[Plugin: WordPress MU Domain Mapping] Converting from MU Multi-Site Manager to Domain Mapping Plugi

The multisite plugin above woudl be a multi-network in 3.0 terms.

If you switched to the domain mapping plugin, you’d lose the ability to have sub-blogs under those mapped blogs. (which is what multisite – and now multi network – does.)

Andrea,

I’m finding this very confusing. If WP Multi Network allows sub-sites but MU Domain Mapping doesn’t, then what advantages are there in using Domain Mapping rather than Multi Network?

Mmmm… how to explain best… the change in terminology makes it confusing so I’ll describe what you know first and then “translate” it to the new situation, while casually explaining the difference between the two plugins ??

== WPMU ==
(what you got running now)
Normal install
– one site, many blogs
– one main blog and many sub-blogs either with subdomains or with subdirectories

Example:
domain.tld has sub-blog blogname.domain.tld

With Domain Mapping
– adds the ability to associate a different domain name (top level or other) to ANY blog on the site

Example:
domain.tld has sub-blog blogname.domain.tld which can also be accessed via otherdomain.tld

With Multi-Site Manager
– adds the ability to have multiple main blogs each with their own site domain and with their own sub-blogs

Example:
one site under domain.tld has sub-blog blogname.domain.tld while on the same install there is another site under otherdomain.tld with sub-blog otherblogname.otherdomain.tld

== WPMS ==
(what you should get after upgrade = the above translated to WP3.0 terminology)
Normal install
– one network, many sites
– one main site and many sub-sites either with subdomains or with subdirectories

Example:
domain.tld has sub-site sitename.domain.tld

With Domain Mapping
– adds the ability to associate a different domain name (top level or other) to ANY site on the network

Example:
domain.tld has sub-site sitename.domain.tld which can also be accessed via otherdomain.tld

With Multi-Site Manager
– adds the ability to have multiple main sites each with their own network domain and with their own sub-sites

Example:
one network under domain.tld has sub-site sitename.domain.tld while on the same install there is another network under otherdomain.tld with sub-site othersitename.otherdomain.tld

Hope you see the differences and advantages of both these plugins… Now combine these two and what do we get? ??

Hi RavanH,

Thanks for such a detailed reply.

A couple of things I’m still not clear about:

Domain Mapping – adds the ability to associate a different domain name (top level or other) to ANY site on the network

So does this mean we could use MU Domain Mapping to create sub-sites on otherdomain.tld by associating sitename.domain.tld with othersitename.otherdomain.tld for example?

If not, then what can MU Domain Mapping do that WP Multi Network can’t?

Now combine these two and what do we get? ??

I have no idea what we would get. Can we combine MU Domain Mapping and WP Multi Network plugins, or would they knock each other out?

So does this mean we could use MU Domain Mapping to create sub-sites on otherdomain.tld by associating sitename.domain.tld with othersitename.otherdomain.tld for example?

Interesting thought… I suppose it would work.

But what Domain Mapping CANNOT do ( and Multi Networks CAN do ) is make that site with otherdomain.tld behave like a true main site allowing easy (online) registration of sub-sites like anothersubsite.otherdomain.tld … With Domain Mapping only, you will have to create new sub-sites like othersubsite2.domain.tld and every time manually associate it (by Domain Mapping) with othersubsite2.otherdomain.tld . See what I mean?

So if you want to make it easy on yourself or if you want to allow public registration under that new otherdomain.tld, you probably want to use Multi-Network. If you want to keep it simple and have all sub-sites under domain.tld and maybe manually configure SOME sites to be also accessible via ((other)subsite.)otherdomain.tld then you might be able to do it with Domain Mapping.

Multi-Network actually creates a complete new network that operates on its own. It shares the installation files and plugins but not its settings. For example, plugins that you Network Activate on one network, can remain deactivated on other networks. If you are looking for such a separation, you NEED multi-networks.

I have not tested with both plugins on the same install but both plugins compliment each other nicely and would make a pretty powerful setup ??

Going back to your original question:

Is it possible and (dare I ask) easy to switch from using the multi-site manager to using the domain mapping plugin? Has anyone attempted this before with or without success?

It is possible but certainly NOT easy.

I suppose you are using njsl-sites.009.php? You need to set define('RESCUE_ORPHANED_BLOGS',TRUE); in your wp-config.php and then start deleting any sites (old terminology! meaning networks in new terms) letting the blogs fall back to the main site. Then, after deactivating Multi-Site and activating Domain Mapping, you will have to go through each of the +/-200 blogs on the main site and then associate them with their original URL again…

And you will loose the ability to allow public registration under that otherdomain.tld …

You know, njsl-sites.009.php works fine under WP3.0 (leave it in /mu-plugins/) except that the old terminology will be confusing. Go through the file njsl-sites.009.php looking for _e( ... ) statements that either have text with the words site and blog in it, and change site to network and blog to site, you will have a working version using the new terminology ??

WARNING: in that procedure, stick strictly to text inside _e( ... ) and you will be fine!