Downloading entire forum to computer

[Debido]

Scanning thru these boards I see a lot about making backups. Would it not be the same if I DLed the entire forum to my computer? Would the DB be including if I did this?  AND if i did this, what specific files would I DL every week to ensure if something went nuts I would still be able to fix the forum?

[tumbleweed]

http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Backup

[Debido]

I take that as a yes I can Dl the entire forum BUT what specific files do I want to DL each week to keep semi current in case something went wrong?

I DONT want to DL the entire forum each week 

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

The main thing to backup is always database. This can be done manually via cPanel or phpMyAdmin as stated in the link provided. You can also google for automated backup of database via cron tab setting and creating certain php script for it to either backup to your server or backup to your email. This IMO should be made a mod by the team so that user can easily backup their database properly as current database backup via SMF is somehow "not stable enough".

Of course, if you make a lot of non-automated custom modifications (i.e. not from package mod via package manager), you would also want to back up your forum. But if the non-automated custom modifications are only related to theme (default or others), just backup the modified themes.

SMF forum as well as ordinary package mod can always be reinstalled and no need to back it up  (unless the mod is a very rare one and you know the author might want to remove it from the mod site ).

[Debido]

The main thing to backup is always database. This can be done manually

CAN I also just download this to my computer with ftp from the forum folder on the server?

You can also google for automated backup of database via cron tab setting and creating certain php script for it to either backup to your server or backup to your email. This IMO should be made a mod by the team so that user can easily backup their database properly as current database backup via SMF is somehow "not stable enough".

what do you mean not stable enough? and YES it looks like it should be made to work normally or be a mod that takes over

[Hj Ahmad Rasyid Hj Ismail]

1. No. It is no where inside the forum folder on the server. It is normally in mysql database to be downloaded from cPanel or phpMyAdmin.

2. There are several complaints on that where in most cases there were difficulties in restoring the database back when needed.

[kat]

If you backup the software, there's no need to back it up, again, unless you actually change anything.

As has been noted, it's the database that's important, as that contains all your members, posts, etc.

The software, too, can be rebuilt, as a last resort.

The database can't.

[MrPhil]

As @ahrasis mentioned, the database (where all the members, boards, posts, and other fluid things live) has to be backed up, but is not a regular file. You use phpMyAdmin's backup (don't use SMF Admin backup!) to copy your database into a regular file, which you can then download to your PC for safekeeping. The database is changing all the time, so it should be backed up on a regular  basis.

In theory, it is possible to get incremental backups, of just things that have changed since the last backup. This would cut down the size of the backups a bit. However, it could be tricky to implement, probably wouldn't save that much space, and I'm not sure if phpMyAdmin or other backup utilities have implemented it. Besides, if you lose one incremental backup by accident, you're screwed (you have to go back to the last full backup).

The SMF admin database backup is very, very buggy and should not be used unless you have no other means to back up your database, such as phpMyAdmin and other "database dump" utilities. Some really cheap/free hosts apparently leave you in this predicament.

[Debido]

(don't use SMF Admin backup!) to copy your database into a regular file,

ok gotcha BUT why is SMF backup method such a POS? Why doesnt someone come along and fix it?

[Arantor]

Instead of reinventing the wheel, use the better tool for the job. I long since removed the backup from my own stuff.

[Kindred]

and I will note... it's not a POS.
There are problems with some configurations and some forum sizes...   it actually works just fine for many, if not most.

However, Arantor is right....  use the correct tool - and, in this case, the options from your hosting cpanel is the correct tool

[Arantor]

No, it is actually quite broken. For the users where it is 'fine', they are in English with no strange characters and likely unmodified forum databases. The more modified the setup is, the more broken it is - especially if the forum is not in English with unusual characters and especially UTF-8.

Once the forum grows beyond a certain size, it just becomes unworkable anyway.

[Debido]

stupid question I know, but why doesnt someone come along and fix it so its just a one button click in SMF to DL the database?

SMF is great software but why does it have that database DL problem?

[Arantor]

Because it's a waste of effort to do that when there are better tools out there.

The fixes are not just a few minutes worth of work - we're talking a large number of hours from a competent developer. It would actually be a more productive use of a competent developer's time to simply remove the option in the first place.

[Kindred]

because it is not necessary to fix it...  There are better tools to be used and, as noted, why should we try to reinvent the wheel?
As a matter of fact, many of us think that the option should be removed from smf admin completely... (as Arantor has already done with his fork)

It still works, as originally designed (for English, non-utf-8). It was not designed to be scalable...   and, since there are better tools, it has never been a priority to update it further/

[Debido]

ok fair enough, but still seems one of the many coders on here would have done a mod to do that.

[Arantor]

Nope. Bear in mind that the people explaining this are among the more prominent code-happy people in this community

Why would we waste dozens of hours of our time on something that already exists, can do the job better and is proven and stable?

[mashby]

I'm not prominent, nor code-happy, but if my memory serves me right, I had to start in cPanel to make the database. Why not go there to back it up, too? I like this idea.

It would actually be a more productive use of a competent developer's time to simply remove the option in the first place.

[Debido]

Why would we waste dozens of hours of our time on something that already exists, can do the job better and is proven and stable?

well to make the software handle its own backups like I guess whoever intended it to do since it has that feature is there just not a good one i suppose. But wouldnt be a waste if people found use for it, but yeah i see you point.

[Arantor]

But wouldnt be a waste if people found use for it,

Yes, it would.

Imagine you buy a new toolbox and there's a crusty old hammer inside it, and it looks like it's about to fall apart. And you have a shiny new hammer. Are you going to spend the time cleaning up the crusty old hammer or would you just use the shiny new one?