How to backup most of your forum's data before reinstalling or upgrading Vanilla
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Mod's Note: The official upgrade documentation can be found here: http://vanillaforums.org/docs/installation-upgrade
This discussion will teach you how to back up most of your forum's data before reinstalling or upgrading Vanilla. Let's get started!
1: Download the Vanilla 2 Exporter here
2: Upload the PHP script to your server by FTP to your main folder (/) (Note: If you don't have a FTP client, you can download a free FTP client or you may use a online FTP client like http://www.net2ftp.com) (If you are downloading your own client, I recommend FileZilla)
3: Go to http://www.yourdomain.net/vanilla2export.php and fill out the info and then save the .txt.gz file it gives you because you will need it later or you might be able to just download it from FTP in your main root folder (/) (Note: This may require going to your host's control panel to refer to the MySQL information)
4: Use FTP to DOWNLOAD (not upload) the /plugins folder and /themes folder to your local computer. (Note: DO NOT BACKUP any configuration or anything else except /plugins or /themes because if your forum has any problems, backing up anything except /plugins and /themes will likely cause the problems to persist again. You don't have to worry about backing up /plugins or /themes UNLESS the problems are caused by a addon or a theme. From there, it's up to you what to do)
5: Make sure you have the .txt.gz file that you got from Vanilla Porter, and also make sure you have /plugins and /themes
6: Once you have double checked that you have those files and folders, it is time for you to delete EVERY SINGLE FOLDER that refers to Vanilla (not other folders that lead to other things like a wiki or a help desk. Only delete the folders that has to do with Vanilla)
7: Now, download vanilla here and import it to your server once again, using FTP
8: Now go to your website (http://www.yourdomain.net/forum or http://www.yourdomain.net)
9: After it takes you to the Getting Started part, go to Import all the way on the bottom and click on it.
10: Click on the bullet by "Choose File" and click on "Choose File" and find the file you got from vanilla2export.php
11: Enter the old Administrator user (your old administrator account goes here) (Note: It doesn't ask for username. It asks for email)
12: Click on Submit and then Submit or something like that once again and then let it do it's work.
13: Upload the /plugins and /themes again to override the new plugins and themes and have your old plugins back.
14: Check around the forum like Roles & Permissions, Outgoing mail settings, and stuff like that because our way of doing it only included stuff that was in MySQL and the plugins and themes, so some settings may not have been restored and just do a quick check around the forum. Things like Social Network Login, recaptcha codes, Roles & Permission settings (names and orders should be the same, but permissions are not), and stuff like that. Your posts, categories, and other stuff that were on MySQL are safe and sound once again!
Comments
edited. suggestions futile.
I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.
Well, @peregrine Can you believe that not all hosts have phpmyadmin? Although most hosts do, some don't and that's why I said Vanilla Porter. And, for /plugins and /themes, they can just upload the ones that are NOT default, or they can just do it. Basically, it's TWO choices, and uploading /plugins and /themes is no problem.
Yea good point, if the new version of vanilla is not compatible specially the ones that come with the package. Cleditor uses a different jquery version for 2.1 than for 2.0 as with several of the others. One must be careful with that.
It is important to back up your database, themes and plugins nevertheless.
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The point with backing up /plugins is that they can import WHATEVER they want and with themes, whatever they want
It is a Valid Point which we try to get across often. You just can't back up enough these days.
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@vrijvlinder Double bone right! Especially with new goals with virus makers, hijackers, and attackers waiting to attack computers, you can't back up enough
V, I'm gonna follow your lead and back up.
I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.
The point of backing up software and data is to have a recovery point in case the installation / upgrade change, whatever fails.
The instructions outlined in this "article" fail to actually create something even remotely representative of a usable restore point.
This has to be the WORST set of advice I'VE EVER SEEN on this site.
If there are any Mods in the neighborhood I highly recommend you obliterate this utter nonsense.
Until this thread has been properly burned and destroyed: WARNING TO NEW USERS - DO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS THREAD. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OUTLINED IN THE AUTHORITATIVE UPGRADE INSTRUCTIONS. IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE FOLLOWING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, ASK FOR HELP.
Vanilla Wiki, Tastes Great! 31,000 viewers can't be wrong. || Plugin Development Explained
No, that's not the point of backing up /plugins, or any of the content for that matter. You clearly do not know what you are talking about.
Posting drivel like this only causes confusion and trouble for people who aren't professional software developers/ site administrators.
Vanilla Wiki, Tastes Great! 31,000 viewers can't be wrong. || Plugin Development Explained
Oh holy hell, I just looked at the original post again - it was actually awesomed by staff? I'm not removing my prior comments.
If I followed this advice on my site and tried to do a 2.1 upgrade my forum it would be DOA. Without any hope of a roll back, my financially productive forum, would be toast. It would take days maybe weeks to repair the damage and I would lose advertisers.
Vanilla Wiki, Tastes Great! 31,000 viewers can't be wrong. || Plugin Development Explained
Updating Vanilla in 4 steps
/cachebut don't delete theSmartydirectoryutility/updateconf/config.phpand disabling plugins from there, some may have broken functionality in the version you have updated toThere was an error rendering this rich post.
Step 1.1 - Make a working Application backup. If you don't do this, you're wasting your time.
Step 2. You need to that pre-existing plugins are fully compatible with the new version if you are going to go this route. I regard this as foolhardy unless you have performed at least one test migration on a separate instance. Upgrade in place is not always the correct approach.
And yes, you can create test instances on a single server web front end. --- If you care about your forum, you should be doing this before any significant change.
Vanilla Wiki, Tastes Great! 31,000 viewers can't be wrong. || Plugin Development Explained
Maybe this Category should be Moderated for new posts. I feel it is important to keep this Category for Tutorials as complete and as accurate as we possibly can.
If people are unsure, it is best to post it in FeedBack and if it has merit then it can be moved to the tutorials by @Underdog as he has been doing so far.
Amen
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Totally agree with you. I hope this thread is deleted
or moved out of tutorials, title changed to bad advice, and sunk.
I was hoping someone would comment so I wasn't the only one who thought the advice was not beneficial, and actually harmful.
and the tutorial category should be LIMITED to posters with more than a couple of weeks of experience using vanilla and have proven themselves by reputation.
I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.
Amen Brother ( I mean sister).
clicking Amen.
I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.
Uhh... These are the instructions I use to reinstall or update my stuff and.. @hbf I know what I'm talking about, but what you're saying is just plain rude
And these instructions never fail for me. Don't judge them by looks. Actually try them and they work really well, whoever that judges by look and @hbf When I said restore point, I meant they wouldn't have to redownload everything
@ilovetech
I am sure you meant well, but these instructions are not clear, and are frankly unnecessary, since clearer guidelines already exist.
Well, since there are so many comments about improvements about /plugins and /themes, I will ask this discussion to be deleted and post another one but without telling things that ambiguous guys