Running a 2.1beta instance online - how to?

[landyvlad]

Hi

I wasn't sure what forum to post this in, but I assume if I've got it wrong a moderator will be generous enough to move it appropriately.

I'm happily running my forum on SMF2.0.13 but I'd like to try out the 2.1beta.  I need my other admin staff to be able to see it so running it on a localhost on my machine isn't an option.

So my setup is domain/forum/index.php

Do I just create a new directory, say domain/testforum/index.php and install 2.1 there? Import a copy of the existing database so I have some content to look at etc?

Thanks for your advice.

[Colin]

Copy the file structure to a new directory and dump and import the database into a new DB for this new SMF instance.

Run repair_settings to fix the paths and database changes.

What is repair_settings.php?

Download an archive of the current SMF 2.1 on GitHub

https://github.com/SimpleMachines/SMF2.1/archive/release-2.1.zip

Extract the archive and upload it overwriting the current files of your *copied* directory structure. Move the files in the "other" directory to the main SMF directory (up one directory).

Navigate to [yourdomain.com]/[path to SMF2.1]/upgrade.php

Follow the steps in the upgrader and you should be all set.

Thanks for trying out SMF 2.1!

[landyvlad]

Thanks heaps.  Before I screw anything up I just want to clarify this please

Extract the archive and upload it overwriting the current files of your *copied* directory structure. Move the files in the "other" directory to the main SMF directory (up one directory).

I'm not sure what I am supposed to be moving, to where, and why.

That is probably a silly question but better to ask it than go in blind and do something stupid eh....

[Colin]

No, you are exactly right. It is good to clarify before doing some potentially destructive action.

The command to run if you are on a shell would be:

mv other/* .

In other words move all of the files located in the SMF2.1/other directory to the SMF2.1/ directory.

[landyvlad]

OK so the 2.1 'other' directory is one created as part of the SMF 2.1 instal?  That makes sense

(thought I'm not sure why the material wouldn't have been put in the required folder in the first place)

[Colin]

(thought I'm not sure why the material wouldn't have been put in the required folder in the first place)

It has to do with how git (a version control system) tracks files during development.

[landyvlad]

Good enough for me !  Thanks Colin.

[Arantor]

The reason is nothing to do with git, it was that way during the time SMF was built using SVN and I think even when CVS was used.

Essentially doing it this way allows a dev to use the core repo as the working installation and change things without having to continually copy from the dev environment to the repo and back, and modify the stock Settings.php file without having to change the one for current dev environment, as well as work on the installer and upgraded without it moaning about you not having removed them.

[Shambles]

... running it on a localhost on my machine isn't an option.

For this I'd recommend installing the forum on your local PC/laptop (Wamp/Xampp etc) then use ngrok to allow your Admins access to it. It's a very useful tool.

[Illori]

if you dont need to have it be a copy of your live forum then you dont need to do anything other then install in a new folder, no database copying or running repair_settings.php etc.

[landyvlad]

... running it on a localhost on my machine isn't an option.

For this I'd recommend installing the forum on your local PC/laptop (Wamp/Xampp etc) then use ngrok to allow your Admins access to it. It's a very useful tool.

Problem there is that where I am my internet speed is VERY rubbish like 1mbps ...

[landyvlad]

OK so for simplicity sake I decided I don;t actually need the data from my existing forum on tyhere - a fresh émpty'copy might suit me best for what I want to do (essentially 'have a play')

I extracted the zip from github on my computer then tried but can't upload "as is" to the server - it will copy the files but not the directories with contained files.

(This is using the file manager in CPanel)

I'd appreciate some help as to where to attack it from here.

Oh and before anyone says "just do it like you did for your current forum' - I actually used softaculous for that...

[landyvlad]

Never mind - I just uploaded the zip and extracted it on the server.  Cheers.

[Steve]

So all is good and you can mark this solved?

[landyvlad]

Unfortunately not.....
While running install.php

Now I get:

Some files need to be writable for SMF to work properly. This step allows you to let the installer make them writable for you. However, in some cases it won't work - in that case, please make the following files 777 (writable, 755 on some hosts):

Settings_bak.php
This installer can connect via FTP to fix the files that need to be writable and are not. If this doesn't work for you, you will have to go in manually and make the files writable. Please note that this doesn't support SSL right now.

Unable to connect to FTP server with this combination of details.

550 Could not change perms on Settings_bak.php: No such file or directory -> Settings_bak.php

so... is there supposed to be a file by that name, and if so where? etc.

[Illori]

in the main folder where you see Settings.php create a file named Settings_bak.php.

[Kindred]

try reading the stick posts? 

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=530252.0

[Colin]

The reason is nothing to do with git, it was that way during the time SMF was built using SVN and I think even when CVS was used.

Essentially doing it this way allows a dev to use the core repo as the working installation and change things without having to continually copy from the dev environment to the repo and back, and modify the stock Settings.php file without having to change the one for current dev environment, as well as work on the installer and upgraded without it moaning about you not having removed them.

Ok I guess I could have been more general, how most VCS track files.

[Arantor]

It's still nothing to do with how any versioning system tracks files. It's about not accidentally checking in a local developer version that could conceivably go out as a master version in future installs/upgrades, or about having the installer files in the root which the software complains about.

Whether you use versioning or not would not affect these things.

[Colin]

It's still nothing to do with how any versioning system tracks files. It's about not accidentally checking in a local developer version that could conceivably go out as a master version in future installs/upgrades, or about having the installer files in the root which the software complains about.

Whether you use versioning or not would not affect these things.

That is my point though. Because how VCS tracks file and how we locally need to set actual values in these config files in order to run a local dev instance of SMF we don't want to check in the actual values (non templates).

I'll drop it though as I think the question has been answered.