# Update from 10 year old gramps files **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Tags:** data-recovery\ **Created:** [June 24, 2024, 9:29am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644 "2024-06-24T09:29:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dpawson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/dpawson/32/4444_2.png) [@dpawson](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/dpawson)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 9:29am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/1 "2024-06-24T09:29:17Z")
Currently, gramps 5.2.2, Linux, Fedora 40. I created a small tree some 8-10 years ago. What is the best way to import that into 5.2.2 please? How can I tell from the files what the older files version of gramps is? ---
**Author:** ![ennoborg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/ennoborg/32/4659_2.png) [@ennoborg](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/ennoborg)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 9:37am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/2 "2024-06-24T09:37:31Z")
A quick guess is that you were using 3.4.x at that time, which can probably be converted by 5.2.2. What do these files look like? ---
**Author:** ![dpawson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/dpawson/32/4444_2.png) [@dpawson](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/dpawson)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 9:46am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/3 "2024-06-24T09:46:33Z")
x.gramps (dated 2007 - 2014) One (html file) shows ### GRAMPS, 2.2.8-0.SVN created 2007-12-21 ps: I also have a file I marked (xmlsave.2015) which is xml format (no metadata though unless Indicates a version 1.6? regards ---
**Author:** ![avma](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/avma/32/1122_2.png) [@avma](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/avma)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 10:56am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/4 "2024-06-24T10:56:00Z")
You can try follow this steps… [upgrade fron an old gramps database](https://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php/Gramps_Old_database) ```python Solutions The safety way is to import it into Gramps-2 and to export this updated database. This will generate a new Gramps XML more compatible for an import into Gramps-3. If your operating system does not support Gramps-2 any more as some dependencies has been removed since Gramps-2 (GCONF, gnome-doc-utils, yelp, python-reportlab, libglade, etc...) or updated like python libs and related, then you could have a look at Linux Genealogy Live CD archives. Also, you may submit your old database on bug-tracker, mark this report as private (will be hidden for non-developers) and a developer will try to help you for updating your database. related to bug 6129 : I downloaded the gramps 2.2.10 on my ubuntu 11.10 and did the following : ``` ---
**Author:** ![dpawson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/dpawson/32/4444_2.png) [@dpawson](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/dpawson)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/5 "2024-06-24T11:13:32Z")
Thanks Avma. I did wonder about a virtual machine to do this? I’ve seen ‘incompatible’ packages previously. Is it reasonable to install an ‘older’ linux for this purpose, working in a virtual environment? ---
**Author:** ![avma](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/avma/32/1122_2.png) [@avma](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/avma)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/6 "2024-06-24T13:31:06Z")
Well if you get lucky and your machine takes Gramps 2.x then it is quite straightforward; import your file, export to xml (and gedcom) install gramps 3.x import and so on. I wouldn’t go and install an old Linux just for that, but if you read on on that link, you could try and submit your file in as describe there, hopefully they might kept an older running versions of Gramps to help you out. ---
**Author:** ![ennoborg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/ennoborg/32/4659_2.png) [@ennoborg](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/ennoborg)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/7 "2024-06-24T15:05:35Z")
> [@dpawson](#): > > ps: I also have a file I marked (xmlsave.2015) which is xml format (no metadata though unless > > Indicates a version 1.6? If you found that 1.6 in the XML, you can import that right away, and for the other .gramps file, you can also just give it a try. A .gramps file is normally compressed XML, and if it is, you can rename it to .gz, and then extract its contents with gunzip. If it’s too old, you may need to run an old Linux in a VM, because current Linuxes often don’t have the packages that older .deb or .rpm files depend on. There are other threads here on that subject, and it can be quite difficult to find an old live CD that can be run in VirtualBox, and access a shared folder. And that’s why I suggest those old threads, where I wrote about my own tests with those. ---
**Author:** ![ennoborg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/ennoborg/32/4659_2.png) [@ennoborg](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/ennoborg)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/8 "2024-06-24T15:12:47Z")
Addendum: The last time I tried working with live CDs is reflected in this thread: > [@Import/convert old database](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/import-convert-old-database/3768): > > L.S. I tried to import a very old database before 2016. It seems possible with version 3.0x according to the message, but that version cannot be installed due to compatibility with my current Linux Mint version. Can anybody help me with this?? There are about seven databases I need to import and get back from ancient times… thanks in advance, Willem ---
**Author:** ![emyoulation](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/emyoulation/32/67_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/emyoulation)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/9 "2024-06-24T15:15:04Z")
Coincidentally, the naming is reminiscent of the [RCS Archiving currently being discussed](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/rcs-based-archives/2538/11) in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![dpawson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/dpawson/32/4444_2.png) [@dpawson](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/dpawson)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/10 "2024-06-24T17:58:06Z")
Thanks. I’ll chase the link, though the XML import sounds hopeful ---
**Author:** ![ennoborg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/ennoborg/32/4659_2.png) [@ennoborg](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/ennoborg)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:37pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/11 "2024-06-25T12:37:15Z")
Please let us know how things go. ---
**Author:** ![dpawson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/dpawson/32/4444_2.png) [@dpawson](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/dpawson)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:55pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/12 "2024-06-25T12:55:23Z")
@ennoborg - yes, X.gramps, imports (minor msg about media path)… Is there an ‘export to latest version / standard’ command please? o/p format Grams xml package? regards ---
**Author:** ![ennoborg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/ennoborg/32/4659_2.png) [@ennoborg](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/ennoborg)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 1:03pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/13 "2024-06-25T13:03:18Z")
The easiest export is a backup. without media. It does the same as an export without filters in compressed Gramps XML, but the latter would create an anonymous file named data.gramps, and you probably don’t want that. Backups are always named after your tree, and also include the date in the file name. Automated backups even add a time stamp to that name. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/gramps/original/1X/2ac1e712b7adf612e31ca08a55419f4cf37c0158.png) [@system](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 1:03pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/update-from-10-year-old-gramps-files/5644/14 "2024-07-25T13:03:56Z")
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