Managing phpbb via CLI

[hiran]

There's no need for CLI.
You can easily use the ACP to configure your users (I suspect you're referring to the permissions)

That's the point: I do not want to manually configure users. Instead I want to script the setup. But how would you add users if you cannot even check whether the user already exists or has been created successfully?

So to list users (something that I'd expect the CLI would do) you can execute

Code: Select all

mariadb -e "select username from phpbb_users;[ phpbb/code]

[hiran]

And with my two other posts I now believe you are right: the CLI is not mature. To administrate phpbb one either has to use the UI or dig into PHP files and the database.

[Mick]

You don’t need CLI at all to administrate phpBB.

[warmweer]

...

So the list function I was expecting to find could be as simple as

Code: Select all

mariadb -e "select * from phpbb_config" phpbb

Alternatively add this list of parameters to the documentation.

CLI is for advanced users who know (and thoroughly understand) what they are doing.

Basically the above gives you a list of the entries in the config_table which can be done using a database management program e.g. phpMyAdmin, Adminer or even with Access (just link the tables into an Access database)

Perhaps phpBB API Documentation is what you are looking for.

[hiran]

CLI is for advanced users who know (and thoroughly understand) what they are doing.

Basically the above gives you a list of the entries in the config_table which can be done using a database management program e.g. phpMyAdmin, Adminer or even with Access (just link the tables into an Access database)

Perhaps phpBB API Documentation is what you are looking for.

I want to understand what I am doing. But I do not believe reverse-engineering the database structure or becoming a PHP developer should be part of administrating phpbb. These are different levels of abstraction.

For example, I understand how to install and upgrade extensions:
Day one: I unzip the extension in the correct folder, then activate and configure it via the ACP.
Day two: I just want to upgrade to the latest code. The settings in the control panel have already been done, so I want to script it - and it's not too difficult:

- use the CLI to deactivate the extension
- remove the extension folder
- unzip the new extension into the removed folder
- use the CLI to activate the extension

In that example I made use of the CLI to prevent that I have to understand the internals of phpbb and do not have to touch php code or run SQL statements myself.

That is my view, and despite I am a newbie on phpbb I have seen such patterns on other systems. If you believe the cli is for advanced users only your idea of advanced differs from mine.

[hiran]

You don’t need CLI at all to administrate phpBB.

Unfortunately that was not my question. It is part of the product, I want to use it and the question is just 'how'.
Is there documentation how to administrate phpbb without the CLI but still in a scriptable way?

[warmweer]

...
Is there documentation how to administrate phpbb without the CLI but still in a scriptable way?

OK, maybe https://area51.phpbb.com/docs/dev/3.3.x ... arted.html could be of use.

BTW: this was the first hit with google search for managing phpbb using CLI

[hiran]

...
Is there documentation how to administrate phpbb without the CLI but still in a scriptable way?

OK, maybe https://area51.phpbb.com/docs/dev/3.3.x ... arted.html could be of use.

BTW: this was the first hit with google search for managing phpbb using CLI

Thank you!
Yes, this is much more what I was asking for.
It works for installing and seems to be a different CLI than the one I was using so far.

But: Can it work for updates? What I have seen is that phpbb recommends the install folder to be deleted for normal operation. Would I have to restore the install folder to perform updates?

[warmweer]

Would I have to restore the install folder to perform updates?

Without the install folder you cannot update/upgrade phpBB.
As to updating extensions/styles/languages: no (root/) install folder needed.

[Mick]

A one click ACP update is on it’s way some time in the future https://tracker.phpbb.com/browse/PHPBB3-15851

[hiran]

Would I have to restore the install folder to perform updates?

Without the install folder you cannot update/upgrade phpBB.
As to updating extensions/styles/languages: no (root/) install folder needed.

What is the recommended way to handle the install folder, if I need it for installation and for upgrades but must not have it during normal operation.
Rename? Set privileges? Delete and restore? Or something entirely else?

[hiran]

A one click ACP update is on it’s way some time in the future https://tracker.phpbb.com/browse/PHPBB3-15851

For sure that is nice to have. But I prefer something scriptable.
Think of automated operation, which helps both with many phpbb installations as with very few. In one case I cannot do it manually, in the other I do not want to remember how it is done.

[warmweer]

What is the recommended way to handle the install folder, if I need it for installation and for upgrades but must not have it during normal operation.
Rename? Set privileges? Delete and restore? Or something entirely else?

For installing and upgrading/updating you need the/install that comes with the phpBB package (you're upgrading/updating to).
With the /install present, access will be limited to the ACP.

In testing situations, I just rename it, on a live board I delete it

[hiran]

For installing and upgrading/updating you need the/install that comes with the phpBB package (you're upgrading/updating to).
With the /install present, access will be limited to the ACP.

In testing situations, I just rename it, on a live board I delete it

So actually it is even better to delete the install folder, as it is only required to install.

For upgrades, I download the new distribution but just extract the install folder, so that I can run the upgrade from my existing installation to the desired one. During the upgrade the remainder of the files will be downloaded automatically? At least that's what I understand from the above.

[Mick]

For a normal update this is the recommended way to carry out updating (not upgrading) one version of phpBB 3.3 to a newer version of 3.3, Minor Updates Within 3.3.x for example. You need file updates as well as database.

Have a look at these instructions, they describe some specific CLI instructions.