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Update on site problem


Freebird

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I HOPE it is OK now. I had to get it restored from a backup from the 19th around midnight. So any posts made over about the past 24 hours were lost. I do think that I found the problem though so HOPEFULLY it won't happen again.

 

Also, I apologize to the new members that signed up yesterday. Due to the restore, you will have to register again. Truly sorry for the inconvenience.

 

It's been a long few hours. I'm going to bed now.

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A little further explanation and a warning of things to come.

 

This site is running on VBulletin 3.8.7. I have resisted upgrading it to a newer version because it will mean some pretty big changes to the site as we know it now. I have done a lot of customizations here and some of them will not be compatible with a newer version. Some are minor and some are fairly major. One thing is that the home page will change completely. Those of you who enter the site from the home page to see the list of newest posts will miss that feature if I upgrade. The home page is actually another thing entirely that is integrated with the forum. The original software and the company that produced it are long gone. It will not work with a newer version of VBulletin.

 

The home page will be the biggest change. There are other smaller and less important features though. The country flags at the upper right of post is the type thing I'm talking about. Many of the missing features I can restore over time but it has taken years to get things the way that they are and will take at least weeks or months to get many of them going again.

 

So why am I talking about this? What happened with the site starting to crash last night, and I assure you that this was almost "the big one". I was up until 2:30 in the morning working with our host on one end while I was editing code on my end to get it going again. The problem is that the software that runs on the server is also outdated now. It's a catch 22. I can't update things on the server like PHP and Mysql because this version of VBulletin is not compatible with the newer versions of those things. The versions of those that I am running though are no longer supported by anybody. What happened last night was that the PHP running on the server was updated very slightly to what is still an unsupported and very outdated version. Even that small update though was incompatible with this version of VBulletin. So the site started falling apart. The PHP could not be rolled back to the version that was working because it's no longer even available to install so once it was updated, we couldn't go back. I was able to get the site restored from a backup but not the PHP version. So I spent a fair amount of time editing some PHP code in the VBulletin software to make it work with the new version of PHP. I honestly was starting to think that we were toast.

 

I know none of this makes sense to many of you. Some of you with server experience will understand what I am saying. The bottom line though is that I am likely going to be forced to update our VBulletin software in the near future to keep up with the supporting server software. It will mean some adjusting to some different ways that the site looks and works but I don't think there is going to be a choice. Still doing some investigating but just giving you a heads up.

 

Thank you for your patience last night during the mini crash. I'm going to do all I can to ensure that it doesn't become a regular issue.

Edited by Freebird
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I think most of us would be fine going to the newer version even with a loss of the custom changes. They can be added over time. As long as the data can be restored so all old posts are available...I'd be fine with a maintenance window so the upgrade can be done.

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Maintaining the old posts and data is a must. I'm not talking about starting over blank.

 

The exception is the classifieds. We may lose them as that too is an entirely different program that I have integrated here and I will probably have to go with something else. I had to edit files that software last night also.

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This site is far more than a collection of data. Means to add data back after format changes will be found.

 

The essential thing is to keep the community, the people, some more spectacularly unusual than others, together. There's a feeling, a family, to keep. Data we can get anywhere. The people here make this site what we are.

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Maintaining the old posts and data is a must. I'm not talking about starting over blank.

 

The exception is the classifieds. We may lose them as that too is an entirely different program that I have integrated here and I will probably have to go with something else. I had to edit files that software last night also.

 

How is the HD forum set up?

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Don,

 

Thanks so much for your hard work. I would expect nothing less for that hard earned $12.00 per year I spend. LOL!

 

Seriously though, if you feel like you need to make a change, get after it. I'll get used to whatever adjustment just be part of the family.

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Why postpone the inevitable, we\you know it's got to happen,, and soon probably. So plan it and then do it. Better to have a plan and get it done, when there is, and you, have time, rather than have an issue and then have to deal with it in a hurry or pinch.

If you plan, you are in control, if you wait for fate,,,, well get ready,,,, it's kind of like riding!

 

Plan your work \ then work your plan.

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...I know none of this makes sense to many of you. Some of you with server experience will understand what I am saying...

 

Hey Freebird, I know I am relatively new to the forum, but if you need any help from a Sys Admin...let me know... :)

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Don, my first thought was to say guzuntight. It seems that you have sneezed and splashed php and sql all over the place......:whistling:

 

I know you did a poll a while back and the vast majority of us liked the site the way it is, myself included. But some change is inevitable. Just do what you have to do and we will all learn to deal with it.

 

Besides we are like a plague, you can't get rid of us that easy.....

 

We really do all appreciate what you sacrifice for us.:essen_018:

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Why postpone the inevitable, we\you know it's got to happen,, and soon probably. So plan it and then do it. Better to have a plan and get it done, when there is, and you, have time, rather than have an issue and then have to deal with it in a hurry or pinch.

If you plan, you are in control, if you wait for fate,,,, well get ready,,,, it's kind of like riding!

 

Plan your work \ then work your plan.

 

I concur! We will adjust to the changes.

 

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

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Hey Freebird, I know I am relatively new to the forum, but if you need any help from a Sys Admin...let me know... :)

 

Will do...I'm just winging here like I have for the past 15 years or so. :) But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express a few years ago. In all honesty, I have no formal training in any of this stuff. I just sort of figure it out as it comes.

 

Thanks for the offer. I may end up calling on you.

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Don, the Motocampers site was running an old version of VBulletin too, and like you there were problems occurring with the administration of the site. In August of this year the site software was updated to VBulletin v.4.2.2. There was an entirely different look and the loss of many customizations and 'hacks' did not move to the new software, just as you have mentioned would happen here when you upgrade.

There was a few grumbles about the site changes (there are a bunch of old guys there, too) but the Admins were able to tweak the site incrementally for a week or so without any major downtime.

So, as others have said, start making plans to upgrade so there can be a smooth transition. It sounds like you were able to dodge the bullet last night/this morning. Starting over would have been catastrophic.

Thanks for your work and passion toward this site.

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