Transfer to new domain on new server

[Ben Pilley]

I have had a look but cannot find a way to transfer my existing forum to another domain on a different server.
I downloaded full forum to PC then uploaded to new site but when entering the "new path" I only get to the index folder. Is this totally the wrong way to do it or can this be amended
I need to get the forum moved quite quickly is that possible

[asarian]

I have had a look but cannot find a way to transfer my existing forum to another domain on a different server.
I downloaded full forum to PC then uploaded to new site but when entering the "new path" I only get to the index folder. Is this totally the wrong way to do it or can this be amended
I need to get the forum moved quite quickly is that possible

It looks like your new host has no proper DirectoryIndex set (to handle PHP) for your /forum/ dir.

If you just gzip (or whatever) your database (after you powered down your MySQL, of course), and gzipped (or whatever) your forum, and reversed the process on your new host, you should be fine, in principle. But without a DirectoryIndex (or without PHP even), nothing goes. You do have PHP on your new host, right?

- Mark

System Administrator Asarian-host.org


---
"If you were supposed to understand it,
we wouldn't call it code." - FedEx

[Ben Pilley]

Mark


You were quite right. The ISP was still transferring the domain to the cobalt raq (which uses php). I now get a deifferent error which is attached, does this mean anything to you?

Thanks
Ben

[asarian]

Mark


You were quite right. The ISP was still transferring the domain to the cobalt raq (which uses php). I now get a deifferent error which is attached, does this mean anything to you?

Thanks
Ben

Well, you get that screen on pretty much every database error. Assuming you're the technical contact, why not wait until the email arrives, and check the error?

Did you restore the database properly?

- Mark

System Administrator Asarian-host.org


---
"If you were supposed to understand it,
we wouldn't call it code." - FedEx

[Ben Pilley]

I will wait for the emails but what do you mean by restore the database?


Thanks
Ben

[asarian]

I will wait for the emails but what do you mean by restore the database?

Thanks
Ben

I mean, you backed up your MySQL database on your old server, and restored it on your new one, right?

- Mark

System Administrator Asarian-host.org


---
"If you were supposed to understand it,
we wouldn't call it code." - FedEx

[Ben Pilley]

Mark


All I did was simply drag entire forum from server to my PC then FTP'd it to the new site, I take it this is wrong then?

The error message on the email by the way is :

RE: vBulletin (Forum) Database error!

Database error in vBulletin :

Link-ID == false, connect failed
mysql error:

mysql error number: 0

Date: Thursday 03rd of February 2005 10:08:14 AM
Script: http://www.iraqdevelopmentprogram.org/ipmtb/forum/
Referer:
IP Address: 82.69.8.19
Thanks
Ben

[asarian]

Mark

All I did was simply drag entire forum from server to my PC then FTP'd it to the new site, I take it this is wrong then?

Well, copying your forum files is one thing; and you should really do that, of course. But you also need to move the DATABASE part of your forum! It would be located somewhere in, say, /var/db/mysql/yourforum/.

If you where on a hosting plan, and had no access to your MySQL database on your old server, you will need to ask your host to make a nice tarball for you (or MySQLdump output file), and give it to you, so that you can move the database to your new host. This is vital, of course, as without the database nothing goes: no posts, no templates, no nothing.

Look in includes/config.php for something like:

$dbusername="user";
$dbpassword="password";
$dbname="yourforumdb";

That will give you an idea of what you need to ask from your previous host. Then, on your new host, you need to have the old database restored again (and have MySQL access, of course).

Also, config.php should be readable only by the user the web server runs under (as it contains your database password!).

Then you should try again.

- Mark

System Administrator Asarian-host.org


---

"If you were supposed to understand it,
we wouldn't call it code." - FedEx

[Ben Pilley]

Mark

As you can see I am very new to this and seem to be having difficulties understanding it. Is there any documentation that you know of that will tell me how to do this from step a-z. The new domain is with same ISP but on another server, they have told me to go to
"In order to transfer a database between sites you will need to use the phpMysqlAdmin tool. Export the data from the old account and then import the data into the new site." byt there are so many files I do not know which ones I need (maybe all, I dont know)
I did not do the original installation of the forum VB did it so I dont know the files needed
Can you help?

Thanks
Ben

Well, copying your forum files is one thing; and you should really do that, of course. But you also need to move the DATABASE part of your forum! It would be located somewhere in, say, /var/db/mysql/yourforum/.

If you where on a hosting plan, and had no access to your MySQL database on your old server, you will need to ask your host to make a nice tarball for you (or MySQLdump output file), and give it to you, so that you can move the database to your new host. This is vital, of course, as without the database nothing goes: no posts, no templates, no nothing.

Look in includes/config.php for something like:

$dbusername="user";
$dbpassword="password";
$dbname="yourforumdb";

That will give you an idea of what you need to ask from your previous host. Then, on your new host, you need to have the old database restored again (and have MySQL access, of course).

Also, config.php should be readable only by the user the web server runs under (as it contains your database password!).

Then you should try again.

- Mark

System Administrator Asarian-host.org


---

"If you were supposed to understand it,
we wouldn't call it code." - FedEx

[asarian]

As you can see I am very new to this and seem to be having difficulties understanding it. Is there any documentation that you know of that will tell me how to do this from step a-z.

Ben,

On your old board, you could do this:

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/m...tenance_backup

But I do not believe you can do a full restore via the Admin CP. So the phpMyAdmin route may be preferable.

"In order to transfer a database between sites you will need to use the phpMysqlAdmin tool. Export the data from the old account and then import the data into the new site."

If by that they mean phpMyAdmin, then you can go to the main page of phpMyAdmin, select "databases", click "export", select the database you wish to export, click "Save as file", and press "start" (based on phpMyAdmin 2.6.1).

If everything goes well, you will be able to download the generated SQL file. Then, on your new server you can run the SQL "query" (as input file), to create and restore the new database.

P.S. Depending on your access right, you may not have full phpMyAdmin access; which could mean you only get to see 1 database in your left pane (or typically only those databases you own on the shared server). I cannot determine the database name for you, as only you will know. But, like I said in my last installment,

Look in includes/config.php for something like:

$dbusername="user";
$dbpassword="password";
$dbname="yourforumdb";

That is info you need; it will tell you which database to backup, and what username + password gives access to it (not needed in phpMyAdmin, but relevant again for your new installation).

When in doubt, backup all databases; better have a few too many, then too few. Important thing is, of course, to have that "dumpfile" downloaded before you cancel your old account!

- Mark

System Administrator Asarian-host.org

---
"If you were supposed to understand it,
we wouldn't call it code." - FedEx

[Ben Pilley]

[QUOTE=asarian]Ben,


Look in includes/config.php for something like:

$dbusername="user";
$dbpassword="password";
$dbname="yourforumdb";

That is info you need; it will tell you which database to backup, and what username + password gives access to it (not needed in phpMyAdmin, but relevant again for your new installation).

When in doubt, backup all databases; better have a few too many, then too few. Important thing is, of course, to have that "dumpfile" downloaded before you cancel your old account!


I have managed to get all files across to new domain via export/import and amended
$dbusername="user";
$dbpassword="password";
$dbname="yourforumdb";
but I get this error attached.

I have doubled checked from oldsite but there doesnt seem to be a functions_forumlist.php on there either. Ideas?

Thanks Ben

[asarian]

I have managed to get all files across to new domain via export/import and amended
$dbusername="user";
$dbpassword="password";
$dbname="yourforumdb";
but I get this error attached.

I have doubled checked from oldsite but there doesnt seem to be a functions_forumlist.php on there either. Ideas?

There should be, at

includes/functions_forumlist.php

If you upload everything under "upload" in the distribution, it really should be there.

Be sure to set its permissions properly, too.

- Mark

[Ben Pilley]

There should be, at

includes/functions_forumlist.php

If you upload everything under "upload" in the distribution, it really should be there.

Be sure to set its permissions properly, too.

Attached is a screen grab of the files within the forum from the old site and there is no functions_forumlist.php (I have also searched the full folder and it hasn't been moved) but the old forum still works fine.

Where do I verufy this "Be sure to set its permissions properly, too"

Thanks
Ben

[asarian]

Attached is a screen grab of the files within the forum from the old site and there is no functions_forumlist.php (I have also searched the full folder and it hasn't been moved) but the old forum still works fine.

Where do I verify this "Be sure to set its permissions properly, too"

Thanks
Ben

Never mind whether includes/functions_forumlist.php was on the old server: it needs to be on the new one now! Like I said, just grab the latest tarball from the members area (3.0.6), untar/unzip it, and transfer EVERY file in the "upload" dir to your new server.

If your old server was not 3.0.6, you would thereafter have to run the upgrade process. First make sure you have all files, though.

There are no special permission considerations, save to say that your .php files should be world-readable. There is one exception, though, for:

includes/config.php

Since this file holds your database username + password, make sure it is NOT world readable! If your Apache runs as "nobody", this would do it:

chown nobody:nobody includes/config.php
chmod 440 includes/config.php

- Mark