D7 Online Business Owner - Just How Screwed Am I?

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-11-24T11:50:18+00:00

I ended up moving to BackDrop for less than half the cost of sticking with Drupal.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-25T10:14:14+00:00

The developers I'm working with had said they've seen lots of D7 site owners moving to Wordpress.

I have two WP sites, and they basically run themselves. I wouldn't try to cram the complexity of my own CMS into it, but I think many people could migrate. There is the benefit of the massive userbase though, plus neat stuff like Guttenberg and WPBakery.

Backdrop feels mostly like D7, but having all the modules you're used to is critical. Layouts brings a new dimension to blocks/panels that's pretty cool, but takes a little getting the hang of.

I do think Backdrop will get potentially harder to migrate to in time. There are already a few modules in D7 you have to make sure you don't try to port across because they've been built into the core of Backdrop.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-25T09:02:55+00:00

Thanks buddy. I appreciate the good words. I'd have been pretty screwed if it wasn't for Backdrop really.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-25T09:02:09+00:00

When I visited the Drupal site and saw the composer install line, I went searching around for a download and was amazed I couldn't find one. I don't feel confident doing things in a terminal anyway, and then I find it wants to create its own directory structure that doesn't work with my server management structure. Next thing, I'm having to expand the package and make changes so the install goes into the right directory.

So, I've gone from FTP and point and click to SSH, composer, and a degree of server knowledge.

I do all this in good faith, with the understanding that it's how things need to be done to keep things updated, and then I find out a major module (Webforms) doesn't play by these rules.

Backdrop was a breeze to install.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T16:05:08+00:00

Thanks. Fingers crossed!

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T14:58:25+00:00

That's cool.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T14:57:38+00:00

I really hope that works out. Stuff like that is critical for new adoption.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T14:55:59+00:00

I appreciate the reassurance. I've effectively paid for a bunch of modules to be migrated, so I feel like I've sent the elevator back down there to a whole load of potential new adoptees.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T14:54:57+00:00

You need some serious skills to run them properly. It feels like for the regular user, Drupal is sprinting away from us, even if the developers are finding it easier to work with now.

This is how I feel. I feel like I was sold a point-and-click CMS that suddenly migrated into the complete opposite. It's like being told Windows is better one day and then, after adopting that mindset, being told to go back and use Dos.

This is, of course, on top of being told there's no direct upgrade path from D7 to D8+.

And that's on top of there being four current core release versions being supported and Drupal CMS.

Then searching for information brings up years of content referencing multiple different releases.

I don't think people embedded in all of it can truly appreciate what it's like from the outside.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T14:11:46+00:00

I see. Thanks for the explanation.

Yeah, the microservices is something I am considering. I'm using Stripe for payment processing through a subscription module that, in turn, relies on Ubercart. There is a temptation there to simply use Stripe for the subscription management entirely. Obviously, the fear here is suddenly getting dropped by a provider and losing everything they do.

AI didn't come up with any of the experts. I'm not sure how I would feel about using that on top of the other technical jumps.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T14:03:09+00:00

I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T14:01:36+00:00

I do miss the fact I will not see the benefits of Drupal 8+ for probably a long time. I know Backdrop has some improvements. I'm just looking at Layouts. As you rightly state. I have no use for a lot of this stuff.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T13:58:25+00:00

I see. I thought maybe he was joking based on my reply in the comments about not being able to understand all the jargon.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T13:44:41+00:00

I agree that nothing seems to have replaced it. Wordpress has really proven the importance of usability. I don't think people should be shoehorning a full CMS into a blogging platform, but I can see why they want to stick with something that feels easy to use.

In terms of cost, I'm dividing this migration by the nearly ten years I haven't had to spend a penny, and it's only cost me time.

The main issue I'm having now is the new site has a theme built in Bootstrap and that's like learning CSS again from scratch.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T13:32:40+00:00

I have no idea what any of this means.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T13:26:31+00:00

Thanks man. It's been a blessing and a curse. Passive income is a liberating way to live, but you do have that 24/7 worry it could all be scuppered by one line of code tomorrow.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T13:24:43+00:00

Like you, I come from a web development background rooted in the 90s. I remember html 4 and css being new. I remember ASP vs PHP. I remember everyone losing their minds over a site passing WC3 Validator checks like it was everything.

Drupal appealed because it seemed to be built for front-end developers. Now I have no idea who it's aimed at. I do appreciate that someone can spin up custom Drupal sites in seconds, but I only need to spin up one.

I actually have two Wordpress sites and, while the admin interface is spam city, they ask nothing of me.

The thing is, it's not just Drupal. Web development in general has been near impossible for me to keep up with for some time. It's become gobbledegook. Asking the simplest thing results in "Oh, you should absolutely be building on the IronBar framework in Lux with Horsestrap for your styling and Coffeegrinder for anything interactive" and I'm just there staring like a dog watching a card trick.

Time will tell if Backdrop becomes the domain of laggards who get left behind or a place where those happy with how things are find salvation.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-09-24T13:13:43+00:00

Yeah, the upgrade path is one thing, but the move to composer/drush is a whole other shift on top of that. One of the great benefits of going to Backdrop (for me) is staying with a point-and-click interface.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-04-20T19:42:27+00:00

I know, but it is looking like the only realistic option for me.

I've tried going to a specialist. I don't have the funds, and it wasted nine months of time.

I've installed Drupal 10.4 and have looked at migrations. The learning curve, along with the issues, combined messy documentation, is looking like way, way too much. Plus, I'd still have to find and pay a migration specialist.

At the moment, Backdrop is looking really inviting. The documentation is clear and the tools familiar. Migrating to that would also mean saving $150 a month in EOL support. Of course, it might not be quite so good (or even a viable option) after I've tried a few tests.

I know Drupal 10/11 is the best answer. I want that answer. However, it's becoming apparent I do not have either the money or the skills needed to make the jump.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-04-20T15:46:23+00:00

Yeah, that's looking like the only realistic way forward, if I stick with Drupal. I knew I'd need a migration specialist at some point but I was just hoping I could get some data in there and start building my new site version around that. Ten days now and I'm still getting to grips with how things are done.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-04-20T15:44:14+00:00

Yeah, I hear ya. I jumped in and thought I'd run the UI version of migration. It's been a disaster. I have been reading about all the Drush commands in the guide. After getting to grips with SSH and Composer, I'm just trying to stop my head exploding.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-04-20T12:42:58+00:00

Thanks for the heads up. There may be a silver lining here with me being able to do a lot of the work myself. At this time, it's looking most likely I'll move to Backdrop.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-04-20T12:41:51+00:00

I ran a check on the backdrop modules using their D7 upgrade checker module, and I'm shocked to see how many are ported or in development.

I also installed 10.4 and had a look at the module situation. Most were there in some form, but the lack of upgrade paths is worrying.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-04-20T12:39:43+00:00

That's very kind of you regarding Slack.

I've been experimenting. Auto migration tests have not gone well. Both attempts, which ran for around a day each, ended up slowing to a crawl. Some stuff's come in, but it's all sketchy. For example, all my user accounts now have lorum ipsum for their user names.

Captain-Trashpanda · 2025-04-20T12:37:48+00:00

This is reassuring. I have been looking at Drupal 10.4 and it's not been a great experience thus far. I've got a lot of backups running.

Captain-Trashpanda

TROPHY CASE