Restore someone elses database from old version of SMF

[Sir Osis of Liver]

<sigh>  If you're working with an old db dump (3 1/2 floppy? ), many bad things can happen, so it's usually best to get the db up and running in it's original version to see if it's ok before attempting upgrade.  It avoids wasting a lot of time chasing your ass in circles.

[Arantor]

Well, if the dump example shown was from the site link shown, there's hundreds of topics missing before we start.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Try to register as a new user and am accepted but see only the "General Discussioin" tab with 1 post

That's a scratch 2.0 install with clean database.


https://web.archive.org/web/20130516045521/http://74th.quoddy.ca/ looks like a busted 2.0 install running a 1.1 theme.

[Antechinus]

Well, if the dump example shown was from the site link shown, there's hundreds of topics missing before we start.

The web archive page totals up to somewhere around 100 posts (very quick and rough mental scan of the board index). 240kB for the dump could be about right,

https://web.archive.org/web/20130516045521/http://74th.quoddy.ca/ looks like a busted 2.0 install running a 1.1 theme.

It's a 2.0.x theme. It's just missing the CSS.
But, oddly, this implies the db might not be 1.1.x.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Forum Stats
366 Posts in 199 Topics by 11 Members.

It has a 1.1 quick login at bottom.  Don't recall any 2.0 themes that have that.

[Antechinus]

150 posts on the board index. Can't tell if there are another 216 hiding in the child boards (their url's don't seem to be archived).

The head section of the theme includes this:

Code Select Expand

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130516045521cs_/http://74th.quoddy.ca/Themes/core/css/index.css?fin20"/>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130516045521js_/http://74th.quoddy.ca/Themes/default/scripts/script.js?fin20"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130516045521js_/http://74th.quoddy.ca/Themes/core/scripts/theme.js?fin20"></script>

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Other bad thing is that archive is over 7 years old, and it's apparently a borked 2.0 upgrade.

[Arantor]

For the number of posts, it might simply be quicker to copy/paste what's worth keeping from the Web Archive version.

[Antechinus]

Except that the url's might not be archived. I can't access any of the boards from that archived index page.

[Antechinus]

My 2c at this stage: if the db has been imported, take a look at the messages table in phpMyAdmin. That will tell you how many posts are actually in the db, and what their content is.

If it's any good, you'll know immediately and can then sort out upgrades (and possibly repairs). If it's screwed, that's the end of that.

[paarade]

Sorry Everyone

I work out of town so only have a day or so each week to work on this.    Have removed both PHP installs (1.1.11 and 2.0.17).   Started with a fresh upload of 1.1.11 and cannot get it installed.   Didn't want to look like a loser so I've been trying to solve it on my own but I feel defeated.

Have setup a fresh directory "forum" to install into

Have created a MySQL database and database user

Have uploaded "smf_1-1-11_install.tar.gz" into the directory

Have extracted file successfully but when I point my browser to the install.php file I get a "This Page is Not Working"   Error 500

Since I don't work in PHP and Linux websites I made certain I was pointed at correct subdirectory.   Readme.html displays fine.

I've played with permissions, pathnames ...   but I'm stuck.     Would  someone please show me how simple this fix I've worked on for hours is, so we can move on to the real problem of restoring a database.

Thanks

[Antechinus]

Excuse the chat. We were just trying to figure out how screwed up things were likely to be.

Ok, have you imported the old database content to the new database you have just created? This should only take a couple of minutes, and you should be able to do it even without SMF being installed.

Then you can check the content in phpMyAdmin to see if it's borked or not. If the backup is corrupted (which I am worried about given the total size of only 240kB) then there's not much point going any further.

The installation problem with 1.1.x may be related to PHP versions. What version is the server running? You'll need something fairly ancient for 1.1.11. PHP 5.2 should work.

[paarade]

Green Geeks

PHP 7.2.31
MySQL 10.3.24
and if Apache is important  2.4.43

The age of the archived db could very easily be the problem I'm wrestling with.    Might be better for me to mount MAMP on my Mac Mini and control the environment better.   Probably bit off more than I could chew but PHP seemed like something I could accomplish.

I'll spend the rest of the evening importing the db and run a sanity check as you suggested.   Early shift tomorrow so probably will not respond for a few days.   

Thanks for the input.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Would really like to have a look at the database.