Cannot get new forum to read old database

[haselhurst]

Hello,

I have forum that did have able2know mods and then your advanced mods.
It was working OK till yesterday, then it stopped re-directing number urls to title urls.

Anyway, I thought I would upgrade to latest version of phpBB 2.0.22 and then add your advanced mod rewrite and no dupe mods (and session mod from cyberalien).

But when I tried to update forum (running install.php) it came up with this error.

Unable to get list of smilies from the DB
2.0.22 upgrade

So it would not let me upgrade.
But if I chose to install it works OK (as it is now)
However, as you can see it is not reading my old database (which I had backed up and then restored from phpBB admin control).

Two years of my work is on this forum (700 posts) so I am very desperate to get it back working.

Any suggestions.

Thanks,
Geoff Haselhurst
http://www.physics-philosophy-metaphysics.com/forum/

PS - I see that you found my social bookmarking links useful (from my forum). But you are smarter than me - how do you get them to appear on page using javascript?

[dcz]

It's strange that the update script would not work.

A possible reason would be if you upgraded from an older version, older than 2.0.21 and just performed the 2.0.21 => 2.0.22 code changes.

Anyway, if your forum wasn't too modded, it ca be easier to proceed as you did, eg reinstall a new forum and import db, and install you old style.

A possible problem with doing so could be if you had installed a mod requiring changes in the db.

What happens exactly when you try to import the db ?
Isn't it just a matter of size ?

I suggest you use phpmyadmin to import it, rather than the phpBB admin tools, and you may have to cut it into several pieces to be able to upload it, it's often impossible to go above 2mo using php upload.

To cut the db, you can manually edit it, and import few tables at a time.
Many time, importing phpbb_search_wordlist, phpbb_search_wordmatch and phpbb_words will fail, it's no big deal, since it's a good occasion to rebuild your search tables, you can just create the table, which is already done after you installed phpBB from scratch, and then follow this small tutorial.

Make sure you're using the correct table prefix (phpbb_ or anything else, it's just that the db export mention it, and it must match the one used on your phpBB installation.

And make sure you are using the same char-set when exporting and importing db in phpmyadmin.

In case you're really in trouble, for example if you in the end did not save the db, which I doubt, you could get back you articles, at least some, if you soon enough check all the cached page in Google listing (still faster than full rewriting).

In all case, try to fix this asap, more than a week could be dommageable SEO wise.


About the social bookmarking menu, that's true I saw you had one, but I inspired from several other places and examples as well, and made my own cooking using js as you noticed.

My idea behind this was to keep the page as light and targeted as possible for SEs, and since the links are Js as well, it's waist SEO wise.
So the trik is kind of dirty in it's principle, but does it really well, I just use document.write(), I will release it soon since it can be handy for many.

If you want I can PM you the full mod.

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[haselhurst]

Hi dcz,
Thanks for replying so promptly.

I have spent all today working on forum and still cannot get it right. I have had it recognize the database (for a while I had it show correct forum sections and number of posts) but links to pages showed as errors).

Basically I have the complete backup on my computer - generated from the admin panel at the forum (before I started changes).

The forum did have your advanced mods on top of mods from able2know.

I have tried to re-install this original version (from files on my computer using dreamweaver) but I could not get it to work either.

What I would really like is to start from scratch, with latest phpBB 2.0.22 and with your latest advanced mods - and then to restore my original database / forum backup.
IS that possible.
Any other ideas?

Currently online I have latest version of forum without any mods. And I have restored backup database through admin, but it does not show this (just appears a a new / empty forum).

Are you interested in being employed to fix this up for me - and to add all your mods?
I am desperate - so money is not such a problem - it is my life's work on philosophy and physics which I think is important (on the wave structure of matter).

You wrote;

"What happens exactly when you try to import the db ?
Isn't it just a matter of size ?
I suggest you use phpmyadmin to import it, rather than the phpBB admin tools, and you may have to cut it into several pieces to be able to upload it, it's often impossible to go above 2mo using php upload."

I can restore db all right. It is 45 meg and takes about an hour which is correct for my ISDN connection (about 1 meg a minute).
But it does not show in forum.
Is it possible that I have caused problems because i deleted mysql database and user and re-installed them yesterday when i first had problems?

Note: In the current forum that is live I used simplistico? to install 2.0.22 version of phpBB and it made its own database / user. I then restored database and it uploaded OK - but forum still does not show it.

When i check the database using cpanel it shows ok I think.
Below is from cpanel

[dcz]

45mo for your DB, so it's most likely the size which is causing problems here when uploading.

It's is possible that you host has a way to deal with such case, some have a special upload page for big DB. You could start to check this, or try using BIGdump which should do it in all cases.

I have some doubts though when you write :

[haselhurst]

Hi dcz,

Just a short note to thank you for your time and help. It is late here - I am just uploading by ftp my sql database to server and them will use bigdump to restore it (has taken me half a day just to get this far! - but I am learning).

You seem to be right - phpbb (or servers?) do not handle large files. Though I find it strange there are not more error checks to tell you if database restored ok when you use phpbb admin control panel.

Anyway, I will provide more info tomorrow, and if it is working will explain my steps so it is helpful to others.

Thanks again - you are a shining beacon of hope in a troubled sea of computer code!
Cheers,
Geoff

[haselhurst]

Hello again,
I stayed up to see if it works.

I get the following error from bigdump about one third the way through restoring db from dump file (database backup) that I uploaded to server (using file manager in cpanel).

---------------------------

BigDump: Staggered MySQL Dump Importer v0.27b
Processing file: phpbb_db_backup.sql

Starting from line: 75611

Error at the line 78144: INSERT INTO phpbb_search_wordlist (word_text, word_id, word_common) VALUES('naïve', '16518', '0');

Query: INSERT INTO phpbb_search_wordlist (word_text, word_id, word_common) VALUES('naïve', '16518', '0');

MySQL: Duplicate entry 'naïve' for key 1

-------------

So I guess my next question is can I repair this error so that I can use database?
As always - your help is greatly appreciated.
Geoff

[dcz]

This is quite normal, as I told you, importing the phpbb_search_wordlist can be a pain, but no big deal, you can just drop all of it and rebuilt if after, using this small tutorial.

This is the kind of thing one have to do with a phpBB forum now and then for performances, so it's a rather good occasion.

To do so, and I know just this can be a pain, you could 1) make a copy of you saved db, and 2), just delete all the UPDATE on phpbb_search_wordlist and phpbb_words in it.

The import should then work without problems.


Don't forget you'll have to go again for the sql update script after this, to update your previous db (still running the old version).

And phpBB should work right away after this, with all you previous content, you just won't be able to perform accurate searches until you rebuilt the search tables.

You're really close now, keep faith

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[haselhurst]

Hi dcz,

I think I have forum working now with your latest advanced mods. You were right - it was a database error.
You are great!

One thing that is odd though, and not good.

If I search my site in Google, it shows pages with correct titles injected in url, but then each url has a 'vt' followed by a number.

e.g.
(http://www.physics-philosophy-metaphysics.com/forum/what-is-space-milo-wolff-vt564.html)

But it gives the following message

[dcz]

All right

So it's only a mater of delimiter, it looks like you've fixed it now, but this means your older URLs are not working now.

In you Google listing : http://www.google.fr/search?&q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.physics-philosophy-metaphysics.com%2F

there are still some -vt use, as well as aboutxx.html.

When updating, our first advice is to keep the delimiter you where using, that's why you first add -vt, but you need to use a slightly different .htacces for these to work.

So, thanks to the zero duplicate, you can keep the new delimiters, if you don't mind seeing all your topics and forums not ranked again until the next Google dance, since the urls changed.

It's not like starting again from scratch SEO wise, since you redirecte, but, you need to wait until the next Google dance for the PageRank Update.

In all cases, you should respectively replace -c, -f, -t with -v?c, -v?f and -v?t in your .htaccess to allow both to work and let the zero duplicate do it's job. Adding the ? after the v in the Reg-Ex allow matches on both -t and -vt delimiters, the one set in phpbb_seo_class.php will be the one used in the end, after redirection if required

Same for the old able2know urls, you just need to keep the old Able2know rewriterules at the end of you .htaccess, for these to be redirected by the zero duplicate.

This topic covers the migration from the able2know mod rewrite to the mixed one, the principle is exactly the same to go with advanced, as far as the required steps to follow.

Redirecting older URL properly is very important for older backlinks

Once done, all the eventual previous links using the able2know or the old delimiters urls will work, after being http 301 redirected to the new ones

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[haselhurst]

You are a genius - it all works perfectly now.

I owe you so many thanks.

Am just heading out - but wanted to quickly thank you for such prompt and helpful replies (you have kept me and Google happy!).

Will write more tomorrow - so it can help others.

Sincerely,
Geoff

[dcz]

You're welcome

[Steve]

Hi dcz,

I am an admin at Geoff's spaceandmotion forum, and I just joined to say a big thanks to you.

Our currently small forum is very important to us, and we hope to many others in the future.

So, thanks once again for your excellent work!


Steve.

[dcz]

Thanks, and welcome here

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[haselhurst]

Hi DCZ,
This is just a short summary of what I did and learnt (with your help) to fix forum.

1. Realise that uploading a large phpbb forum data base (40 Meg) using the Administration / Restore DB feature at forum is not recommended, as it can incompletely upload and it does not tell you of any errors (my problem).

2. Bigdump is easy to use. You just have to upload one file (that is free software) - and before uploading you must add your db name and username / password. The instructions are at the top of the page.
Then use Cpanel / File Manager to upload your database into the same directory - run Bigdump and it will show list of databases available (the one you uploaded) and the option to restore database.

3. This is when i discovered the error in my database - as it stopped installing about a third the way through, with error message;

"Error at the line 78144: INSERT INTO phpbb_search_wordlist (word_text, word_id, word_common) VALUES('naïve', '16518', '0');"

4. So then I had to edit db using notepad text editor - it was very slow due to large file (took about ten minutes to delete section of text!).
But it works OK. I removed all INSERT INTO phpbb_search_wordlist commands, so now I have no word list for search but I did not use this anyway.

5. Then I had to use Cpanel again to upload edited DB and then bigdump worked perfectly and the forum was fixed!
Voila!

6. I also went to the trouble of downloading and installing phpMyAdmin - only to discover that it is already installed in Cpanel - link is at bottom of mysql databases page.
It now says in phpMyAdmin that you can upload DB to 50 Meg - but I did not try it - bigdump seems great so there was no need.

7. And I now better understand how a db stores data using different tables - and that you can just upload specific tables into your database (still have lots to learn though!).

Hope this helps - and again my big thanks to dcz for such kind, prompt and helpful advice.

All the best,
Geoff

PS - I added your js code for social bookmarks. Very clever how you build a table and add the content using javascript. Seems to work perfectly. Thank you very much.

[dcz]

You're welcome

And do not forget, since you did not import your search tables, that you have to rebuild them once the db is installed again. It's rather simple and will re-enable the phpBB search function.
It's as well a good occasion to optimize your forum's db a bit, using the search_stopwords.txt.

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