Unexpected CiviCRM behavior after clone

[superhua]

I cloned a managed WordPress install, but noticed that when I added a contact into CiviCRM it appeared in both the original and the cloned WordPress instance.

This was unexpected to me as I thought a clone would be completely separate.

Do the plugins of managed WordPress installs share data?

[JLX89]

I ran into an issue a bit ago similar to this. When I cloned the app it copied the database details from the old WordPress app into the cloned version. You can open wp-config.php on both apps and see if they match. If they match, then that would more than likely be the problem.

[superhua]

Thank you.

Each wp-config.php is unique.

To elaborate, only the CiviCRM data was the same. Creating posts did not carry over across WordPress instances.

[superhua]

Update: The civicrm.settings.php files are the same across both WordPress instances.

I guess I would need to completely re-install CiviCRM to have a unique environment.

[girish]

@superhua this is most likely because CiviCRM in clone is using the same database as the previous installation. How does one configure CiviCRM ? Do you have to give it database information ? In general, it's not possible for the clone to access the previous app's database.

Another aspect could be that maybe CiviCRM is using an API or external service? In that case too, contacts will appear in both places.

[jeau]

@superhua I had this kind of problem after a wordpress clone with CiviCRM.

https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/8809/civicrm-wordpress-can-t-connect-to-database-after-cloudron-reboot

I had trouble understanding.

[girish]

Out of curiosity why doesn't CiviCRM share the database information with WP ? As in why doesn't it use WP's db function to read/write to start with ? (Maybe it's not a "plugin") ?

[superhua]

@girish I installed CiviCRM by uploading the file to the plugin page under the WordPress dashboard.

From there, it auto configured itself. I did not give it database information.

[girish]

@superhua right, that is what I would have expected. But looks like it is hanging on to the older db connection somehow.

[girish]

@superhua Is https://docs.civicrm.org/installation/en/latest/wordpress/ the setup/download you are talking about? Just testing it out myself.

Edit: OK, indeed, when installing CiviCRM, it's reading the raw DB credentials from wordpress:

And it's stored raw in the above civicrm.settings.php file:

[girish]

There's two DSN: CIVICRM_UF_DSN and right below the above screenshot CIVICRM_DSN . Both have to be updated after a clone.