Forum Back Up and Running

[dh42]

Works again 

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David

[EddyCurrent]

Whoever did that, well done.

[dh42]

I tried every buttons randomly in the admin maintenance panel    ... and one do the trick by optimizing the database ! .. but it deleted the last topic about image digitization ... but now we can post !

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David

[Tool-n-Around]

Thanks David for all you do for the forum. Much appreciated.

Best,
Kelly

[pixelmaker]

Thank you david for dealing with this.
If you have access to the admin panel you can perhaps make backups from time to time.

[dh42]

If you have access to the admin panel you can perhaps make backups from time to time.

Yes I can make a backup, I tried and I get a 72 MB file but ... seems there is no option in the maintenance panel to use this saved file to restore the forum ; certainly it is an option that only Andy can access ..

And of course if the forum is unavailable (error 500 or 503) I can't do anything ..

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David

[pixelmaker]

Hello David,

a backup of the forum consists of three parts.
The first part is the database.
The second is the forum software with the configuration files.
The third part is the directory with the attachments and the CSS Files.

You wrote about a 72 Mb database. You can save it via “Forum Maintenance‘’ in the Admin Panel. There you have the option of backing up the database with or without the table structure. I would always back up the version with the table structure. I personally think a backup via phpMyAdmin is better.

The second part is the forum software. You can download the appropriate version of the pure forum software at https://www.simplemachines.org and reinstall it according to the instructions.
SMF 2.0.17 requires PHP 7.3

What is still missing is the attachments directory and the CSS Files from the old forum. This is always the largest directory in a forum, as all images and attachments are collected there. The directory must be completely backed up and restored. The structure created by the SMF forum is important here. It is therefore best to compress the entire directory and back it up in this way.

So you need the database and the directories with attachments and avatars from the old server

ralf

[garsut]

Hi, I don’t know if I’m the only one having problems accessing this forum ?
For many weeks, since early February 2025, when I try to access the forum I get ‘ Connection is not private’.
Today I tried entering the site a different way, can’t quite remember how I did it, but it worked and I can now access the forum, hoorah !
However, if I click on the website in the normal way I still get the ‘Connection is not private’.
I can see that many folks are accessing and sending posts so seems strange.

[lloydsp]

It has never offered a private, secure connection.  Those must remain the responsibilities of your browser and security software on your end. 

This site as been down many times and often for the Fast CGI pool filling up and not being properly cleared by the software, but that has no relationship to what you are seeing.

Lloyd

[garsut]

Thanks Lloyd, I will check my browser settings. Meanwhile I’m able to access the forum now, it’s always a good source of ideas and learning.

[pixelmaker]

There have also been various connection problems due to an expired SSL certificate. If such a page, without a certificate, gets stuck in the cache, this can lead to this error message.
The error message 'Connection is not private' can be caused by corrupt pages in the cache. It primarily has nothing to do with CamBam's web server, but with how the page is interpreted by the browser.
Statements such as 'can't quite remember how I did it' or 'if I clicked on the website in the normal way' certainly do not help to solve any problems.
Emptying the cache is a standard procedure for me when I close the browser. Of course you can also delete cookies and website data manually

ralf

[buggalugs]

There appears to be something wrong with the Forum Security Certificate, it keeps flagging up as NOT SECURE There are workarounds to gain access but it is a right pain with the AV Software continually nagging me.

[Dragonfly]

David,
did you manage to hear from Andy?

[dh42]

Hello

Unfortunately no ... 

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David

[Tool-n-Around]

Hello, Unfortunately no ... 

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David

Not sure how you did it then, but thank you. Glad to see the forum back online.

Best,
Kelly