Getting Help? Useful advice [Especially for Newbie] and "How to" Links.

[stageducky]

TIPS To Getting HELP

1) Always post with a meaningful subject heading, this will enable those who specialise in that area to take a look at your post. These guidelines may help:
   a) What kind of help: [Header] -> [SMF Installation], [SMF mod Installation], [Database]
   b) The specific problems [Sub header] -> Hint of problems
   c) Simple description
So a topic such as: [upgrade] -> 1.1.4 to 1.1.5 -> admin centre ->error message is helpful.

2) Resist the temptation of installing too many mods.
*Remember to uninstall in the reverse sequence of your installation. Always use the package parser to check for manual uninstall because some mod do not do clean uninstall leaving trails of scripts that would cause problem within your actual forum script.

3) For each new mod you have installed, check for errors, make sure you click on the possible link pages to look for corruption before you move on to install more mod.

4) Not all mods are stable. Only install version for your own version of SMF forum. Read the number of time the mod has been updated, read its readme files etc. If you do not use the custom skin, there are some custom modification that need to be done, follow instruction given by creator of mod.

5) If you have to uninstall a mod, please use the package parser to check for files that were not removed during the uninstall. Its a tedious process if it is huge scripting.

6)  If there are too much problem in checking through finding and replacing the scripts from all the different mod. * My best advice is to start from scratch, uninstall forum, reinstall forum, upload the latest copy of database backup through phpMyAdmin * There are other suggestion as well on this, clean install is not totally necessary.

7) It is important to peroidically backup your database. (even database can give errors)

When you have a database, the chances of you restoring your forum to their formal glory is higher.
* Beside database, regular maintenance is important too. Like optimising the table, checking for errors etc.

If All else fail. Post a request for help in the forum with these information.

Information
SMF version | MySQL version | PHP version

Links
phpinfo.php | The Forum

Description of Problem:



UPGRADE FROM 1.1.4 TO 1.1.5

If you received this error message:
"The package you are trying to download or install is either corrupt or not compatible with this version of SMF"

Do this might help:
Download:  smf_patch_1.0.13_1.1.5_2.0-b3.1.zip
Upload to your server where the packages are stored
Then use your package manager to install this zip file and it will fix the problem.



HOW TO ADD MOD

Warn: * Before installing any MOD check:
"Admin Centre" -> "server setting" -> "Default Forum Language" = "English" and not "English UTF8"

1) Go to the Mod download page
2) Download the mod that you require to a folder in your computer (make sure the version correspond to your version of SMF)
3) The files are zipped (You do not need to unzip these files)
4) Upload the Mod to the server (it must resides in the "packages  folder")
5) Go to your forum page
6) Login to your forum
7) Go to the "Admin Centre"
At the side menu, you will see a "packages" link. Click on link.
9) The link will bring you to the browse package page
10) Search for the package that you wish to install
11) Click install, make sure it pass the check, if it doesn't do not install until you find out the reason why.
12) To uninstall: goto the "Installed packages" tab and click uninstall.

*Reminder you need to uninstall Mods in the reverse sequence from when you install them.
*Use the parser to check for manual install and also to check for files that were not uninstalled properly.



HOW TO USE THE PARSER PACKAGE

1) You do not need to install the parser in your server.

2) The package parser is located at sleepycode.com

3) to use the package parser, follow these steps:
a) Go to one of package parser location
b) upload your mod zip files package
c) choose your SMF version
d) Under "Operation" select: Uninstall (to uninstall) Install (if you need to do manual install)
e) under "Edit" select: All edit

4) A window will pop up showing all the corrections that needed to be done, also the indication of which folders and php files are affected. You will notice, there are the "find" and the "replace" sections.

5) Use a "text editor" go to:
"Edit -> Find and Replace"

6) Copy the segment on "find" and paste that into your "text editor" FIND"
If nothing is found, move on to try the second segment of the find and replace

7) if something is found:
Copy the segment on "replace" and paste that into your "test editor" REPLACE"

Warn: Never try to edit php files in dreamweaver.   Use a text editor, like ConText, TextEdit, UltraEdit, Notepad++, etc..

That will do the job. You must be patience and go through each code.

Then save and upload the corrected files.



The "HOW TO" Links
How do I move my SMF board to a different host?
How do I save my SMF board?
How do I save the database data?
How do I restore the database data?



PERFORM SIMPLE TEMPLATE MODIFICATION

To change header and footer: forum -> theme -> default -> index.template.php

HEADER:

Remove SMF LOGO GIF:

<td align="right" class="catbg">
<img src="smflogo.gif" style="margin: 2px;" alt="" />

FOOTER:

Remove[/list]

Code Select Expand

:<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center" width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="28%" valign="middle" align="', !$context['right_to_left'] ? 'right' : 'left', '">
<a href="http://www.mysql.com/" target="_blank"><img id="powered-mysql" src="', $settings['images_url'], '/powered-mysql.gif" alt="', $txt['powered_by_mysql'], '" width="54" height="20" style="margin: 5px 16px;" onmouseover="smfFooterHighlight(this, true);" onmouseout="smfFooterHighlight(this, false);" /></a>
<a href="http://www.php.net/" target="_blank"><img id="powered-php" src="', $settings['images_url'], '/powered-php.gif" alt="', $txt['powered_by_php'], '" width="54" height="20" style="margin: 5px 16px;" onmouseover="smfFooterHighlight(this, true);" onmouseout="smfFooterHighlight(this, false);" /></a>
</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">
', theme_copyright(), '
</td>
<td width="28%" valign="middle" align="', !$context['right_to_left'] ? 'left' : 'right', '">
<a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer" target="_blank"><img id="valid-xhtml10" src="', $settings['images_url'], '/valid-xhtml10.gif" alt="', $txt['valid_xhtml'], '" width="54" height="20" style="margin: 5px 16px;" onmouseover="smfFooterHighlight(this, true);" onmouseout="smfFooterHighlight(this, false);" /></a>
<a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/check/referer" target="_blank"><img id="valid-css" src="', $settings['images_url'], '/valid-css.gif" alt="', $txt['valid_css'], '" width="54" height="20" style="margin: 5px 16px;" onmouseover="smfFooterHighlight(this, true);" onmouseout="smfFooterHighlight(this, false);" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
</table>';
Paste:

Code Select Expand

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center" width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="28%" valign="middle" align="', !$context['right_to_left'] ? 'right' : 'left', '">&nbsp;</td>
<td valign="middle" align="center" style="white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="http://www.mysql.com/" target="_blank">MYSQL</a> | <a href="http://www.php.net/" target="_blank">PHP</a> | <a href="http://www.simplemachines.org/">Simple Machines LLC</a> | <a href="http://www.singaporetheatre.com/" target="_blank">singaporetheatre.com</a> | <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer" target="_blank">XHTML</a> | <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/check/referer" target="_blank">CSS</a></td>
<td width="28%" valign="middle" align="', !$context['right_to_left'] ? 'left' : 'right', '">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</table>';
Warning: Careful not to remove '; - which is after the </table>

The NEW FOOTER looks like this:
MYSQL | PHP | Powered by SMF 1.1.5 | SMF © 2006-2008, Simple Machines LLC | singaporetheatre.com | XHTML | CSS   

[Rumbaar]

1) Great tip, nothing like seeing 'Help' as a subject title.  It makes future searches quite meaningless as well.  So help us help you.

2) I know of forums with 30+ mods working just fine, I'm more for be mindful of what you are doing when installing mods
and remember 5) & 5a) when doing so

5a) Always have an up-to-date backup of your forum files as well.

[stageducky]

Just updated and added new information. This will be easier for those newbie without any prior html or programming training. Its step by step what to do instruction. Of course this is not in detail. So if you need detail problem solution you still need to seek help from the forum.

Hope this is helpful to those who are just installing mod or posting for help.