SMF integration into Joomla.

[anyoldcard]

I had a stand alone SMF forum that I linked to from Joomla. Because of a corrupted back-up file, I lost everything. I re-installed Joomla and I remember reading that SMF can be integrated into Joomla as a module. I know how to find the stand alone file for SMF but where do I find the SMF script that is used with Joomla? I found this page:

http://www.cartikahosting.com/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,87/

and the file is named smf_1_0_rc_install and it also says that it is for Mambo open source. Is this file new enough to use with Joomla, or do I need to keep looking for a newer file?

Someone would have a ton of traffic if they had an easy to find page that listed all the modules for Joomla and Mambo with the appropriate links. I would do it but I can't even find the correct file that I need now let alone alot of module files put out by different programmers.

I also still have my MySql database from the first installation of SMF. Is the members data stored in the MySql database and when I install a new SMF can I just hook up to the old database and have all my posts and members, or do I just start over?

Thanks for any help,
Ron.

[Oldiesmann]

You can find all the info you need about the Mambo/Joomla bridge in the Mambo/Joomla Bridge Support board.

The file you're referring to is an ancient version of SMF and should not be used. In fact, they're not even allowed to host those files (against SMF's license).

If you've got the database from an old version of SMF, you can upgrade it to 1.1RC1 - just download the "install" package from the downloads page, upload all the files (except install.php and smf_1-1.sql) and modify Settings.php to point to that database. Then, download the "upgrade" package, extract upgrade.php, upgrade_1-0.sql and upgrade_1-1.sql, upload all three files to your server and run upgrade.php. That will upgrade the old database to 1.1RC1.

[anyoldcard]

Thank you for the bridge link and I upgraded SMF at the end of October 2005. I came here to the forum and someone directed me to the newest file. Unless there was a newer upgrade put out in the last 30 days or so, then my database would be for the newest version of SMF.

Do I still do all the steps to use the old database if my database is from the newest version of SMF?
1. just download the "install" package from the downloads page
2. modify Settings.php to point to the "old" database
3. upload all the files (except install.php and smf_1-1.sql)
4. download the "upgrade" package, extract upgrade.php, upgrade_1-0.sql and
upgrade_1-1.sql, upload all three files to your server and run upgrade.php.

Thank you for your help,
Ron.

[Oldiesmann]

You don't need to do any of that if you've got the newest database. You just need to make sure all the files are there and that Settings.php points to the correct database.

[anyoldcard]

Thanks, thats what I was hoping for. I did the upgrades on a regular basis so I should be up to par. Now I just have to get the bridge figured out. It would be nice if they had a version of Joomla with the bridge and SMF already integrated. LOL.

Thank you sir, you have been very helpful.
Ron.

[anyoldcard]

Oldiesmann,
I checked my FTP log and 9/29/05 is when I did the last upgrade. I look at some of the files in a folder and one file I found mentioned smf 1.0.4

If my lastest upgrade was 1.0.4 will I still need to do the steps you gave me to be able to use the old database, or is 1.04 and 1.05 close enough that the same database will work without changes except to modify the setting.php file?
Thanks for your help again.
Ron.

[anyoldcard]

Forget that last question. Since my server crashed they have all new Fantastico scripts. The SMF is now the 1.0.5 instead of the 1.0.3 (upgraded to 1.0.4 earlier). If I install the 1.0.5 SMF with Fantastico, will the new SMF  installation overwrite the database that was created when I used Fantastico to install the 1.0.3 version or will there be two databases.

I noticed there is a new database (2 databases now) for Joomla because I did install from scratch and did not use Fantastico, which also now has the lastest version of Joomla.

The reason I ask this is, I would like to install SMF 1.0.5 with Fantastico because I am still learning much of this and have very little experience with MySql and what experience I have is through Cpanel. I'm trying to do this the easiest way I can because I have to for now.

So these are the steps that I think I can do. Install 1.0.5 SMF from Fantastico and hopefully it intalls a new database leaving the old SMF 1.04 database in tact, then take the steps to upgrade the database or maybe get lucky and just hook straight to it if it is compatible. Either that or hire someone to do it for me. Thanks for anyones help.
Ron.

[anyoldcard]

I forgot to mention that I have decided against integrating SMF into Joomla. It's seems to be more trouble than it's worth. I will just do a stand alone and then link to it from Joomla.

[redone]

When you install from fantastico it generally increments the number of the database. So, in your first install it should look like Smf1_ and the next should be Smf2_

Just make sure that when you install the new version of SMF1.05 that the database numbers are not the same as each other or it will overwrite your old database! As ever make sure you have backup's in the event of things going wrong!  

~redone

[anyoldcard]

Duh! The one thing I did not think about was a back-up. I remember seeing a button in cpanel that stated, make a copy of your databse. This will allow me to screw one up big time and I will still have a copy. Thanks for the pointers. I am going now to do try it out.
Ron.

[anyoldcard]

It was somewhere else that I saw a button that said make a copy. I see where you can create a new database but how would I go about backing one up. Can I download the database to my home computer in a file?

I've never used PHPmyadmin and have always done everything concerning MySql through the cpanel. I have done alot of installs but it almost always invloved flat file or binary and no MySql or aotu-installs including the database.
Thanks.
Ron.

[redone]

Yes you can create a local copy for you to keep and use should things go wrong.

Forum Maintenance>Backup database>

Will download your database as a zip file for you to extract and use later.

~redone

[anyoldcard]

Thats not an option. I do not have a forum. I lost it all except for the MySql database.
I have no forum to save the DB from untill I install a new one and then use the old database.
What other choices do I have to back up the MySql DB?
Thanks again,
Ron.

[redone]

Well, if you lost everything except your MySQL database then upload new SMF files and point the install to your current database?

~redone

[anyoldcard]

That worked. I created a new user for the old database and changed the settings file. The first time it gave an error, so I resaved it and uploaded it again with the same info and it hooked right up.
Thanks to both of you for your help. There were only 609 posts but members had spent alot of time because they were data posts. The avatars are not there but they were probably in the flat files so I will get everyone to upload them again.
Thanks again and this is a great program.
Ron.