Could anyone advice regarding upgrade LS 2.05+ to current version? We need to retain existing projects / questionaries / answers.

I have found that with a few surveys the easiest approach is to create a new instance of LimeSurvey 3.x, export the survey archives (.lsa files) from 2.05 and import them into 3.x. You may also want to move the /upload/surveys/ directory to the new instance.

I agree with tpartner. Upgrading from such an old version is always risky, especially that there have been sooo many changes. I prefer a clean install without any potential old problems.

What you could do is create a copy of your current database, and setup a test installation using the copy of this database and see how it runs.

But if you only have a couple of surveys that you need in the new installation (generally you don't need that many old surveys anymore) you should create a completely new installation and import the surveys to the new one.

You can always export all old surveys that you don't really need in the new installation and save it as LSA files to archive them on your file server, just in case someone wants to revive the old survey.

I always do this in 4 part :
1. Backup all …
2. Upgrade to 2.6lts+
3. Upgrade to 2.73
4. Upgarde to last version

The issue with LSA are the user (and the owners and permission on each surveys).

DenisChenu wrote: 1. Backup all …

This is where many LimeSurvey users will stop.
How to backup all? And one step further: How to restore all?
It's not the job of LimeSurvey to educate the user here, cause you would expect that to be part of the admin skillset.

But a Import/Export for a whole installation (with useraccounts, permissions) would be nice.
The installation of LimeSurvey itself would still be a step done, but getting away from the database dump button into a export/import fileformat would be a huge step forward.

Whats wrong with the database dump? Doesn't this include all what you mentioned (useraccounts, permissions, etc.)?

As you said, someone who setup their own LS instance on a LAMP environment should know what a database dump is and what to do with it, don't you think?

Or am I understanding you wrong? What would a export/import file format improve?

Database dump is hard to import , and it's limited to mysql

Some open source system have "Export/Import whole DB" inside GUI , using SQLite export.
Import can be done only with SFTP/FTP access
It can be really great

Database dump is hard to import.

Not quite sure about that. Get the dump, import it into your new MySQL database via something like PHPmyAdmin and then install the new LS system using this database. Or am I missing something?

and it's limited to mysql

As in you can't use it with other database systems like Postgre? Well, I assume someone who sets the system up with Postgre probably knows more or less what they are doing and should be able to make their own database dump and import. At least this is what I would assume.
If you mean with that, that the database dump does not export the rest of the LS installation: Yeah, but I guess this is a no brainer anyway, right?

When i say : «Hard to import» it's more for 'non tech" user .
People who already setup a LimeSurvey with difficulty

Understood!