Hi,
I’ve been trying to update OctoberCMS v2.2.35 to 3.x on a server for a few days now, and after the update, I can’t get the CMS to run.
Here is how I proceeded with moving the CMS to the new server with Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS:
- Uninstallation of php8.x
- Installation of php 7.4
- Installation of Composer 2.4.4
- Importing the database and the htdocs
With that, OctoberCMS v2.2.35 runs without errors.
Then, the update with php 7.4:
Modification of composer.json:
"php": ">=7.2.9",
"october/rain": "^3.0",
"laravel/framework": "^9.0",
"october/all": "^3.0",
$ composer update
Loading composer repositories with package information
Updating dependencies
Your requirements could not be resolved to an installable set of packages.
Problem 1
- Root composer.json requires laravel/framework ^9.0 -> satisfiable by laravel/framework[9.x-dev].
- laravel/framework 9.x-dev requires php ^8.0.2 -> your php version (7.4.33) does not satisfy that requirement.
Problem 2
- Root composer.json requires october/rain ^3.0 -> satisfiable by october/rain[v3.0.0, ..., 3.x-dev].
- october/rain[v3.0.0, ..., 3.x-dev] require php ^8.0.2 -> your php version (7.4.33) does not satisfy that requirement.
Use the option --with-all-dependencies (-W) to allow upgrades, downgrades and removals for packages currently locked to specific versions.
So, it didn’t work. Thus, I uninstalled php 7.4 and installed php 8.0.30.
Modification of composer.json:
"php": ">=8.0.30",
"october/rain": "^3.0",
"laravel/framework": "^9.0",
"october/all": "^3.0",
The update:
$ php artisan cache:clear
$ rm storage/framework/cache/* -Rf
$ rm /var/www/.cache/composer/* -Rf
$ composer update
...
- Upgrading laravel/framework (v6.20.45 => v9.52.21)
...
- Upgrading october/all (v2.2.0 => v3.7.0)
- Upgrading october/backend (v2.2.35 => v3.7.13)
- Upgrading october/cms (v2.2.35 => v3.7.13)
- Upgrading october/editor (v2.2.35 => v3.7.13)
- Upgrading october/media (v2.2.35 => v3.7.13)
- Upgrading october/rain (v2.2.34 => v3.7.12)
- Upgrading october/system (v2.2.35 => v3.7.13)
...
- Upgrading composer/composer (2.2.25 => 2.7.7): Extracting archive
- Upgrading october/rain (v2.2.34 => v3.7.12): Extracting archive
5 package suggestions were added by new dependencies, use `composer suggest` to see details.
Generating autoload files
> System\Console\ComposerScript::postAutoloadDump
In Model.php line 1815:
Call to a member function connection() on null
99 packages you are using are looking for funding.
Use the `composer fund` command to find out more!
> System\Console\ComposerScript::postUpdateCmd
In Model.php line 1815:
Call to a member function connection() on null
$ php artisan october:update
In Model.php line 1815:
Call to a member function connection() on null
When launching in the browser, the following error is written to the log:
[2025-11-28 07:23:34] production.ERROR: Error: Call to a member function connection() on null in /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php:1815
Stack trace:
#0 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php(1781): Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model::resolveConnection()
#1 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/october/rain/src/Database/Model.php(244): Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model->getConnection()
#2 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php(1492): October\Rain\Database\Model->newBaseQueryBuilder()
#3 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php(1528): Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model->newModelQuery()
#4 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php(1481): Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model->newQueryWithoutScopes()
#5 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php(2330): Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model->newQuery()
#6 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/october/rain/src/Extension/ExtendableTrait.php(509): Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model->__call()
#7 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/october/rain/src/Database/Model.php(293): October\Rain\Database\Model->extendableCall()
#8 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/modules/system/behaviors/SettingsModel.php(131): October\Rain\Database\Model->__call()
#9 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/modules/system/behaviors/SettingsModel.php(87): System\Behaviors\SettingsModel->getSettingsRecord()
#10 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/modules/system/behaviors/SettingsModel.php(154): System\Behaviors\SettingsModel->instance()
#11 [internal function]: System\Behaviors\SettingsModel->get()
#12 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/october/rain/src/Extension/ExtendableTrait.php(504): call_user_func_array()
#13 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/october/rain/src/Database/Model.php(293): October\Rain\Database\Model->extendableCall()
#14 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Eloquent/Model.php(2342): October\Rain\Database\Model->__call()
#15 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/plugins/panakour/backup/models/Settings.php(31): Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model::__callStatic()
#16 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/plugins/panakour/backup/config/config.php(24): Panakour\Backup\Models\Settings::getIncludedFiles()
#17 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/october/rain/src/Config/Repository.php(30): require('...')
#18 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Support/Facades/Facade.php(338): October\Rain\Config\Repository->package()
#19 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/modules/system/classes/PluginManager.php(230): Illuminate\Support\Facades\Facade::__callStatic()
#20 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/modules/system/classes/PluginManager.php(196): System\Classes\PluginManager->registerPlugin()
#21 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/modules/system/classes/PluginManager.php(183): System\Classes\PluginManager->registerAll()
#22 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/modules/system/ServiceProvider.php(55): System\Classes\PluginManager->registerFromProvider()
#23 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(712): System\ServiceProvider->register()
#24 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ProviderRepository.php(75): Illuminate\Foundation\Application->register()
#25 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/october/rain/src/Foundation/Application.php(314): Illuminate\Foundation\ProviderRepository->load()
#26 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/RegisterProviders.php(17): October\Rain\Foundation\Application->registerConfiguredProviders()
#27 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(265): Illuminate\Foundation\Bootstrap\RegisterProviders->bootstrap()
#28 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(176): Illuminate\Foundation\Application->bootstrapWith()
#29 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(160): Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel->bootstrap()
#30 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Http/Kernel.php(134): Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel->sendRequestThroughRouter()
#31 /var/www/www.hmb-ev.de/htdocs/index.php(43): Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel->handle()
#32 {main}
Can someone please help me and give tips on how I can fix the error and get OctoberCMS running again?
Best regards