FORUM MAINTENANCE - DOWN TIME

Post » Sat Mar 11, 2017 4:05 pm

I am advising you all that I hope to move the site to a new machine and convert this phpbb2 to a phpbb3 so it will run on a more modern operating system.

I have done a test run on another host and it takes forever!!!!

Not only do I have to download and upload a large database, I will likely have to do this in at least a couple of pieces. Populating a new database so it can later be converted is also a lengthy process. The final part is running the conversion itself, into a new database. To give you some idea of the time and effort involved with the phpbb converter alone, I will have to click a "continue" page after every couple thousand posts are converted. Since there are a couple million posts or so, this will take FOREVER. Once it is successfully converted, I need to run a script to rebuild the search database. This will take several hours.

None of this takes into account that there may be failures in the conversion so I may need to start over.

So I am warning you, the board may be down for some time. I can move the guide over and set up the records forum without too much trouble but the main forum will be down for some time (at least a day).

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The forums will unexpectedly be down for at least a day. The rest of the site will likely have much shorter period of downtime.

As the conversion time gets near, I will download all the files on the site. If you change your avatar or I upload a picture and forget I did, those new files may not be there.

The new phpbb3 will have new features. I don't know which ones I will activate. Primarily, I hope that it will be functional after the conversion.

p.s. I have a way around this but if anyone has the syntax for creating a database backup that does not have extended inserts, let me know. I found this:

Code: Select all

mysqldump -h localhost -u [MySQL user, e.g. root] -p[database password] -c --add-drop-table --add-locks --all --quick --lock-tables [name of the database] > sqldump.sql

I also found this:

Code: Select all

mysqldump -u username -p dbname > dbexport.sql

I believe adding:
--opt
then
--skip-extended-insert
is part of what I need. Adding them might mean I remove the --quick (?) I will have to look at the pages below.

--opt is shorthand for
--add-drop-table --add-locks --create-options --disable-keys --extended-insert --lock-tables --quick --set-charset

https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/mysqldump.html
https://www.howtoforge.com/faq/how-to-u ... l-database

There is a lot of stuff to learn, relearn and have in order before I do this.

Post » Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:18 pm

I hope you all have read this! My host may be transferring the files for me so it might not be as bad as I was afraid of. But the conversion will still take hours.

This is likely going to be happening soon, perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday. Just letting you know (you will show up and the board will be non-functional).

Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:21 pm

Just a note to say the conversion took FOREVER! From about 2pm yesterday until 12:30 in the morning to do the main conversion. This involved pushing a continue button every 20 to 25 seconds to convert the next 2000 posts of over 2 million posts. And there was a close call that it might have failed near the end but it did indeed continue. Then I couldn't log in (note, if you have any problems logging in, close your browser and reopen it). You all will need to have new passwords sent to your hopefully functional email because this software uses a different encryption standard.

Anyway, I also worked all morning to get things set up and have yet to set up the Records forum (which will be quick, in contrast -- very small).

There may be changes as time goes on and I don't know if all the settings are correct but I hope so.

Lots more functions. I hope you all feel it is an improvement.

bmcfarland · Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:36 pm

Well, so far I love it!! I was super bummed not to be able to check out new posts yesterday and this morning, but I had read that it would be happening, so I was expecting it. I am so glad to see that the conversion went smoothly. It really does look great!

bpatters · Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:36 pm

Looks good, Lynx! Thanks for all your hard work on it.

ETA: I just noticed that the "www.guinealynx.info/" substitution doesn't work on here.

Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:42 pm

www.guinealynx.info/.html

Hmmmm, I'm going to have to look into this later. There might not be anything I can do about it.

PooksiedAnimals · Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:31 pm

Wow. Very different. Will take a bit to get used to. But it feels nice.

I used to click a link that would show me all the recent posts since the last time I had logged in. Is there still something like that and I just missed it?

Thanks!

bmcfarland · Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:39 pm

I believe the link you are looking for would be located on the Quick Links menu (three horizontal lines) at the top left of the screen. Then select "Unread Posts".

Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:05 pm

Yes indeed!

There is a lot of fooling around I will have to do. I made it so I couldn't delete a post! That is changed now.

PooksiedAnimals · Post » Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:29 pm

oh, you're awesome. Thanks!

daisymay · Post » Sat Mar 18, 2017 11:07 am

Lynx, Having trouble with avatar in some post I seem not to have one. Is this normal? Also when one has read say a post in cavy chat how does one get back to forums?

Post » Sat Mar 18, 2017 11:56 am

Clicking "Forum Home" at the top (or bottom) of the screen will take you back to the main list of forums.

I'm also having an avatar problem. Mine shows up on all of my mobile devices (iPad, Android), but not my desktop computer. I don't see your avatar either, daisymay, but I see Lynx's and some others.