Upgrading from 1.1.21 to...

[ducpainter]

I have a forum running 1.1.21 and since a recent server migration I'm getting thousands of php errors due to not having 5.4, and I believe it's causing numerous 504 errors due to the php version incompatibility. I have 5.6.4 but it isn't cutting it.

I have two questions... first...can I upload the extracted upgrade files as a folder, or do they have to uploaded individually, and is there a best place to position them in the forum file structure?

Second...should I consider upgrading in steps, or is it just as likely to work going from 1.1.21 directly to 2.1.4? The server runs AlmaLinux 9, and I have access to all php versions from 5.6.4 up to 8.3.17 if it makes any difference.

I've read countless threads here, and I'll back everything up, both on the server, and on my laptop. I'll also uninstall all mods and delete the files before the upgrade, along with any themes.

TIA

[Sesquipedalian]

Yes, you can upgrade directly from SMF 1.1.x to SMF 2.1.4 using the large upgrade package. If you run into any hiccups along the way, just ask here and people will help you out.

[Illori]

https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Upgrading

[Doug Heffernan]

I have two questions... first...can I upload the extracted upgrade files as a folder, or do they have to uploaded individually, and is there a best place to position them in the forum file structure?

The files from the upgrade package should be uploaded inside whatever folder your forum files reside so they can overwrite them. For a detailed guide on how to perform the upgrade please see the below link:

Upgrading SMF

Second...should I consider upgrading in steps, or is it just as likely to work going from 1.1.21 directly to 2.1.4? The server runs AlmaLinux 9, and I have access to all php versions from 5.6.4 up to 8.3.17 if it makes any difference.

You can upgrade directly to 2.1.4. I have performed quite several such upgrades and I've never had any problems. Another option is to upgrade first to 2.10.19 and then to 2.1.4.

Good luck with the upgrade.

[ducpainter]

Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well. I'll try again.

I understand the files have to go into the folder with the forum files. My question is can I upload those files as a folder rather than individual files?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

You should be able to use your host control panel file manager to upload the zip and extract it in the forum directory.

[ducpainter]

You should be able to use your host control panel file manager to upload the zip and extract it in the forum directory.

Thanks for that.

Wish me luck...I'm somewhat of a Luddite.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

The important thing is that you manage to overwrite all the old files, the method of actual transfer does not really matter. But you do need to get the folder structure right, and all the files in the right places.
You probably can upload multiple files at once through your hosting control panel or any FTP client.
For specifics, you may want to consult your host.

[ducpainter]

Well, I didn't have any luck getting the upgrade to start.

I uploaded the zip file via my control panel to the home directory, and extracted it there, but when I try to point to the file, it either says file not found, or just goes to the forum home page.

I did mention I was a Luddite...correct?

[Illori]

did you override the existing files with the ones in the upgrade package? without us knowing exactly what you did it is hard to help.

[ducpainter]

Probably not.
What folder in the file system do the original files reside?

[Doug Heffernan]

The upload and overwrite of the files are best done manually imo, rather than extracting them through the file manager. That said, after you have downloaded the large upgrade package to your pc, unzip it first. Then ftp them to the folder that holds your current forum files keeping the structure intact and select the overwriting option when prompted by the ftp client.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Link to your forum?

[ducpainter]

Link to your forum?

ducatimonsterforum.org

[Sir Osis of Liver]

If you have the typical server setup your forum should be in /public_html.  Look for Settings.php, that's in the forum root.

[ducpainter]

Thanks for your help, but I'm just not finding the stuff you're pointing me to.

Either my installation is weird, or I'm just too stupid to figure it out, which is the most likely explanation.

I guess I'll have to pay someone to figure it out. If any of you support people are interested, let me know.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Did you find Settings.php?  Do you have a backup copy?  It will contain paths to your forum install.

[ducpainter]

I find settings.php in the httpdocs directory.

According to my admin server settings page the SMF directory is... /var/www/vhosts/ducatimonsterforum.org/httpdocs

I just am not finding that in my ftp client. Remember I said I was a Luddite?

I will add that since I cleaned out all the fluff from my packages manager I haven't had a 504 error all day.

The php errors are still rampant.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Looks like that's where your forum is installed.  1.1.21 will run in php 5.6 but will log a lot of errors.  5.6 went eol over six years ago.  Don't think it will run in php 7, definitely not in php 8.  Supported versions of php are 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4.  Anything below 8.1 is eol.  2.1.4 supports 8.1 and 8.2.  Check your PMs.

[ducpainter]

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