XF 2.1 Re-importing from VB?

[joshg]

I've got my XF installed and working well, I made a copy of my Vbulletin database, did a test import and it all worked well.

Now that I've tried it, am I able to do some sort of "reset" on Xenforo and take out all the content, user info, etc., but leave some formatting changes, and then re-import from a more up-to-date vbulletin database? Or am I better off just deleting the XF directory and the database and starting with a fresh installation and then importing from there?

 

[bzcomputers]

Guess you missed this useful post: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/importing-guidelines.25325/

...which means you missed recommended Step 5: "take a backup of XF (this will be the clean master backup)"

So without a clean master backup, you might just as well start from scratch and follow the above linked guide this time in case you need to do it again.

 

[Grahame]

Guess you missed this useful post: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/importing-guidelines.25325/

...which means you missed recommended Step 5: "take a backup of XF (this will be the clean master backup)"

So without a clean master backup, you might just as well start from scratch and follow the above linked guide this time in case you need to do it again.

I really hate the sanctimonious way people say "You missed the recommended backup" - no, that's not the case at all but it's hard for most people with little experience of Xenforo to know what add-ons and customizations they need to install and configure until AFTER they've imported some data. Get off your ****ing high horse and understand why people ask for a "reset" option that will keep options, config and add-on changes without requiring a full reinstall.

 

[joshg]

thanks @bzcomputers and @Grahame. I didn't take offense at the "guess you missed" language... but yes, while I did read that post among about 100 others, I did forget about it and didn't do the DB backup as suggested there.

Not a huge problem, and thanks both for your replies. I DO hope the devs will create a simple process for doing a complete forum "reset"... kind of like those buttons on consumer electronics that restore the device to the factory settings.

 

[Grahame]

thanks @bzcomputers and @Grahame. I didn't take offense at the "guess you missed" language... but yes, while I did read that post among about 100 others, I did forget about it and didn't do the DB backup as suggested there.

Not a huge problem, and thanks both for your replies. I DO hope the devs will create a simple process for doing a complete forum "reset"... kind of like those buttons on consumer electronics that restore the device to the factory settings.

I got the same answer Josh even though I did do the recommended backup - the backup is zero help at all when you've imported all of your data and done weeks of customization of templates, styles and add-ons only to find you have to completely start over when you need to do the final import. Unless you've documented every single step to get to the point at which you're happy, you're pretty screwed. Surely everyone doing an import from another forum runs into this?

 

[Paul B]

I DO hope the devs will create a simple process for doing a complete forum "reset"... kind of like those buttons on consumer electronics that restore the device to the factory settings.

You can delete the internal_data/install-lock.php file and navigate to the /install path and do a new installation.

That would be the equivalent of a factory reset and doesn't require manually deleting the database or server files (other than the lock file).

 

[Grahame]

You can delete the internal_data/install-lock.php file and navigate to the /install path and do a new installation.

That would be the equivalent of a factory reset and doesn't require deleting the database or server files (other than the lock file).

That's actually a good step to know, does it just overwrite all of the data (posts etc) if you're keeping all of the IDs or is there another step to clear out the data and reset IDs? Shame I didn't know about that one last week

 

[Paul B]

It basically wipes the DB and does a clean installation.

 

[Grahame]

It basically wipes the DB and does a clean installation.

Just to be clear, you'd still need to re-do all of the style changes (which could be exported of course) and template changes (which can't). It would be really handy to have an option to export any modified templates and configuration options.

 

[bzcomputers]

I really hate the sanctimonious way people say "You missed the recommended backup" - no, that's not the case at all but it's hard for most people with little experience of Xenforo to know what add-ons and customizations they need to install and configure until AFTER they've imported some data. Get off your ****ing high horse and understand why people ask for a "reset" option that will keep options, config and add-on changes without requiring a full reinstall.

Calling someone "sanctimonious" for pointing a new user to useful information they may have missed? I love how trying to be helpful to someone by pointing them in the right direction can cause another completely unrelated user to be bitter because of their past experiences. I promise you I don't own any horse, let alone a high one. I just posted some useful information to a new user waiting for some immediate feedback so they could continue with an in progress install/update.

 

[Grahame]

I just posted some useful information to a new user waiting for some immediate feedback so they could continue with an in progress install/update.

And just to note A) your information wasn't useful because it was just "you must've missed a step, start over" and B) was wrong as noted by Brogan.

I'm not bitter, but I got the exact same answer from another user when I asked the exact same question last week but in my case I had taken a backup, which as I pointed out doesn't solve the problem AT ALL in the case of customizations. Posting useless information and especially making incorrect assumptions like "guess you missed this useful post and step 5" doesn't help anyway, and in fact just continues to spread misinformation for the next time someone asks the exact same question. Now that Brogan has answered, we're all better informed about what can and can't be done to "reset" Xenforo.

 

[joshg]

You can delete the internal_data/install-lock.php file and navigate to the /install path and do a new installation.

That would be the equivalent of a factory reset and doesn't require manually deleting the database or server files (other than the lock file).

Whoa... that is very powerful and helpful.
To make sure I know what you're describing... I just delete that single file (install-lock.php) from the server, then go to the /install path and start a new installation? I don't have to deal with deleting the database and making a fresh one? What changes and settings that I may have made will survive this "reset" and which ones won't?

Thanks @Brogan !

 

[Jeremy P]

Just to be clear, you'd still need to re-do all of the style changes (which could be exported of course) and template changes (which can't). It would be really handy to have an option to export any modified templates and configuration options.

Unless for some reason you've modified templates in the default master style, exporting the style will export any templates which have been modified from their parent style. I agree it would be useful to be able to export options though.

What changes and settings that I may have made will survive this "reset" and which ones won't?

No changes or settings will survive. You'll be left with a completely default clean installation, as if the previous installation never existed.

 

[bzcomputers]

Whoa... that is very powerful and helpful.
To make sure I know what you're describing... I just delete that single file (install-lock.php) from the server, then go to the /install path and start a new installation? I don't have to deal with deleting the database and making a fresh one? What changes and settings that I may have made will survive this "reset" and which ones won't?

Thanks @Brogan !

I'm sure Brogan will respond himself shortly...

In the mean time I'll just say no data will survive, all your customizations saved to the database would be lost. The only thing this saves you from is re-uploading all the install files to the server and manually deleting the database.

It is a little bit of a time saver in your situation, but unfortunately not what you wanted to hear I'm sure as far as the customizations you've spent time on already.

 

[joshg]

I'm sure Brogan will respond himself shortly...

In the mean time I'll just say no data will survive, all your customizations saved to the database would be lost. The only thing this saves you from is re-uploading all the install files to the server and manually deleting the database.

It is a little bit of a time saver in your situation, but unfortunately not what you wanted to hear I'm sure as far as the customizations you've spent time on already.

Got it. Still very helpful, thanks for replying.

 

[Kirby]

It is possible to do a reset after an import as well as it is possible to do partial imports.

In fact this is what we are always doing when migrating another system to XenForo:
We setup the new Installation, perform an initial import, install and configure all Add-ons, options, style, permissions, etc.

Afterwards we delete imported content like users, threads, posts, attachments, reactions, conversations, etc. but keep usergroups, nodes, custom fields, bbcodes and such.

As the last step we do a new partial import based on mapping data (for usergroups, nodes, etc.) from the initial run.

This allows us to do a full setup while the source system is still online and have up to date data imported.

However, doing this does require expert and programming knowledge, it is not possible out of the box.

 

[joshg]

It is possible to do a reset after an import as well as it is possible to do partial imports.

In fact this is what we are always doing when migrating another system to XenForo:
We setup the new Installation, perform an initial import, install and configure all Add-ons, options, style, permissions, etc.

Afterwards we delete imported content like users, threads, posts, attachments, reactions, conversations, etc. but keep usergroups, nodes, custom fields, bbcodes and such.

As the last step we do a new partial import based on mapping data (for usergroups, nodes, etc.) from the initial run.

This allows us to do a full setup while the source system is still online and have up to date data imported.

However, doing this does require expert and programming knowledge, it is not possible out of the box.

Thanks Kirby... glad to know it's doable, but clearly beyond what I can do. PM me some details if you do this for others as a business.

 

[joshg]

I'm sure Brogan will respond himself shortly...

In the mean time I'll just say no data will survive, all your customizations saved to the database would be lost. The only thing this saves you from is re-uploading all the install files to the server and manually deleting the database.

It is a little bit of a time saver in your situation, but unfortunately not what you wanted to hear I'm sure as far as the customizations you've spent time on already.

Thanks. To you and @Brogan, one last question. Presumably my "/src/addons" directory and my own created "/images" directories will still exist after this "reset" procedure. So I understand the add-ons won't be actually installed after I do said reset procedure, but will the add-ons be listed on the ACP as being ready to re-install? (so i don't have to upload each of my add-on folders to the server?)

 

[Paul B]

As long as you don't delete any server files, the add-ons will still be installable and any directories and files you personally added won't be removed.