Restored DB won't convert for upgrade to 3.2

[blackrose]

Support Request Template

What version of phpBB are you using?: phpBB 3.0.11 - trying to restore so I can upgrade to 3.2
What is your board’s URL?: http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB3
Which database type/version are you using?: MySQL(i) 10.1.44-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.18.04.1
Which PHP version are you using?: 7.2.27
Who do you host your board with?: IONOS
How did you install your board?: I used the download package from phpBB.com
Is your board a fresh install or a conversion?: Conversion from phpBB2
What MODs do you have installed?: I installed a whole slew of mods on my phpbb3.0.11 board back in the day. I had a portal, an album, a chatbox, a subscribe to a forum mod, and probably a few others. Maybe an enhanced attachments mod?
What styles do you currently have installed?: prosilver
subsilver2 (not active)
What language(s) is your board currently using?: British English
What is your level of experience?: Comfortable with PHP and phpBB
What username can be used to view this issue?: No answer given
What password can be used to view this issue?: No answer given
When did your problem begin?: I attempted a fresh install of 3.0.11 in order to restore a backup of an old forum with the intention to upgrade to the latest version. I installed new, it worked, I imported the backup of my db (with minimal trial and error), and the fresh install stopped working - gave me a 1054 error; when I searched your forum, it said that the system likely thought I had a phpbb2 board. Well, I had upgraded from 2 to 3 before my hosting service had its issues (2016). So, I re-installed the fresh 3.0.11 version with a new db and went through a conversion. After much trial and error, I was able to get the phpbb2 conversion to run, but a number of items came back as 'failed'. So, all it did was take the meta data and the main forum information... All the posts, users, etc. were not imported / converted. So, now I have 2 dbs... One with the data loaded from the old board, and one that's basically blank (connected to the board). I tried to switch the config files, and everything stopped working instantly, including the Support Toolkit, which I downloaded to help me 'clean the db'. So, essentially, I can't get the STK to work with the db that needs cleaning / converting.
Please describe your problem.: New 3.0.11 install doesn't recognize heavily modded backup db / won't work with it. Is there a way to 'clean' my db, so I can keep the posts - all I want are the posts, really - and get the system upgraded to the latest version?
Thanks.

Generated by Support Toolkit SRT Generator.

[bubbathegimp]

I'm no experyt by a long shot, but does that old of a version support PHP Version 7.x??
I would try going into the CPanel, and switching to version 5.4, and going from there to get things up, then worry about upgrading after everythings up and running...

[blackrose]

I mean, I don’t think it did, but I can’t revert back; my hosting provider doesn’t support anything older than 7.0. The thing is, though, the newly created database seems to work on php 7.X?

I would be very happy if I could just install the latest version and convert the old backup file. I just don’t know whether that will work, either. I’m at a loss at this point... I’ve worked on this for hours today.

[bubbathegimp]

how big is the database?

[warmweer]

Support Request Template

What version of phpBB are you using?: phpBB 3.0.11 - trying to restore so I can upgrade to 3.2

Which PHP version are you using?: 7.2.27

Is your board a fresh install or a conversion?: Conversion from phpBB2

What MODs do you have installed?: I installed a whole slew of mods on my phpbb3.0.11 board back in the day. I had a portal, an album, a chatbox, a subscribe to a forum mod, and probably a few others. Maybe an enhanced attachments mod?

Please describe your problem.: New 3.0.11 install doesn't recognize heavily modded backup db / won't work with it. Is there a way to 'clean' my db, so I can keep the posts - all I want are the posts, really - and get the system upgraded to the latest version?
Thanks.

First of all: 3.0 to 3.2 is an upgrade, not a convert
Second 3.0 won't run on php7+
Third: you mention conversion from phpBB2 but you're starting with a 3.0
Fourth: upgrades from 3.0 to higher won't function or have many problems if the database hasn't been cleaned/sanitised before starting the upgrade.
Fifth: you should follow the instructions in Upgrading from 3.0 to 3.2

Since you can't use a version of php lower than 7, install a personal webserver - the easiest one is ubswebserver (https://usbwebserver.yura.mk.ua/) and use version 8.6.1 with php 5.6 which will allow you to run phpBB3.0 up to 3.2. Once the upgrade is finished all you need to do is to transfer your database to you host (but we'll get to that once your 3.2 is up and running on localhost.

So my suggestion is to install your 3.0 on localhost , do the database sanitising on that, then upgrade to 3.2

[bubbathegimp]

I have a bad feeling the Database is corrupted, or the wrong file..
@Blackrose sent me his SQL file which I was able to import into a database on my server.

I went through the step to get 3.0.14 up and running, including the conversion.
When it was finished, I was sitting here with the My first Forum displayed on the screen....

[3Di]

Similar situations require a deep knowledge of the phpBB system from the beginning, not impossible to solve anyway, but it requires some work.
The last similar time (a week ago) I spent about 9/10 hours of continuous work on the server via CLI (Putty).
Almost impossible to solve via messaging on the forum I can say.

[blackrose]

It’s really weird because I was able to get the sql file to import, it just seemed to break the standard install. I had a lot of mods on the board, so it had 100 tables...

I re-sent the file; the original.

Thanks for your help!

-Rose

[warmweer]

It’s really weird because I was able to get the sql file to import, it just seemed to break the standard install. I had a lot of mods on the board, so it had 100 tables...

Importing isn't the problem, the database modifications due to MODs are (extra tables, extra fields, changed field definitions, extra permissions, removed permissions/modules whatever).
The safest way is to sanitise the 3.0 database completely using the Support Toolkit (and even then I do a table definition compare + a check for the default entries).

[blackrose]

I get it and I got the toolkit up, but *not* when connected to my modded db. I can get the toolkit to open when I have a fresh install, but once I import the db, nothing works. I keep getting the 1054 error.

So, not sure how I can cleanse it as long as it’s required to connect to the software?

I will say that I thought all the modifications to the software were really great additions and extended the functionality in neat ways. However, it made my life miserable every time I went to upgrade to the latest version. In hindsight, I would have just left it all as a straight forum...

Thanks,

Rose

[bubbathegimp]

Where can you find the database/PhpBB version number inside the database?

[warmweer]

Where can you find the database/PhpBB version number inside the database?

config_table (IIRC field board_version)

[stevemaury]

Just "version"