PHPBB to SMF: saving existing SMF data

[Isindrya]

Hi! I recently installed SMF onto my server to test it out, as I wanted to convert from phpBB. After the website community and I thoroughly tested out SMF, we decided to give the conversion a go. We have a collection of about 500 posts or so on the SMF boards and... a lot on the phpBB one we want to convert.

I have the conversion script, but I haven't been able to find a conclusive answer to two questions. Before I begin, can you please answer these for me:

1. Will converting the phpBB to the existing SMF boards erase the posts already there? - We have several accounts and several important posts ongoing about development work for our project. I would rather these not be erased in the conversion! Will the conversion preserve the posts, accounts, etc?

2. Is there any way to preserve the phpBB private messages? - Again, a lot of the correspondence for development work and such occurred through PMs and people would be very happy to have these retained.

Thanks in advance!

[Oldiesmann]

The converter will handle the PMs.

As far as an existing SMF board - I recently wrote a script to merge data from an SMF board that was recently converted from phpBB to an existing SMF board, but it hasn't been tested and was written for 1.0.5. If you'd like to test it out for me, I can update it for RC1. It would require that you install a new copy of SMF in a different location (but on the same database as your existing SMF board) and convert your phpBB to that.