UBB.threads PHP Forum Software Community Forums UBB.threads 7 Installation and Upgrade Support Importing from different server

In order to upgrade to Threads, my host site has created a new environment on a more up-to-date server. I have installed Threads there, while the Classic board continues to run on the old server.

The first step of the import is to enter the absolute paths to the existing Classic installation. Unfortunately, the absolute path will point me to somewhere on the current server, and NOT to the other server's data.

So I need to export the old board's data somehow, and then ftp it over to the new server. ...but then how would I import from those files?

I will appreciate some suggestions and pointers.

You may have to either 1) upgrade the old site, and then copy it over; or, 2) copy the old site to the new server, and then upgrade...

Probably the two fastest options.

Well, that is what my host site did: cloned the Classic board on the new server. However, when I try to log into the Control Panel on the cloned board, it immediately throws me into the old board (I can see that from the url.)

Currently the only difference in the URL is:
old: http://www.mysite.com <--mysite is just an example
new: http://www2.mysite.com

I think the control-panel's throwing me back to old site is due to the paths & urls on the cloned site pointing me back to the old server. Say... is there a flat file I can edit to change them???

...It's late here... I'll check back in ~ 9 hrs. Thanks for all the suggestions.

If I'm understanding correctly -- if you're going from one server to another, with the same domain name (regardless of subdomain), you'll have to wait until the domain propagates thru the Web -- about a day. That is, if you've notified your domain registrar about the new nameserver of your new web host.

Until then, you'd probably need to access the new CP via its IP address...

(If I'm misunderstanding you, then sorry...)

As for domain propagation, come to think of it, if you're with the same webhost, that wait time shouldn't apply. I get what you're saying now... let me see if I can find what you're looking for...

But to clarify....

Did your webhost install Classic on the new server, and did they then upgrade that to Threads 7?

FWIW - You want to access the Threads CP, not the Classic CP -- the paths should be different if you've installed Threads on the new server, compared to Classic...

The new CP address should be something like: http://www2.mysite.com/threads/admin/login.php
rather than
http://www.mysite.com/cgi-bin/cp.cgi

You need to update your paths, see vars_config.cgi on the classic forum.

I was a little out of it last night, could you tell?

lol at least you didn't have to bring an 18 month old to the er :/

Waiting around in ER is draining, no fun for sure.

Hey, join the club... My 27-month-old girl suffered through last night with the flu -- upchucking every 30 minutes or so. Started at 2 AM, and abruptly stopped at 10 AM. We're off the the doctor this afternoon. I am home, and at this while she naps.

By the way, if your kid ever pukes, get a big bowl to catch the next one. Took us two loads of laundry before that dawned on me.

I'll comment on the above suggestions in following posts.

lol yeh, even whne I feel "ucky" I grab the largest bowl in the house; which rivals the size of a standard bucket lol

You'll need to update vars_config.cgi with the new paths/urls if you plan to access the new location of cp.cgi

You don't need to do so to import to threads tho - your .classic files will need at least 'read' access. Just point to the paths of the now-moved classic install and import away

bath tubs are handy

...not so much if you have a permanent hair (and chunk) collector on the drain. lol

jgeoff, it is currently a different domain name: www2 vs www. That is another issue that raises questions. I'll ask them in another thread.

> Did your webhost install Classic on the new server, and did they then upgrade that to Threads 7?
The web host copied everything from the old server to the new, so I have a snapshot of the Classic board of a few days ago. They did not install Threads -- that is what I am doing.

As for accessing the Threads CP, thanks for the link. But I cannot log in, since I bypassed the "Create admin user" step, thinking I was going to import. I cannot import across the two servers, so I have no admin user to login with.

Thanks to Gizmo, I'll be setting the paths correctly in the new server's Classic file, vars_config.cgi, to see if I can then get into the new Classic board, then import from it.

...Eventually, I will have to re-copy the old board to the new server and do this all over again. But for now, I am just familiarizing and practicing.

Thanks so much for all the help.

you chuck in the bathtub? I hope your wife isn't in charge of the cleanup...

The above "Gizmo'd" post was sponsored by SA - Spamaholics Anonymous

I prefer Postaholic; thank you :x

Not when she's sleeping right next to me, I'm sound asleep, she makes a single cough, and I've got about 5 seconds. If I grabbed her and ran, she's puke all over the carpet , and I'd pass out from jumping out of bed and running.

Having the bowl by the bed was barely 'nuf time.

hmmm.. then you haven't reached step 1 yet, you have to realize you have a problem first

problem, no problem :bites nails and looks around really fast: no problems at all

Cut out the middle man - let her sleep in the bath

Seriously though hope she is ok

I used to do that when i was little and sick; camping out in the bathroom is the bees knees...

Yep. She is bouncing back. All is normal, except the appetite is at about 50%. Spent two hours at the doctor yesterday just to make sure.

Now back to regular programming...

I should probably ask my host site this, but running the classic_import.php, first screen asks for absolute paths. It is rejecting the members directory with:
"Checking... You entered the wrong path to the members directory"

By the way, I downloaded, edited and uploaded the vars_config.cgi file as suggested above, and now I can get into the Classic board on the new server. Can edit my own profile, post messages, etc.

So... what is wrong with my path to the members directory? I put in:
/usr/local/psa/home/vhosts/whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Members
which is copied directly from the Paths & URLs page on the new site's control panel.

I see via ftp that part of the Classic board is under the /httpdocs/ubb directory, but the Members directory is under /cgi-bin/ubb. Both /httpdocs and /cgi-bin are at my sites root. (Don't know if that is right, having two independent branches for the same UBB board.)

I do not know if the absolute path is right -- only that the message board is working on the new site with the paths copied directly over from the old site. Should I re-verify the path with the host tech support, or can you guys help?

I sure do appreciate all your help here

This may have been asked already, my apologies if I missed it, but what version is your ubb.classic running? The initial check looks for a memberlist.cgi file inside the Members directory so you'll want to browse to that directory via FTP and make sure you see that file.

The path will vary with your install actually, try using:
/whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Members

Sometimes in a chrooted enviroment things can use a full (standard) url vs a local url; and sometimes it can be the complete opposite; it can honestly vary due to how things are configured.

UBB Classic is 6.7.3. I upgraded several months ago from whatever was available Dec. 2003. ~6.3

I can see memberlist.cgi inside the Members directory.

Tried the shorter entry Gizmo recommended, and got the same error message:
Checking... You entered the wrong path to the members directory

I also checked and made sure all directory and file permissions were the same as the old site. I had to set permissions higher on the new site, but that did not help -- tried both absolute and local paths.

First thing I would do is start with this, then deleting/eliminating the first directory from the path each time. That is, first try

/usr/local/psa/home/vhosts/whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Members

then if that fails, try
/local/psa/home/vhosts/whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Members

then if that fails, try
/psa/home/vhosts/whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Members

etc.

FWIW - my working path is:
/home2/gbb/public_html/cgi-bin/Members

I would also suggest you check those paths - that is a Plesk path that was discontinued several versions back.

Plesk is now 8.1 - that version sounds like 4 or 5!!

If you are still on a really old Plesk - you need to ask your hosting company why. Is it because the server is so old that they can't update (if so then you are suffering) - or is it because they are poor at updating their servers (again you may suffer from old versions of PHP and MySQL)

If not then your paths should look like...

/var/www/vhosts/vhosts/whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Members

It is possible that your host has mapped a psa directory to avoid paths from breaking - but as these directories went out of Plesk 2 or 3 years ago (or more) then I would have thought not.

Just a few ideas for you.

(unless another CP is using PSA in their structure, which I very much doubt it)

Update on the situation:

The members directory problem was solved by the host site administrator. He wrote this to me: