How do you copy a forum to a test environment without losing the permissions?

[Yikesfactor]

I need to set up a test environment for my forum, but each time I've tried copying the existing one, all the permissions get lost, and nothing runs.

Anyone know how to do this?

A new install is not an option, as no matter how its done, things wont be exactly the same. (mods change things, and differently depending on what order you do things in.)

[Kindred]

Copy the files
Copy the database
Upload and run repair_settings.php to change the paths and database settings.
Save
Rerun repair_settings.php to correct the second set of paths and urls

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

SMF permissions are in the database, file permissions depend on your hosting and what you use to transfer the files.

[Yikesfactor]

Copy the files
Copy the database
Upload and run repair_settings.php to change the paths and database settings.
Save
Rerun repair_settings.php to correct the second set of paths and urls

Doesn't work. Repair_settings wont run either. Nothing runs. Every single file is set to read only as far as I can tell.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

That sounds like a badly configured host to me, there isn't much you can do about that other than try a different method of uploading the files. Or making sure you actually have PHP installed.

file permissions depend on your hosting and what you use to transfer the files.

[Looking]

How are you exactly copying or exporting the files?

[Yikesfactor]

How are you exactly copying or exporting the files?

Cpanel File Manager.

Any other way takes too long, and means double shifting.

[Looking]

A full backup should preserve permissions.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

all the permissions get lost, and nothing runs.

Those are two different problems.  If the forum doesn't run, how do you know permissions are lost?  Or are you referring to file permissions?

[Yikesfactor]

File permissions, yes.

I checked them manually. Every single file was reset permission wise by the File Manager copy.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

File permissions are not saved in database, they're not carried over to new install.  It's strictly a server function.  You need to set directories 755, files 644.

[Yikesfactor]

That's the basis of the whole question.

How do I copy the whole forum over without losing the file permissions in the first place?

Changing everything afterwards would be a nightmare.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

It's strictly a server function. 

File permissions are not part of the forum.  It's not difficult to change permissions with FileZilla.  There are options to Recurse into subdirectories, Apply to all files and directories, Apply to files only, Apply to directories only.

[Kindred]

you need to talk to your host... because it sounds like they have a serious misconfiguration (since, having done this sort of thing over 100 times, I have never encountered such an issue with file copies)

[Sir Osis of Liver]

What are the dir/file permissions on the copy install?

[Yikesfactor]

What are the dir/file permissions on the copy install?

I dont remember, but appeared to be read only on every single file in every single directory.

[Yikesfactor]

you need to talk to your host... because it sounds like they have a serious misconfiguration (since, having done this sort of thing over 100 times, I have never encountered such an issue with file copies)

Probably is a question which should be asked. Thanks.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Do you use FileZilla?

[Yikesfactor]

Do you use FileZilla?

I have it now, but FTP on my main computer dropped dead, and I still cant work out why. I normally use Ws_ftpv12.

But downloading and then uploading is the slow bandwidth intensive option. I'm not on superfast internet here in Oz. Our broadband is slower then the US's WiFi. So copy on the host end makes more sense. Costs me nothing, including time.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

You can upload files with cpanel filemanager, and change permissions with FZ.  Must be a way to do it in cpanel, but never had to, FZ is easier.