Upgrade from Xenforo 1.5.8. to 2.2.8

[James_Husum]

I'm working with author Holly Lisle and we're trying to upgrade and move her current forum. The forum currently runs on Xenforo 1.5.8.

The site is being upgraded to a newer version of PHP. We need to be able to move the threads and private messages from the old forum over to the new installation. I've found importers for Xenforo 2.X versions of the software but nothing for before that.

Is there a good migration path we can follow, or do I need to find someone that has (or can create) an importer to go from 1.5.8 to 2.2.8?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Scandal]

I've found importers for Xenforo 2.X versions of the software but nothing for before that.

Yes that's correct.
1. You make a clean installation of a xenForo 2. This forum will not have other users than you (admin) and also no forum categories and posts.
2. Then you install the 2.x importers addon on this clean forum board.
3. You run the import. On the import process you will be asked for several things like: the database name of your xF1.5 forum, the url of the attachments folder etc.
4. Now the empty xF2 installation of step #1 above will have the data of your xF1 -> you have a ready xF2 board!

• Do some rehearsal before you run the import on your production site.
• Create a backup before any action.

 

[beerForo]

1.5.8 will run on PHP 7.0. And so does 2.2.8 but you can upgrade the PHP after.

 

[James_Husum]

Awesome! Thanks for the replies!

 

[Paul B]

3. You run the import. On the import process you will be asked for several things like: the database name of your xF1.5 forum, the url of the attachments folder etc.

You can't import from XF1 into XF2.

The correct way to do it is to upgrade the existing installation and then PHP, as per the post above.

 

[Scandal]

You can't import from XF1 into XF2.

The correct way to do it is to upgrade the existing installation and then PHP, as per the post above.

oh sorry I missed it. I had in my mind my upgrade from vBulletin 3 to xF2

 

[James_Husum]

You can't import from XF1 into XF2.

The correct way to do it is to upgrade the existing installation and then PHP, as per the post above.

So, we can't do an upgrade from the old Xenforo 1.5.8 system at all then? Does that mean we have to scrap the threads / conversations / etc. we've built up and just start over from scratch?

 

[Paul B]

So, we can't do an upgrade from the old Xenforo 1.5.8 system at all then?

I don't understand why you would say that.

As I stated, the correct way to do it is to upgrade the existing installation.

Upgrade being the operative word.

Install or upgrade? | Manual | XenForo

End-user documentation for XenForo

xenforo.com

 

[James_Husum]

OK. We currently have the new version (2.2.8) it set up on a test domain to make sure that everything will work after we upgrade PHP on the server. Forgive me for being dense, but I want to make sure that I understand the process. Instead of doing a fresh install of 2.2.8 on the test server we should do an upgrade on the existing 1.5.8 installation on the current server so that we can retain our current threads / messages / etc., using the instructions in the link you provided. Correct?

 

[Paul B]

Instead of doing a fresh install of 2.2.8 on the test server we should do an upgrade on the existing 1.5.8 installation on the current server so that we can retain our current threads / messages / etc., using the instructions in the link you provided. Correct?

Correct.

Test the process first by duplicating your existing XF1 installation and upgrading that.

Once you are comfortable with the process you can do it on the production site.

How to duplicate a live site to use as a test site

These instructions explain how to create a test installation which is an exact duplicate of your live installation. On Your Server Create a new test database with a different database name, user name and password to your live installation...

xenforo.com

 

[James_Husum]

Excellent!. Thanks for the help.

 

[James_Husum]

OK, another question. I followed the steps in the 'how to duplicate a live site to use as a test site' instructions you linked to in your previous post. We got the database set up, imported the data into it from the current live site, created a new directory on the server to copy the files into, copied all the files into the new directory, updated the library/config.php file (we're using Xenforo 1.5.8 currently) to use the new database information, logged into the admin area and updated the Board Title and URL under Options, and finally updated the config.php file to include the suggested code. As far as I know, the hosting company is not using a cache system on the site.

After all this, when I go to the url for the test forum, I'm getting a blank page (https://hwc1.net/forum/).

Am I perhaps missing something? Or any other ideas on what I may have done wrong to not get the forum to show up?

 

[Masetrix]

After all this, when I go to the url for the test forum, I'm getting a blank page (https://hwc1.net/forum/).

Am I perhaps missing something? Or any other ideas on what I may have done wrong to not get the forum to show up?

Use: admin-site login... and make the necessary settings here, especially for the paths...
In addition, the PHP version used is too new for this version of XF, you should still use php7.0 or 7.2 here.
See:

Fatal error: Uncaught ErrorException: array_key_exists(): Using array_key_exists() on objects is deprecated. Use isset() or property_exists() instead in /var/www/html/hw/hwc1.net/forum/library/Zend/Registry.php:206 Stack trace: #0 /var/www/html/hw/hwc1.net/forum/library/Zend/Registry.php(206): XenForo_Application::handlePhpError() #1 /var/www/html/hw/hwc1.net/forum/library/Zend/Registry.php(183): Zend_Registry->offsetExists() #2 /var/www/html/hw/hwc1.net/forum/library/XenForo/Helper/File.php(276): Zend_Registry::isRegistered() #3 /var/www/html/hw/hwc1.net/forum/library/XenForo/Error.php(78): XenForo_Helper_File::getInternalDataPath() #4 /var/www/html/hw/hwc1.net/forum/library/XenForo/Application.php(378): XenForo_Error::unexpectedException() #5 [internal function]: XenForo_Application::handleException() #6 {main} thrown in /var/www/html/hw/hwc1.net/forum/library/Zend/Registry.php on line 206

 

[James_Husum]

Use: admin-site login... and make the necessary settings here, especially for the paths...
In addition, the PHP version used is too new for this version of XF, you should still use php7.0 or 7.2 here.
See:

Yes, changed everything in the admin area.

It's the PHP that is giving me the problems. OK, good to know. Part of what we're doing is having to move to a new server with a newer version of PHP on it, and test the upgrade process.

I just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed anything else.

Thanks!