This guide explains how to upgrade Wikibase Suite (WBS) from version 5 to 6 while preserving the existing installation and Docker volumes. It upgrades the Wikibase Docker Image from MediaWiki 1.44 to MediaWiki 1.45.
[!WARNING] On startup, the Wikibase Docker Image automatically applies the MediaWiki database schema updates. Do not remove
config/LocalSettings.phpor any Docker volumes as part of this upgrade.
If you have not already, log in to your server and change to your WBS directory.
Read the CHANGELOG entries for the target WBS release and images changed by this upgrade:
Read the MediaWiki 1.45 UPGRADE file and identify any required changes. Do not update files under deploy/config/extensions while WBS is running, because that directory is mounted into the running container.
This upgrade requires no new .env values. Preserve deploy/.env unchanged.
If you modified tracked files such as deploy/docker-compose.yml or deploy/config/Extensions.php, commit those changes before switching versions.
Back up your data and configuration. See Backing Up and Restoring. The backup procedure stops WBS; continue directly with the migration.
While still in your WBS directory, ensure the services are stopped by running.
docker compose down
Move to the repository root, fetch and check out WBS 6.0.0.
cd ..
git remote update
git checkout deploy@6.0.0
cd deploy
Reapply any tracked customizations you still need. Keep the WBS 6 files as the base rather than restoring the old files wholesale.
If you installed extensions specifically for this instance, follow Updating Extensions.
Pull the new images and start WBS.
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker compose ps