Is it easy to convert my old Phpbb 2.0.22 to the latest 3.2.x

[Marz]

I have a forum which the last update is 2.0.22 some 10 years ago. It functions well until a couple of weeks ago when it showed a 500 internal error. Web hosting customer care said that they are updating the system to comply with php7.0 and as such, my old forum based on php4 I guess will not work well due to depreciated code. I have made a database backup already and would like to try to update. All gfx photos of the posts should also be at hand through my server of my website. (I have my own website not on a platform).

Questions:

Is it a painstaking job for an experienced but amateur person like me to upgrade from 2.0.22 to 3.2, if it is even possible?
Would it be a better option to install php 3.2 and upload the saved mysql backup and upload the gfx folder?
Can the styles of the old forum be saved and applied to the new phpbb 3.2

Thank you

[janus_zonstraal]

See https://www.phpbb.com/support/documents ... ll#convert

[JimA]

Hi, converting from 2.0.22 to 3.2 should be possible still in one step, see these instructions:

Information on how to convert from phpBB2 to phpBB3 is here.

Basically, you must have both phpBB2 and phpBB3 installed on the same server. After you have finished installing phpBB3 you will have the option to convert your phpBB2 board using the built in converter. The information it asks you for is related to the phpBB2 installation and can be found in its config.php file on the server. All of your users, posts, forums, PMs etc are converted. However, styles and MODs are not (with the exception of the birthday and attachment MODs which are supported by the converter). The phpBB2 database is not converted per se, it is merely read and converted/moved to the new phpBB3 database, so if it goes wrong your old board will not be affected at all. At the end of the conversion, once you’re happy it’s all working, your phpBB2 database and files can be backed up and removed if you so wish. They are not connected to the new installation in any way.

Additionally, please keep in mind that soliciting other people for paid projects (like this one, per the last sentence of your message ) is not allowed under our board rules. We would very much like to help you though if you encounter any problems while doing this conversion. Good luck!

[Marz]

THANKS a lot dear friedns.

Ok I give it a try after reading the links provided. Here are my first specific questions before I start.

The phpbb 2 forum (=old forum) is located on my server mwp/forum. I also want that the converted phpbb 3.2 forum (=new forum) be at the end in mwp/forum.

[1] Am I understanding correctly that the old and new forum have to be on a seperate folder? So then, should I rename the old forum folder say to "mwp/forum_old", create a new folder "mwp/forum" (to place phpbb 3.2) and run the conversion from the latter folder (Mwp/forum).

[2] Also, should I first need to install phpbb3 in the new folder (mwp/folder) and then run the converter as part of the installation package or after the installation I have to install/upload the converter files and run it?


My forum is www.maltawildplants.com/forum.

[Marz]

Additionally, please keep in mind that soliciting other people for paid projects (like this one, per the last sentence of your message ) is not allowed under our board rules. We would very much like to help you though if you encounter any problems while doing this conversion. Good luck!

To abide with rules, I deleted that sentence from the original post

[janus_zonstraal]

1) you can change folder names ad the end, so no need the rename them before you start.

2) first do a full installation and after that visit the /install/ folder again to start the conversion.

To begin the conversion, visit the install/ folder of your phpBB3 installation (the same as you have done for installing). Now you will see a new tab Convert. Click this tab.

[Marz]

Sorry if I'm dumb, but the golden and unanswered question is : should I upload the phpbb3.2 files and then install in the same folder where I currently have the old forum or I have to uplaod in a new folder and then convert by pointing to the location of the old forum folder. Thanks

[janus_zonstraal]

Please do not overwrite any old files - install phpBB3 at a different location.

So use a different folder

[Marz]

Thanks a lot, now it was clear!

So, I have created a new database (mwpforum2017) with a new username (mwpadmin)and uploaded and installed the phpbb3.2 inthe folder Wildplants/forum_new. I then reached the convert tab, and clicked the convert button link and I reached the connfig settings. It is here that I am not sure what to input.

Database server hostname or DSN: localhost
Database server port: [nil]
Database name: ??1
Database username: ??2
Database password: ??2
Prefix for tables in database: phpbb_ ??3
Board path: ../forum/
Refresh page to continue conversion: No


??1 What Database name, the old or the new (phpbb3.2)?
??2 What username/password of the old forum or of the new
??3 I input phpbb_ when creating the new table (not sure what I did for the old!!!)

The phpbb3.2 forum is on Wildplants/forum_new/install/
The phpbb2.0 forum is on Wildplants/forum/



Thanks in advance.

[Marz]

see below

[Marz]

It was very likely that the username/password did not match now I am converting... Step 2/29

[Marz]

Oh no:


General Error:
SQL ERROR [ mysql4 ]

MySQL server has gone away [2006]

SQL

SELECT user_lang FROM phpbb_users WHERE user_id = 291
in file /home/marzmif4/public_html/WildPlants/forum_new/phpbb/db/driver/driver.php on line 999

BACKTRACE


FILE: (not given by php)
LINE: (not given by php)
CALL: installer_msg_handler()

FILE: [ROOT]/phpbb/db/driver/driver.php
LINE: 999
CALL: trigger_error()

FILE: [ROOT]/phpbb/db/driver/mysql.php
LINE: 191
CALL: phpbb\db\driver\driver->sql_error()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convertors/functions_phpbb20.php
LINE: 392
CALL: phpbb\db\driver\mysql->sql_query()

FILE: (not given by php)
LINE: (not given by php)
CALL: phpbb_set_encoding()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convert/convertor.php
LINE: 1503
CALL: call_user_func_array()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convert/convertor.php
LINE: 744
CALL: phpbb\convert\convertor->process_row()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convert/controller/convertor.php
LINE: 370
CALL: phpbb\convert\convertor->convert_data()

FILE: (not given by php)
LINE: (not given by php)
CALL: phpbb\convert\controller\convertor->convert()

FILE: [ROOT]/vendor/symfony/http-kernel/HttpKernel.php
LINE: 144
CALL: call_user_func_array()

FILE: [ROOT]/vendor/symfony/http-kernel/HttpKernel.php
LINE: 64
CALL: Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/app.php
LINE: 61
CALL: Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle()


What should I do?

[Marz]

Can you please help me? What's the issue now

http://www.maltawildplants.com/forum_ne ... _rows=2595

[Marz]

After some conversion restarts and page refreshes, conversion advanced bit by bit (I read that the prev error is because of slow systems or servers) but now I have the error fixed on the error message below. I refreshed several times the page, no progress at all...

ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&action=reply&f=0&p=2076886

Information
General Error:
SQL ERROR [ mysql4 ]

Table 'marzmif4_mwpforum2017.phpbb_userconv' doesn't exist [1146]

SQL

SELECT username_clean FROM phpbb_userconv GROUP BY username_clean HAVING COUNT(user_id) > 1
in file /home/marzmif4/public_html/WildPlants/forum_new/phpbb/db/driver/driver.php on line 999

BACKTRACE


FILE: (not given by php)
LINE: (not given by php)
CALL: installer_msg_handler()

FILE: [ROOT]/phpbb/db/driver/driver.php
LINE: 999
CALL: trigger_error()

FILE: [ROOT]/phpbb/db/driver/mysql.php
LINE: 191
CALL: phpbb\db\driver\driver->sql_error()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convertors/functions_phpbb20.php
LINE: 1853
CALL: phpbb\db\driver\mysql->sql_query()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convert/convertor.php(539) : eval()'d code
LINE: 1
CALL: phpbb_check_username_collisions()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convert/convertor.php
LINE: 539
CALL: eval()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/convert/controller/convertor.php
LINE: 370
CALL: phpbb\convert\convertor->convert_data()

FILE: (not given by php)
LINE: (not given by php)
CALL: phpbb\convert\controller\convertor->convert()

FILE: [ROOT]/vendor/symfony/http-kernel/HttpKernel.php
LINE: 144
CALL: call_user_func_array()

FILE: [ROOT]/vendor/symfony/http-kernel/HttpKernel.php
LINE: 64
CALL: Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw()

FILE: [ROOT]/install/app.php
LINE: 61
CALL: Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle()

[Marz]

I don't know if it by coincidence or sensible move, but I restarted the conversion using the Database type MySQL with MySqli extension and I progressed a bit more and reached Step 17 of 29

Then I clicked on Continue conversion and after a while I got Server 500 Error without any hint of what's wrong.

Please help me.
What can I do ?