UBB.threads PHP Forum Software Community Forums UBB.threads Installation and Upgrade Support Server Name issues

Hello all. I am attempting to install my brand new, licensed copy of UBB.threads. I've successfully uploaded all files, set permissions properly, successfully connected to install.php but am hung up on the "enter database information" step.

I've gotta believe that my problem here is server name. I've checked and double-checked my database name, database user, database password. All are definitely right.

For server name I tried "local_host" and failed right away. I tried the "host name" that GoDaddy provided me - a long string that looks like this: p41mysql103.secureserver.net - and it too failed right away. Called godaddy, they said "try mysql.secureserver.net" and at least the step seems to think awhile - maybe 30 or 40 seconds as it tries to connect - then it comes back with "failed." Any suggestions?

PS - I was having so much fun too! Like a kid on xmas morning....

try 'localhost'

unless for some reason, they have the mysql on it's own (separate) box... that should work

try localhost, I highly doubt it'd be local_host.

BTW, most domain registries overload their hosting servers, the info could be right and the server just b0ged

posted AT THE SAME TIME!

1 second diff isn't same time

no luck on "localhost" and it fails immediately on that, whereas it does seem like it tries - but fails - to connect on the mysql.secureserver.net. perhaps you are right and it is a server issue with the host....bummer

So, called back to GoDaddy and this is what they sent me. Given my ignorance - does this or does this not help me at all in terms of succeeding in the connection that is currently failing?

This is called: MySQL connection string with PHP

<?php
//Sample Database Connection Syntax for PHP and MySQL.

//Connect To Database

$hostname="your_mysqlserver.secureserver.net";
$username="your_dbusername";
$password="your_dbpassword";
$dbname="your_dbusername";
$usertable="your_tablename";
$yourfield = "your_field";

mysql_connect($hostname,$username, $password) OR DIE ("<html><script language='JavaScript'<alert('Unable to connect to database! Please try again later.'),history.go(-1)</script></html>");
mysql_select_db($dbname);

# Check If Record Exists

$query = "SELECT * FROM $usertable";

$result = mysql_query($query);

if($result)
{
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
$name = $row["$yourfield"];
echo "Name: ".$name."<br>";
}
}
?>

well it's interesting that your username and dbname are the same..

i pinged p41mysql103.secureserver.net and it's good and quick.

so i'd just make sure that the FULL dbname and username is used..

sometimes if you create a dbname like 'ubbthreads', the host will give you an actuall db name of username_ubbthreads... same goes for usernames in the db...

i can't tell for sure without seeing the actual info.. which you shouldn't paste here

wow! I figured it out. I entered my hostname followed by the secureserver.net listed in the string and passed. Yay. I'm off and running. Hopefully free of further speedbumps.

Thank you, Sirdude, for the responses - as always. And Gizmo too. Thanks.

Oh, and Rick of course too, who helped me via email...

Okay. So, I'm all installed and I'm administering my board through the control panel. But, if I go to the URL (which is www.littlepilgrimsforums.com) it says "coming soon" (which is different now than the parked godaddy page that was there a couple hours ago) but it also says "f you are the owner of this web site you have not uploaded (or incorrectly uploaded) your web site."

The software certainly is uploaded successfully. Is there another step - or is this perhaps a timing issue where I'll got to bed tonight and it will be up in the AM?

OHHH. I see what happened. The live site is www.littlepilgrimsforums.com/forums. Because I created the directory there as per the instructions. However, I want the site to land on the main domain without the /forums. Should I move all files out of the "forums" directory on my server, or would that screw something up?

You can move all of the files up a directory, you'd just need to hand edit the includes/config.inc.php file. In there you'll see the BASE_URL and FULL_URL variables. The FULL_URL will need to get set to http://www.littlepilgrimsforums.com and the BASE_URL will probably just need to be set to "/".

No you don't want to do that and keeping it in a sub folder is the right thing to do.

You can create a redirect a couple of ways so that when users hit that name it will go to your forums.

Often it is better to have a main page that does not go directly into the forums. Then you can create pages and stuff outside the forum that may pertain to other things and then have a link to the forums.

lol, you can do it either way nt.. i've seen root based ones as well as sub-dir ones..

most common is sub-dir @ /forums /ubbthreads /community, but nothing wrong with /

Yes you can do either way, any way, but the reason not to is when you sooner or later go to add other software it will often want to place either folders or files in the root that almost guaranteed will interfere with your forum and you then either need to move the forum or not install this new software.

I'm just trying to help him out with "potential" issues in the future as I've seen it a few times and was a pain to clean it all up.

And you can always leave it in the subdir, and if somebody comes to the main url, redirect them to the ubb.threads install url.

I do that

Sorry for wordiness. I wanted to be as specific as possible.

I actually prefer to do it the way Rick suggest. Mostly because this URL will never have other software. My main website is already created and have hyperlinks imbedded throughout to the root to which I'm trying to install. My host didn't have time to install, set up and configure in time for our Monday launch, which is why I reserved hosting space on GoDaddy (and they couldn't support hosting only a sub-domain, which was my hope, so I created a unique domain for forum). So, the main Web site has been changed so that all references to the forum point to the www.littlepilgrimsforums.com. Of course, I could have them change that Monday AM prior to launch to be www.littlepilgrimsforums/forums easily enough. I might have to do this, because I tried Rick's suggestion and I'm having issues.

I moved everything up to root. I edited the includes/config.inc.php file as per Rick's suggegstion. Now, when you go to root it would show UBB.threads hyperlinks, but none of the style etc (though I confirmed that all UBB folders had been moved successfully from /forums sub-directory and into the root directory). I've since moved everything back to the forums folder, and all is well on that sub-directory.

If I redirect, then I presume it would not require my developers on main site to update hyperlinks, correct? If the main Web site hyperlinks to the root domain, which is inturn redirect to sub-directory, all would be well, correct?

If so, I could use advice on how to redirect. I notice through the domain manger on godaddy I can forward, but I think redirecting is differnt. I tried to forward the main domain to the subdirectory, but the software called the subdirectory an invalid format for forwarding.