I have been testing multisite for extension compatibility problems before installing it on a live site and have come across an issue with the XCloner component. XCloner isn't backing up the multisite component or the multisite directory. XCloner allows you the option of selecting which directories you want to backup and multisite doesn't show up on the list and it isn't backed up in physical backup. Is it possible to create a patch?

As I state I'm new to multisite, and I have to admit that I'm having difficulty understanding some of your documentation, so it's possible that I haven't set multisite up properly and that could be the issue with XCloner.

Here's how I have set multisite up:

I don't need anything complicated so my set up is simple. I have an existing domain as a master and another new domain as a slave, both domains are hosted on gatorhost.com. I need the two sites to share extensions media and hopefully someday some articles.

I have set multisite up with a jos_ database for the master and a separate jos_database for the slave. The installation of the slave seems to have worked. Except that none of the extentions installed on the master have shown up on the slave and need to be installed. Is this the way multisite handles extensions?

Your documentation on the installation of extensions (pages 23-24) is a little confusing. You state that it is possible to damage the configuration file of the extensions. Could you give me a step by step on the proper way to install and uninstall extensions on both the master and slave site? If you damage the extension configuration can it be repaired.

I don't want to start using multisite on my live site until I'm sure I understand the installation of extensions and I can back my site up using XCloner.

Please let me know if you need access to my site or anymore info.

Thanks for your support

Brent Melton

Dear Brent, concerning the re-installation of the extension, YES, when you create a new slave sites with the usage of Joomla Installation, you have to re-install the extension.
As JMS share the files and the folder on the disk, it may be possible that some extension that save their settings in a configuration file, my overwrite existing configuration present on the disk. The re-installation of an extension physically re-install the files and folders on the disk.
We have mention that in our manual to inform you on a limitation.

When you use our slave site replication mechanism to create a new slave site, this problem does not exists as only the tables in the DB are replicated. Not the files and folders as they are already present. In this case, the configuration files is not touched.
This may have another impact. Some extension save their configuration into the DB. In this case, as JMS replicate the table, it does not modify the content of the tables. Some extension may require to modify the configuration manually to reflect the new domain, the new path, or whatever that could be website dependent.