What do you people think about this...

I am installing Threads for the first time, converting a lively Classic 6.7.3 board with a 4-year history. I would like to convert the board the first time, and play around with settings until we get it set just right, then trash it all and do a final convert.

This scenario serves two purposes: 1, I can get up to speed on Threads installation and administration, and take my time so I get it right; and 2, the old board continues running untouched.

Once I have got things smoothed out as much as possible, how hard will it be to kill it all and start over? Can I simply delete and recreate the /forums directoy, and drop and recreate the database and database user?

Or might it be even easier... keep everything intact in the /forums directory, but change the database name and rerun the database part of the install and import?

How thin is the ice here? :-(

Well, if your member account is up to date, you can download/install/import and everything right now. You can play around all you want, with the old board live and well. You can then switch over whenever you felt comfy. That is, if your member account is still alive. Otherwise, you'd have to renew it...

jgeoff, thanks for the answer, but renewal is not the issue.

I can (and will) import everything now, but it immediately becomes out-of-date, since the old board is getting 50 posts/day.

So when I am ready for the final conversion, I need to dump all the old imported messages, and re-install so I pick up all the most recent messages.

Okay, then, so you're in the same boat as I was.

First thing I did was install 7.0 (to another directory), then as a test, I installed/imported with my Classic board still alive and well. Key here: I told my members this is what we're going to do, "check it out and provide your feedback". I did almost 2 weeks of this "beta" test. It was made clear that posts on the "new board" would disappear. After all that, I closed down for about (unfortunately) a day to delete the "new" db, then re-import, then that was that. Imported again, and still going strong!

You can just drop the tables, run the createtables.php script as part of the install and you're on your way.

Be careful as 7.02 stores some values in the db...you may lose your tweaks.

So it sounds like I can have my trial Threads version running while the old Classic board continues to run unaffected. And from what Napalm.Net says, I won't even need to re-install the unix /forums part, and that removing the database and recreating it followed by a fresh import should work.

Anyone else care to comment on this plan?

Yes, that sounds like the proper plan. If you have done any style work on your test forum, make sure you export it and save it locally before you nuke the database and recreate it.

As a part of the private beta group, and a usr formerly from classic, i've done just that many, many, many times...

Simply purge your database, run createtables.php from the install directory, then re-run the importer; pretty simple when you've done it 90+ times lol

Thanks. But since this is my first time, I'll be buggin' y'all with questions.

But thats why we're here