A few questions before migrate

[diego222]

First of all sorry for my english (I'm spanish). Well, it would we good that you (anyone) respond all questions

1 - Can I convert directly from vbulletin 4.2 (suite, but I only use forum.... ) to the latest version of Xenforo (1.1.3) .... or I have to import to an earlier version first?

2 - VB4 prefixes are imported too?

3 - After import from vb4... I think I have to manually put all forum/sub-forum permissions... right? or importer directly imports it too?

4 - I have to make a lot of subforums for game titles, but instead of that... I think it's best only one sub-forum for a game saga "FIFA" (for example) and then prefixes to chose from (fifa 2011, fifa 2012, fifa 2013, etc...). And the question is.... Its posible make obligatory the use of a prefixe to post? In VB4 I can "obligate" people to chose a prefixe before they can post.

5- For security, in VB4 I renamed admin directory "admincp" with another name.... Do I have to change to default name before convert?

6 - For security too, in VB4 I created a "second password" to enter Control Panel....:
-I created a directory before "/www" by ftp
-There, I created an ".htpasswd" with an encripted login and password
-Well, I put my login/password on forum like always, and when I want to enter on AdminCP, it pops up a window to enter another secondary login and password (Its a good thing for security ).

..... and the question its the same for question 5, do I have to change to default before convert?

7 - License is 140 and we have one year of free support and upgrades..... an after that first year is when I have to renew and pay 40$, right?

 

[Slavik]

1) Yes, you can import right to 1.1.3.

2) Should do

3) Those should be fine, you should double check them though to make sure.

4) Not as far as I know, you cant force a prefix to be selected.

5) Nope

6) Nope

7) Yes, however you only need to renew if you want updates and support, you still get to use the software regardless of if you renew or not

 

[EgyKit]

1st you're welcome and congrats for your decision to move to xenforo let me answer your questions one by one

1 - Can I convert directly from vbulletin 4.2 (suite, but I only use forum.... ) to the latest version of Xenforo (1.1.3) .... or I have to import to an earlier version first?

yes you can use this importer

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/vb4-importer.1025/

but remember that you have to do some custom changes to the importer if you use custom vBulletin plugins, I had to use my custom code to import some tables from vBulletin to xenforo.

2 - VB4 prefixes are imported too?

Yes this importer will do this.

3 - After import from vb4... I think I have to manually put all forum/sub-forum permissions... right? or importer directly imports it too?

No, the importer will create forums, sub-forums with the same permissions, but you should test those permission with test accounts before migration as some permission may differ from vBulletin.

4 - I have to make a lot of subforums for game titles, but instead of that... I think it's best only one sub-forum for a game saga "FIFA" (for example) and then prefixes to chose from (fifa 2011, fifa 2012, fifa 2013, etc...). And the question is.... Its posible make obligatory the use of a prefixe to post? In VB4 I can "obligate" people to chose a prefixe before they can post.

What I understood from this question is that you may want your users to choose thread prefix before they post their thread or you want to force them to do so, well I think this is not available by default in xenforo but you can still have it by using this add-on

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/require-thread-prefixes.500/

5- For security, in VB4 I renamed admin directory "admincp" with another name.... Do I have to change to default name before convert?

I think you don't have to do so because xenforo is more secure than vBulletin, if you still want this option I'm sure you will have the answer here

6 - For security too, in VB4 I created a "second password" to enter Control Panel....:
-I created a directory before "/www" by ftp
-There, I created an ".htpasswd" with an encripted login and password
-Well, I put my login/password on forum like always, and when I want to enter on AdminCP, it pops up a window to enter another secondary login and password (Its a good thing for security ).

..... and the question its the same for question 5, do I have to change to default before convert?

You can't do this because the admin area is accessible from the root directory.

7 - License is 140 and we have one year of free support and upgrades..... an after that first year is when I have to renew and pay 40$, right?

Yes, I think this is not much for the upgrades and the support you will have on customers area plus the help you will get on the community here, you will be able to learn to create your own add-ons from tutorials here

Also remember to check for thread title characters length and forum title length, you may have to edit some default xenforo code to increase this limit if you have custom title length, default thread title length in xenforo is 100 and node title length is 50 s be aware of this.

Finally you must be sure that you have all custom add-ons that you use on vBulletin working fine on xenforo.

 

[diego222]

About question 4, I know its not "xenforo related" or "not xenforo problem" (its my problem with any forum I have, I know ) but, with xenforo software.... what do you recomend me if I have to make a lot of sub-forums (1000 or more for example).

-Now I have " A, B, C, D ....... X, Y, Z" (each letter with a subforum). Then between each of those sub-forums I have one sub-forum more for each game.... ¿the problem? kilometric sub-forum listing and the sub-forum's games with no interest are almost empty (or directly empty) without posts.

-My idea in that question (nº 4) would be perfect and clean without many of those sub-forums empty, but you say Its not posible to force a prefix to be selected .

-I also thought: Most popular games with the "A, B, C, D...." methotd and less popular with only one subforum per category (Action, sports, RPG, ....). But..... its almost the same thing

Come on, XenForo have to have a good solution for this , by default or with plugins/hacks.

 

[diego222]

EgyKit, about question 6, I mean that if I have to back to normal now on vbulletin (quit that "double password enter") before upgrading or if I can do it directly.

mmmm, mods I only have "GloHost - Spam-O-Matic" to prevent spam with "stopforumspam" help. I don't like mods, I only install a mod if its ¿entirely? neccesary.

 

[diego222]

What I understood from this question is that you may want your users to choose thread prefix before they post their thread or you want to force them to do so, well I think this is not available by default in xenforo but you can still have it by using this add-on

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/require-thread-prefixes.500/

perfect. Being a paid mod, I supose that the owner will update it if neccesary (with future xenforo updates) right?

 

[EgyKit]

About question 4, I know its not "xenforo related" or "not xenforo problem" (its my problem with any forum I have, I know ) but, with xenforo software.... what do you recomend me if I have to make a lot of sub-forums (1000 or more for example).

-Now I have " A, B, C, D ....... X, Y, Z" (each letter with a subforum). Then between each of those sub-forums I have one sub-forum more for each game.... ¿the problem? kilometric sub-forum listing and the sub-forum's games with no interest are almost empty (or directly empty) without posts.

-My idea in that question (nº 4) would be perfect and clean without many of those sub-forums empty, but you say Its not posible to force a prefix to be selected .

-I also thought: Most popular games with the "A, B, C, D...." methotd and less popular with only one subforum per category (Action, sports, RPG, ....). But..... its almost the same thing

Come on, XenForo have to have a good solution for this , by default or with plugins/hacks.

No you can force members to add prefix using the add-ons I've mentioned in my reply.

What I got from your explanation about your forums, sub-forums is that you have many forums empty without any content or threads so you want to force members to post in these empty forums?

 

[EgyKit]

EgyKit, about question 6, I mean that if I have to back to normal now on vbulletin (quit that "double password enter") before upgrading or if I can do it directly.

mmmm, mods I only have "GloHost - Spam-O-Matic" to prevent spam with "stopforumspam" help. I don't like mods, I only install a mod if its ¿entirely? neccesary.

Using second password with vBulletin is a custom change you've made for vBulletin only, this will not affect transfer when you import from vBulletin to xenforo.

Regarding these mods, you must be sure you will have them working on xenforo before you transfer your board and be sure you have all old data imported correctly.

 

[EgyKit]

perfect. Being a paid mod, I supose that the owner will update it if neccesary (with future xenforo updates) right?

Yes he will, but I think this will be available by default in the next xenforo versions also if you learned to do your custom add-ons this won't be a problem to force members to do anything by simple code just have a look on tutorials here.

 

[diego222]

I can't explain better in english, but I'll try it.

Now I have "ABCD..." sub-forums and within them another sub-forum, one for each game. 27 letters and a lot of games within each letter.... there will be a lot of forums (more than 1000 with time). Well, you'll say "its not so bad"... yes, but, people only post on popular games forums..... then, there will be a lots of forums empty and that is .... mmm ¿ugly? ¿bad? well, you know.

But with forcing prefixes, if people are only interested in FIFA 2013.... I dont have to make one subforum for each fifa game and only "FIFA 13 forum" with post while others forums empty.... with forcing prefixes I can make only one forum named "FIFA" with a prefix for each version. What if other Fifa versions games doesn't have any post? nothing!, because all are in the same forum, but with the perfect order of the "forced prefixed".

For me it would be a perfect solution.

 

[diego222]

Yes he will, but I think this will be available by default in the next xenforo versions also if you learned to do your custom add-ons this won't be a problem to force members to do anything by simple code just have a look on tutorials here.

Oh, great, if everything I need its by default, its better (less add-ons, always better). And its even more perfect because now I can't move to xenforo (I have a lot of work, and a forum migration requires a few days of exclusive dedication to forum only.... time that now I doesn't have..... If I do things I have to do it right.

 

[EgyKit]

I can't explain better in english, but I'll try it.

Now I have "ABCD..." sub-forums and within them another sub-forum, one for each game. 27 letters and a lot of games within each letter.... there will be a lot of forums (more than 1000 with time). Well, you'll say "its not so bad"... yes, but, people only post on popular games forums..... then, there will be a lots of forums empty and that is .... mmm ¿ugly? ¿bad? well, you know.

But with forcing prefixes, if people are only interested in FIFA 2013.... I dont have to make one subforum for each fifa game and only "FIFA 13 forum" with post while others forums empty.... with forcing prefixes I can make only one forum named "FIFA" with a prefix for each version. What if other Fifa versions games doesn't have any post? nothing!, because all are in the same forum, but with the perfect order of the "forced prefixed".

For me it would be a perfect solution.

The only way to force threads to be saved automatically to certain forum, sub-forum is by preg_match thread title, content before it saved then move the thread to the appropriate forum automatically. is that what you mean? the other simple way is that users should choose the appropriate forum by themselves.

 

[diego222]

No, I know how to do it, the only problem its Organization.

-Lots of sub-forums (everyone knows how to do it ) = ****, ugly, kaos...
-A few sub-forums with "forced prefixed" = clean, beautiful, organizated...

I'll try to simplificate more... A game saga like FIFA (I don't like it, only example, sorry for repeat it hehe) from the year 97 to 2013... that means 17 games (17 forums). Why I have to do 17 sub-forums when people probably would only write about FIFA 2013? Its more simple make ONLY one sub-forum called "FIFA" with 17 forced prefixes. A year later... a new game... no problem, I only have to add another prefix to the "FIFA" forum.

 

[EgyKit]

No, I know how to do it, the only problem its Organization.

-Lots of sub-forums (everyone knows how to do it ) = ****, ugly, kaos...
-A few sub-forums with "forced prefixed" = clean, beautiful, organizated...

I'll try to simplificate more... A game saga like FIFA (I don't like it, only example, sorry for repeat it hehe) from the year 97 to 2013... that means 17 games (17 forums). Why I have to do 17 sub-forums when people probably would only write about FIFA 2013? Its more simple make ONLY one sub-forum called "FIFA" with 17 forced prefixes. A year later... a new game... no problem, I only have to add another prefix to the "FIFA" forum.

Ah, yes you can set many prefixes to certain forum from the admin panel and you can use the above mentioned add-on to force members to choose the appropriate prefix and yes there is no need to create 13 sub-forums for FIFA game

 

[diego222]

In vb4 I think I can force prefixes without plugins/mods, but I did do it because of future conversion.

And the last question... If I use that mod and on/in (sorry...) future Xenforo versions its implemented by default... could I safety disable the mod and use Xenforo function without make any other change? (it would be a pain have to put the prefixed on each forum manually another time...)

 

[EgyKit]

In vb4 I think I can force prefixes without plugins/mods, but I did do it because of future conversion.

And the last question... If I use that mod and on/in (sorry...) future Xenforo versions its implemented by default... could I safety disable the mod and use Xenforo function without make any other change? (it would be a pain have to put the prefixed on each forum manually another time...)

Well, if this option will be present by default in the future we will see a custom code that will import it or by the add-on owner himself he may provide free or paid add-on for that or you may ask it from the xenforo support too. and if this option won't be available in xenforo in the future then the add-on owner will upgrade it to work with the next xenforo versions

 

[diego222]

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/secure-admincp.415/

I found that for the question 6. Its +or- the same I'm using now for VB4.

 

[EgyKit]

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/secure-admincp.415/

I found that for the question 6. Its +or- the same I'm using now for VB4.

Ok, that's good you've found what you want

 

[diego222]

arfff, I forget something important (two things).

1- On VB4 I moved the attachments from Database to files (files? I don't know how to say it, but sure you understand it), they will be imported without problems right?.

2- Also I have a mod/product for spoilers... an xml file to import like any other vb4 products with a small image that appear on "message editor". I supose despite I found something similar.... all the spoilers will be "no-spoilers" I mean visibles... and I would have to edit it manually.....

OMG thats imposible. Well, If there's something similar for spoilers in XenForo all new messages will have it ... and I supose that a few spoilers visibles (older messages) won't hurt people....

 

[EgyKit]

arfff, I forget something important (two things).

1- On VB4 I moved the attachments from Database to files (files? I don't know how to say it, but sure you understand it), they will be imported without problems right?.

2- Also I have a mod/product for spoilers... an xml file to import like any other vb4 products with a small image that appear on "message editor". I supose despite I found something similar.... all the spoilers will be "no-spoilers" I mean visibles... and I would have to edit it manually.....

OMG thats imposible. Well, If there's something similar for spoilers in XenForo all new messages will have it ... and I supose that a few spoilers visibles (older messages) won't hurt people....

Yes you will be able to have all attachments transferred from vbulletin to xenforo filesystem without any issue

You can use this add-on for spoilers

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/xenfacil-spoiler-tag.63/

Or you can search the board for other add-ons because there are many similar add-ons for the same purpose.