civicrm module folder which should be at sites/all/modules/civicrm

3. When you upgrade a minor version of drupal, the only things that should be specific to your site should be the files folder, everything under the sites folder (which may include the files folder too), the .htaccess file (in case you made modifications), and maybe the robots.txt.  Assuming you didn't hack drupal core of course.

So here is what I do given the above (note I use shell access to do this from a command line which is much simpler)

- make sure you have database backups and full file backups!!!
- Clear the drupal cache (I've had issues with themes).
- Put the site in offline mode
- Rename your current drupal directory temporarily (if it was mydrupal, change it to tempmydrupal for example)
- Go to the directory above where your drupal directory was (so if it was in public_html/mydrupal go to public_html folder)
- Download latest drupal tarball to that directory
- Unpack it there (it will create a folder there with the fresh drupal called drupal6_1_6 or some such)
- Rename that new drupal folder to the name you old drupal folder was (i.e. mydrupal, so at this point mydrupal has just the new drupal core files!)
- Copy the .htaccess file from tempmydrupal to mydrupal (i.e. from your old install folder to your now new install folder)
- Copy the robots.txt file from tempmydrupal to mydrupal
- Remove the sites folder underneath the new drupal install folder (mydrupal/sites)
- Copy the sites folder from your old drupal install to the new (copy tempmydrupal/sites over to mydrupal/sites)
- Run the drupal update.php script (yoursite.com/update.php)
- put the site back online
- If it fails you have the original directly exactly as it was under temp/mydrupal so all you'd have to do is restore the databases and put that directory right back where it was if something went wrong.

So to summarize.  you temporarily renamed your old folder to some other name so you've lost NOTHING.  You put the new drupal version exactly where the old one used to be (so you don't have to mess with your domain configuration).  You copied over the site specific files (.htaccess, robots.txt, sites folder, files folder if it isn't under the sites folder).  You ran the update.php so the new drupal can make any required database updates to bring you up to the new version.  And done!

Hopefully I got it right (and apologies if not)