FYI, I've had some really bad problems crop up when using sym links to deploy php releases (php selectively using files from older versions), and I've encountered others who've had similar problems. I don't know if it's been fixed in newer versions, but problems include the realpath cache not getting properly reset (and clearstatcache() wouldn't let you clear the realpath cache until 5.3).

Here's someone else who had this problem, although he claims cycling Apache would fix it (it didn't for me):

http://www.mikebrittain.com/blog/2009/05/12/case-against-usi...

Question for the peanut gallery: how do you handle user uploaded files that are not in version control if you swap out the whole site?

Create post-update, pre-swap symlinks from inside the new docroot to directories outside of the swapped docroot?

I prefer phing and a git post-update hook myself.

this is useful, thank you.