Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update SOLVED

Get help with installation and running phpBB 3.2.x here. Please do not post bug reports, feature requests, or extension related questions here.
User avatar
AngelM
Registered User
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:30 am
Location: UT
Name: Angel
Contact:

Re: Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update

Post by AngelM »

david63 wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 7:45 am
AngelM wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 7:33 am I just enabled a notice for cookies.
Sorry but I don't understand what you mean by that
I thought what you meant was you went to my forum and didn't see the notice that shows that cookies are enabled on my forum. So I enabled that notice to show. I guess I didn't understand what you meant.

Thanks for replying.

Angel
GanstaZ wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 8:16 am To clear some thoughts, set up a fresh 3.2.5 version and test it or better setup a fresh 3.2.x that is lower than 5 and test again. It seems to be server related or there's a second layer cache.
When this first started happening... I actually created a brand new testboard so it had a brand new 3.2.5 and it's doing the same thing.

Right now I am waiting on answers from someone else and LP then I will go forth if those answers don't bring a change to the board.

Thank you for replying with your thoughts.

Angel
User avatar
warmweer
Jr. Extension Validator
Posts: 11233
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 6:34 am
Location: Van Allen Bel ... gium
Contact:

Re: Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update

Post by warmweer »

AngelM wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:28 pm Right now I am waiting on answers from someone else
euhh yeah :roll:
that someone else's brain was in coma-mode and managed to lock himself out of the board (and perhaps you too) :oops:
Up to now the test board shows the same symptoms as the live board. The "Home", and the "Board index" links continued to show me offline after logging in, and also online, after logging out. Having the board open in 2 windows, logging in on 1 window, still showed me logged out in the seocnd window : only after a second login was I really logged in. And logging out on 1 window did not log me out on the other window.
I was going to try with 2 browsers but : well, you know: my brain got stuck between the windows it seems.
Ow, forgot to mention: no cookies are set on my PC with the testboard, not with the live board.
Spelling is freeware, which means you can use it for free.
On the other hand, it is not open source, which means you cannot change it or publish it in a modified form.


Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.
User avatar
AngelM
Registered User
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:30 am
Location: UT
Name: Angel
Contact:

Re: Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update

Post by AngelM »

warmweer wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 4:39 pm
AngelM wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:28 pm Right now I am waiting on answers from someone else
euhh yeah :roll:
that someone else's brain was in coma-mode and managed to lock himself out of the board (and perhaps you too) :oops:
Up to now the test board shows the same symptoms as the live board. The "Home", and the "Board index" links continued to show me offline after logging in, and also online, after logging out. Having the board open in 2 windows, logging in on 1 window, still showed me logged out in the seocnd window : only after a second login was I really logged in. And logging out on 1 window did not log me out on the other window.
I was going to try with 2 browsers but : well, you know: my brain got stuck between the windows it seems.
Ow, forgot to mention: no cookies are set on my PC with the testboard, not with the live board.
LOL... yup, same thing happened to me. I'm locked out too... See PM sent.
User avatar
AngelM
Registered User
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:30 am
Location: UT
Name: Angel
Contact:

Re: Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update SOLVED

Post by AngelM »

It's been almost a year since I posted this...but my forum has finally been completely fixed.
The cause was an autoupdate on a hopelessly messed up 3.2.4 with 3.0.x files and code. AFAIR it was also originally a host install, so I have no idea how it managed to work all that time, but once it broke, it broke really good.
Thank you warmweer for sticking to all the problems that were in the forum and getting the job done. I am not sure I understand all that happened, but I think it had to do with my host sending me information to click on in the lP control panel. That information along with numerous restores had files and directories and other things completely a mess. Along with the fact that I was using the auto update. Do NOT use auto update!

I have marked this as Solved. Warmweer may have other info to explain the process he went through...but for me, my forum is complete now. :D
User avatar
warmweer
Jr. Extension Validator
Posts: 11233
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 6:34 am
Location: Van Allen Bel ... gium
Contact:

Re: Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update SOLVED

Post by warmweer »

AngelM wrote: Thu Nov 28, 2019 7:20 pm I have marked this as Solved. Warmweer may have other info to explain the process he went through...but for me, my forum is complete now. :D
HAhaha, "the process"? Yeah, it was was some process. This is one I'll remember all my life (not only because of the time needed but certainly because initially I underestimated the problem.

Expanding slightly on Angels post. (I'll keep it short - my memories and paper notes aren't very clear anyway)

Checked my archives and how time flies by :0 This is a board I offered to take a look at around the middle of January. The board (phpBB 3.2.5) was broken after an update from 3.2.4.
I looked at the files they were a mix of 3.2.5 files, 3.2.4 files and 3.0.x files, about double the number a normal phpBB 3.2 should have. On top of that many (really many) files had different filesizes, extra code (reduntant or incomplete edits) or lacked certain code. It's a guess but I think not more than 80% of the true 324 files were unmodified 324.
That 3.2.5 was unfixable (certainly on short notice) and AFAIR the phpversion had been upgraded to 7.2 so that had to be downgraded again and AngelM got the host to restore the 3.2.4 version (in that respect the host did what they had to do).
That was functional online and on localhost but it was undateble un-updateble (no matter wat I tried the update failed).

Then a very lengthy process trying to identify which files were identical to phpBB3.2.4 files (but for empty lines and date changes) (This is were a powerful directory compare program is absolutely essential), and then an even lengthier process to identify unwanted database changes.
The modules tables had missing records + records with non-default ids +superfluous records. I also remember some redundant tables and fields.
The cumulative fixing of the database itself probably took only a couple of hours in total but spread over weeks due to the searching for info about what that part should do exactly what and how it's connected to other parts. With phpBB 2.0 and 3.0 I was fairly confident but 3.2 made me realise (again) that trusting memory isn't always a good idea.
Eventually couldn't keep track anymore and started comparing tables exported as SQL instead of linking tables looking for orphans and extras. (a decent file compare program is essential).

Every little thing I found (bit by bit) was then corrected on localhost in stages and tested with php 5.6 and 7.1 before uploading the cleaned files and "cleaner" database.

Anyway, by the time I was confident the 3.2.4 could be updated to 3.2.5 without risk, 3.2.6 was released and since I also take holidays once in a while, everything was postponed until 3.2.7 was released (giving me more time to try and finalise this undertaking)
The transition to 3.2.7 was used primarily to clean the legitimate modifications (make them easily identifiable when updating) and remove unused old code, but by God it takes long to certify that certain files or specific parts of the code which were not default 3.2.7 code were actually never used.

And just yesterday I finally updated the 3.2.7 to 3.2.8 (again after some deep comparing with a default 3.2.8 database and now it's 100% equal).

This was a really difficult one because there even though there were so many file changes (extra lines, sometimes empty, sometimes missing lines, sometimes edited), extra php files, extra html files, extra css and extra images, only on a few occasion did they cause an error and I had difficulties keeping track of what was cleared.
If I were to encounter a similar situation now, it'ld be easier to fix with a revamped methodology but I hope I never have another one like this (even though I learned a lot from it).

The underlying cause of all the problems is clear: autoupdate (and I also suspect an initial installatron or likewise installation). The strange thing is that in this case the previous autoupdate(s) didn't break the board nor further updating. I guess it'll remain a mystery forever.

Today deleted about 5 GB of backups, only keeping the 327 and the 328 just in case.
Spelling is freeware, which means you can use it for free.
On the other hand, it is not open source, which means you cannot change it or publish it in a modified form.


Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.
User avatar
Lumpy Burgertushie
Registered User
Posts: 69223
Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 3:11 am
Contact:

Re: Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update SOLVED

Post by Lumpy Burgertushie »

good work. I have had a few like that myself.
I am sure you had a good reason why you bothered with all the files instead of just replacing them all with the new ones for the update.
and then running one of the tools to reset the database modules and remove any extra tables ect.
just curious.

robert
Premium phpBB 3.3 Styles by PlanetStyles.net

I am pleased to announce that I have completed the first item on my bucket list. I have the bucket.
User avatar
warmweer
Jr. Extension Validator
Posts: 11233
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2003 6:34 am
Location: Van Allen Bel ... gium
Contact:

Re: Need to refresh to see current posts after 3.2.5 update SOLVED

Post by warmweer »

Lumpy Burgertushie wrote: Fri Nov 29, 2019 1:02 am I am sure you had a good reason why you bothered with all the files instead of just replacing them all with the new ones for the update.
and then running one of the tools to reset the database modules and remove any extra tables ect.
just curious.
I tried that with the borked 325 and got all kinds of errors. I also tried to update the restored 324 again and got the same result. I tried moddission reset, fix right-left id's and a couple of other things even making a new 324 database, emptying it and then inserting the posts, topics, forums, users, etc removing the non-324 parts only to find out that it didn't work with the original files, nor with clean 324 files. At a certain time there's a cut-off point where a decision has to be made and I choose to work with what I had and remove all the unnecessary things 1 by 1 (at least I would know where each error came from), instead of stripping it first to a non-functional system and then having to re-add many parts before even being able to start it up.

In all honesty, I think the major problem was that all the other boards I had fixed the last years were relatively easy fixes (but for 1 which took me about 2 months). You get a case like this and think: I've done this so many times: piece of cake and it's only later that you realise that this isn't one of those run of the mill error-fixing situations. Over-confidence, yes, probably a bit of unwillingness to ask for advice here also :oops: but on the other hand, the restored 324 was functional and my backup strategy made sure I could always fall back on an earlier FC (fix candidate ;) ) so there was no risk. The board was only offline for a couple of days after the initial failed 325 autoupdate so there was no pressure to rush anything.

My major mistake was not realising quickly enough that almost all the extras in the files were never supposed to be used and only the style edits were genuine.

I now consider it as a preliminary entrance test for University.
I passed, but only barely :mrgreen:
Spelling is freeware, which means you can use it for free.
On the other hand, it is not open source, which means you cannot change it or publish it in a modified form.


Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.
Post Reply

Return to “[3.2.x] Support Forum”