2.0.13->2.0.14 - install failed, fatal error

[3dphoto]

Hi-


In 11 years of running SMF, I've never had an update fail, but it fatally failed today.  I applied 2.0.14 to my forum and it just died... how to recover?  Attached is error message...


Thanks,
Jeff

[br360]

What php version are you running? In order to be able to use 2.0.14, you have to be using at least php5.4

[3dphoto]

I just checked- PHP Version   5.3.27.  Ugh... let me email my hosting company.  I can't believe they've got me on such an antiquated version.

Thanks-
Jeff

[3dphoto]

I should be able to just untar the 2.0.13 version over the top of the 2.0.14 installation?  I'm waiting for an estimate from my host to update to PHP 6/7.

Thanks,
Jeff

[vbgamer45]

Yes you can do 2.0.13 as long as you don't have any mods.

[3dphoto]

I have AdSeller that I use, and a few of others I think... right now I can't check and it's been a long time since I installed anything onto the Forum.  I never installed too many mods.  I do have a number of themes installed, but mostly only a few are in use... perhaps I should ask if my host can restore from a recent backup all the website files?  I have the databases backed up separately.

[Bob Perry of Web Presence Consulting]

I should be able to just untar the 2.0.13 version over the top of the 2.0.14 installation?  I'm waiting for an estimate from my host to update to PHP 6/7.

Thanks,
Jeff

If you are the owner of the hosting account and have access to the cpanel backend tool chest you may be able to locate the php tool that most every type of cpanel i've seen over the years will have and change the version up, I found that going to 5.6.30 was the happiest median of the options where 7.1 was available... if successful, just stay with SMF 2.0.14 by re-uploading the large upgrade package and re-do the upgrade process...

Good Luck...

[3dphoto]

Thanks for the pointers- I don't see where I can do that.  My host said that "eventually" we would all be upgraded, and are to give me an estimate for a migration.

I'm looking at .php files time stamps, and AdSeller files weren't changed, and other files outside of /Sources don't seem to be affected (even in themes).  If I either over-install 2.0.13 files or manually revert by getting rid of the .php and renaming the .php~ files, am I risking totally messing it up?  It's been a long, long time since I dove into nuts and bolts of this (in the SMF 1.x days) and even then, I wasn't all that up to speed.  I'm very rusty anymore on anything in this arena beyond maintenance of it.

I appreciate the replies...

Thanks,
Jeff

[br360]

Do you have the option in cpanel to simply upgrade your php version to say 5.4 yourself? I have this on shared hosting forums and I've never had a host tell me they would charge me to up my php version. (although it looks like they are migrating you to a different server that is php7 compatible? )

[3dphoto]

I don't see it anywhere.  I googled it- apparently Lunarpages, my host, posted 2 years ago they were intending to upgrade everyone, but had no ETA on minimum 5.4 support.  That's exactly the same email I got today.  The responses were to request migration... I see other sites where the cPanel has a dropdown list to change PHP versions, but I don't see that.  PHPAdmin certainly doesn't have anything, either, though I would expect it at a higher level than that.


I did see where you could root access and install a later PHP, but I don't' have that type of service on a shared server.


I am requesting them to restore from backup I think first... fingers crossed.  The over-copy seems like it would work, but I am not that confident...


Thanks,
Jeff

[br360]

If you did have the option it would be here in your cpanel (see attached)

[3dphoto]

Yup- I have everything but that.


Appreciate the help- I'm requesting a backup restore.  However, I might try a what-the-heck overwrite of 2.0.13 beforehand just to see if it works, and then ask for the restore if it doesn't.  They charge for a backup restore... pretty sad that the hosting service has left everyone in the backwaters.  If I didn't have a huge image database on it, making migration to a new host time consuming, I'd consider doing that.


Thanks,
Jeff

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Look in /Packages/backups, there should be a backup from before installing 2.0.14 patch.  Download, unzip, upload to forum root.  That will set you back to 2.0.13.

[3dphoto]

Thanks- I just did a restore, though, from tape backup, to earlier in the day.  At most, a few posts may have been lost.  At the moment, I'm happy to have it back.


I've still got a request to migrate to a newer server.  Hopefully the migration to PHP 6 or 7 won't be problematic, but I will search this Forum for pointers on that before it happens.


Thanks- again, much appreciated.


Jeff

[br360]

Glad you got it working.

Migrating to php7 probably won't cause issues unless you have mods that are not compatible. (you will know that as you would most likely see a bunch of mod related errors)

Might be a good idea to look through the support topics of the mods you have installed to see if they have been updated to work with php7 (or if anyone has reported any issues on the support topic)

Oh, and php6 doesn't exist and was never officially released.

[Steve]

Marking solved then. If you have any other questions regarding this topic, by all means, mark this unsolved and let us know.