Forum messages gone

CoraopolisRecord

We're a long time Vanilla user. Two days ago we woke up to find our entire forum is gone, replaced by the message "Warning : include once (/home/content/d/a/n/danomlor/html/vanillaforum/appg/headers.php) (function.include.once) : failed to open stream. No such file or directory in /home/content/59/4805759/html/vanillaforum/appg/init.vanilla.php on line 17."

This message just keeps repeating, with the number 17 going up to 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, etc. for pages and pages.

River

the error messages don't appear to relate to any vanilla core files relating to vanilla 2.5 afaik

might want to ask your host.

CoraopolisRecord

What could this mean? What else could they relate to?

River

How did you install vanilla via download , auto installer, git?

To get more help you would need to provide your version number of Vanilla.

you can look in index.php in the vanilla folder for vanilla 2.3 and lower.

e.g. for vanilla 2.3 it looks like this.

https://github.com/vanilla/vanilla/blob/Vanilla_2.3/index.php#L16

if you are using vanilla 2.5 I would re-install the source files.

or you might ask you host.

CoraopolisRecord

In the vanilla folder, when I click on index.php, I get a message which reads "Files cannot be discovered because a testing folder is not defined." I'm not sure what that means because on the website we obviously test every time we update a page, which occurs many times a day (we're a newspaper). I'm assuming we're using version 2.2 or lower because we were one of Vanilla's first users and we've never updated.

River

@CoraopolisRecord said:
In the vanilla folder, when I click on index.php, I get a message which reads "Files cannot be discovered because a testing folder is not defined." I'm not sure what that means because on the website we obviously test every time we update a page, which occurs many times a day (we're a newspaper). I'm assuming we're using version 2.2 or lower because we were one of Vanilla's first users and we've never updated.

you might ask your host or the person who installed vanilla and find out the version and determine how it was installed and then do the appropriate upgrade to vanilla 2.5 . running earlier versions of vanilla can put your user database at risk as well as your users private information.

River

@CoraopolisRecord said:
In the vanilla folder, when I click on index.php, I get a message which reads "Files cannot be discovered because a testing folder is not defined." I'm not sure what that means because on the website we obviously test every time we update a page, which occurs many times a day (we're a newspaper). I'm assuming we're using version 2.2 or lower because we were one of Vanilla's first users and we've never updated.

looks like you have vanilla 1.0 (based on your file name).

see....
https://github.com/vanilla/vanilla1/blob/master/src/appg/init_vanilla.php

probably not much support for vanilla 1.0 on this forum. you might consider upgrading.

the upgrade process from vanilla 1.0 might be tricky, but would be worth it if you can do it.

there are probably upgrade instructions from vanilla 1.0 somewhere in docs or on this forum, you would probably need to dig around and search.

https://open.vanillaforums.com/search?Page=p2&adv=&search=upgrading+from+vanilla+1.0

CoraopolisRecord

I have found the file which tells me my version is 1.1.7. We will definitely upgrade but it is essential we protect our files before we do. This is a historical forum and many of the people who posted extensively have since died so the forum cannot be reconstructed if we lose it.

After nosing around all day into every file, it appears our problems are in the appg folder, specifically pathways on line 17 and 18 and the library path, which appears to have been corrupted. I don't know whether upgrading will replaced these and in the process correct the problem, or whether we need to correct the problems first and then upgrade. Either way, we will need to somehow save our files before we upgrade to make sure we don't lose anything. Since we can't see the files---we just see five thousand repetitions of the error message---I don't know how to save them.

whu606

The key thing will be to make sure you have a copy of your database. And a backup. And a separate backup. That way, you will have all your user data/threads/posts etc.

Normally, you would be able to use Vanilla Porter on a working Vanilla 1 forum to export the data ready for a Vanilla 2 forum.

However, if you can't get your forum to work again, that won't help you much.

I don't know the layout of Vanilla1 tables, but it might be (should be?) possible to map them manually to make them suitable for a Vanilla 2 DB, since afaIk, Vanilla Porter simply automates that process.

In your position I would set up a test install of the earliest Vanilla 2 version available (V 2.2 from here: https://open.vanillaforums.com/addon/vanilla-core)

Once you have a working basic forum, have a look at the tables, and compare them to your current Vanilla 1 version.

If (when) you get your old forum into a working Vanilla 2, follow the upgrade path to update to the most current Vanilla 2.5.

River

@CoraopolisRecord said:
I have found the file which tells me my version is 1.1.7. We will definitely upgrade but it is essential we protect our files before we do. This is a historical forum and many of the people who posted extensively have since died so the forum cannot be reconstructed if we lose it.

After nosing around all day into every file, it appears our problems are in the appg folder, specifically pathways on line 17 and 18 and the library path, which appears to have been corrupted. I don't know whether upgrading will replaced these and in the process correct the problem, or whether we need to correct the problems first and then upgrade. Either way, we will need to somehow save our files before we upgrade to make sure we don't lose anything. Since we can't see the files---we just see five thousand repetitions of the error message---I don't know how to save them.

To prevent anymore corruption of old vanilla 1.1.7

you can ask your host to help you back up database.

or use instructions in link....(search google if you are not using MySQL for your database, but instructions should be very similar.)

http://webcheatsheet.com/sql/mysql_backup_restore.php

you can then restore database on a different computer.
as long as you save a backup copy of a "good" database, you can recover the data (discussions, comments, and other info)

you can always experiment to see what works best or repeat process if needed. (as long as you keep a copy of the saved database).

you can also re download files for vanilla 1.1.7 here if necessary.

https://github.com/vanilla/vanilla1/tree/Vanilla-1.1.7

potentially once you have backed up database using instructions above, you can download the copy of 1.1.7 source code on t a second computer (webserver), next restore database. then you can use the normal procedure for updating from vanilla 1.x. then migrate fixed and upgraded vanilla back to your host server.

this may provide helpful info as well

https://open.vanillaforums.com/discussion/21040/solved-all-forum-content-missing-after-upgrading