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Greetings,
Not all of us are savvy web-monkeys. I myself am just a monkey. I drool, I screech, I throw things, and it took me an entire day and half the night to figure out how to restore a database backup that the vbulletin staff was kind enough to create for me (Thanks again Jerry!!!)
So you've got a several MB backupName.sql file. Mine was called vbulletin.sql. I'm going to call yours 'backupName.sql'. Creative eh!?
My host has me on a linux VDS -- virtual server of some kind. I believe a lot of hosts probably have that set up, as it's cost effective. We like cost-effective.
I logged into my site using an ftp client called Transmit for OS X. As most of the world is still using Windows, you'll probably be using smartFTP or cuteFTP or just the internet explorer ftp.
I copied my backupName.sql file to my root directory. Not my htdocs, or www directory (or the directory that has my home page and my /forums directory in it), but the (/) root directory. Not everyone has access to that, I understand that. If you don't, copy it up to your directory that has your forums directory, and you should be ok, but you just need to know what the full path from the root to that directory is. (in my case that would be /usr/local/apache/htdocs).
Next, you need an empty database to restore your forum to, that your new forum will refer to. Let me repeat this:
YOU NEED AN EMPTY DATABASE.
Unless you like pulling out hair, drooling, or screeching at passers-by from high places, save yourself some energy and make yourself an empty database. I did this in a typically newb manner by logging into my PhpMyAdmin, clicking on the 'homel link in the upper left corner of the left frame (because of my limited experience, I'm not sure if this always says home or what. I'm assuming it does, but if you don't see 'home' then click on whatever the very top link is in the left frame), then entering databaseName into the 'create new database field?' input field in the main area of the right frame, and then hitting create. (Enter whatever name you plan on calling your database where I've written databaseName). The page should refresh, and then under the little 'home' link, there should be a new link with databaseName.
(If you're not sure how to get to PhpMyAdmin, you'll have to check out your host's support pages. I'm hoping you know how to do that already. If you don't, go ahead and post and I or someone else will try to help you)
Next, you get to play with ssh! I was terrified of having to do this, and it's not so bad, trust me. I know I'm a monkey, but you can still trust me. I even shave sometimes. I searched all over this forum, all over the internet, for alternative, easier ways of doing this. The only alternative you have is uploading your backupName.sql file into PhpMyAdmin. This generally doesn't work as the server will time out with a file greater than 1mb and will frustrate the pants off you. And unless you like your rear to be hanging in the breeze, you might as well give it up and resign yourself to using ssh.
Don't worry, it's not that bad. If I can do it, -- and I'm a card carrying idiot -- you can do it!
If you're on a Mac, you're in luck, as you have the Terminal app in your Applications/Utilities folder. If you're not on a Mac (or linux/unix machine), well in the words of Mr. T, "I pity the fool!" Download PuTTY http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/. It's free, and free rhymes with cost effective..ee. Or something. What is this folk music? Anyway...
On Mac terminal: type in
It will ask you for your password. Enter that (it won't show you what you're writing, and the backspace key works in funny ways there), and you'll be greated with a prompt that says, 'bash$'. I think that may be a political statement...
On PuTTY:
When you first open PuTTY you'll get a PuTTY Configuration window. It will have a lot of options. For us monkeys, we don't know nor really care what all the options are for. On the left of the Configuration window you have a 'Category' Column. On the right you have a bunch of options. Enter yourdomain.com into the "Host Name {or IP address)" text input box. SSH should be selected by default underneath in the "Protocol" row.
This will open a window that looks like an old DOS prompt, or the cmd prompt in XP (which always makes me wonder what Windows is really operating on?)
You will see text: "login as:" enter your username and hit enter.
Next it will prompt you for a password. Enter that, hit enter.
Then you, too, will be greeted by that bash$ prompt. Put down your hammer and leave your quarters alone. It's not a subliminal message.
Typically, this will log you into the root level of your host server. Different hosts log you into different places. The commands you're going to find useful right now are the Change Directory command, or 'cd', the List command, or 'ls'. Briefly, to see what the contents of the directory you're in right now, type "ls". To enter into a new directory, type, "cd directoryName". To back out and go up one level, type, "cd ..".
Next, you're going to want to log into the directory on your server that mysql runs out of. I had to do this because otherwise I didn't have user permissions for MySQL to run. Your server may be configured differently, but if you're reading this because you got ./mysql permission denied, then you'll want to navigate to the folder with mysql in it. For me, mysql was located in /usr/local/mysql/bin. Your mysql may be elsewhere. You may have to contact your host, or read their support pages, to find it. Or you can log in with an ftp client like I did and just poke around until you find a mysql folder.
For me, I had to type in:
This put me in the folder that had the mysql application in it. To make sure I typed "ls" -- that lists the contents of that directory. I saw mysql lurking there. At this point you may screech and throw fruit at passers-by in celebration.
Next, you actually restore the database. Type the following:
and hit enter. It asked me for my password next, which I managed to type wrong and it errored out. The second time I typed it right and after a brief pause, I was presented with the bash$ prompt again.
It may take some time, especially if your database is huge. Mine was 3MB, and it only took a few seconds.
At this point your database should be restored. I logged back into MyPhpAdmin and checked my previously empty databaseName. Sure enough, it was chock full of MySQL goodness. I praised my various holy relics and bashed some $ to celebrate. (no screeching, my voice was horse, and I was all out of fruit to throw)
Ok, after this, I had to install the vBulletin files. This is another point that wasn't too clear to me, but thanks to people posting here, we have some more information for you, my fellow monkeys.
IF you're just restoring your database, and have already installed and configured your preferred version of vBulletin, you should be done. Your database is restored, your files are already there, happy posting!
IF you're upgrading your previously installed vBulletin, from vBulletin 2.x or one of the beta or RC 3.0, you should follow the excellent help in http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/ under 'upgrading'. The official documentation is not as silly as mine, but that will probably be a welcome relief.
If you are restoring this database to a new server location, and do NOT have vBulletin files uploaded to your server yet, then at this point you should also read http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/ -- and follow the directions for an upgrade. Haakon wrote below:
Alright, that should take care of it! And remember, BASH your $$!
Not all of us are savvy web-monkeys. I myself am just a monkey. I drool, I screech, I throw things, and it took me an entire day and half the night to figure out how to restore a database backup that the vbulletin staff was kind enough to create for me (Thanks again Jerry!!!)
So you've got a several MB backupName.sql file. Mine was called vbulletin.sql. I'm going to call yours 'backupName.sql'. Creative eh!?
My host has me on a linux VDS -- virtual server of some kind. I believe a lot of hosts probably have that set up, as it's cost effective. We like cost-effective.
I logged into my site using an ftp client called Transmit for OS X. As most of the world is still using Windows, you'll probably be using smartFTP or cuteFTP or just the internet explorer ftp.
I copied my backupName.sql file to my root directory. Not my htdocs, or www directory (or the directory that has my home page and my /forums directory in it), but the (/) root directory. Not everyone has access to that, I understand that. If you don't, copy it up to your directory that has your forums directory, and you should be ok, but you just need to know what the full path from the root to that directory is. (in my case that would be /usr/local/apache/htdocs).
Next, you need an empty database to restore your forum to, that your new forum will refer to. Let me repeat this:
YOU NEED AN EMPTY DATABASE.
Unless you like pulling out hair, drooling, or screeching at passers-by from high places, save yourself some energy and make yourself an empty database. I did this in a typically newb manner by logging into my PhpMyAdmin, clicking on the 'homel link in the upper left corner of the left frame (because of my limited experience, I'm not sure if this always says home or what. I'm assuming it does, but if you don't see 'home' then click on whatever the very top link is in the left frame), then entering databaseName into the 'create new database field?' input field in the main area of the right frame, and then hitting create. (Enter whatever name you plan on calling your database where I've written databaseName). The page should refresh, and then under the little 'home' link, there should be a new link with databaseName.
(If you're not sure how to get to PhpMyAdmin, you'll have to check out your host's support pages. I'm hoping you know how to do that already. If you don't, go ahead and post and I or someone else will try to help you)
Next, you get to play with ssh! I was terrified of having to do this, and it's not so bad, trust me. I know I'm a monkey, but you can still trust me. I even shave sometimes. I searched all over this forum, all over the internet, for alternative, easier ways of doing this. The only alternative you have is uploading your backupName.sql file into PhpMyAdmin. This generally doesn't work as the server will time out with a file greater than 1mb and will frustrate the pants off you. And unless you like your rear to be hanging in the breeze, you might as well give it up and resign yourself to using ssh.
Don't worry, it's not that bad. If I can do it, -- and I'm a card carrying idiot -- you can do it!
If you're on a Mac, you're in luck, as you have the Terminal app in your Applications/Utilities folder. If you're not on a Mac (or linux/unix machine), well in the words of Mr. T, "I pity the fool!" Download PuTTY http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/. It's free, and free rhymes with cost effective..ee. Or something. What is this folk music? Anyway...
On Mac terminal: type in
Code:
ssh -l [b]username[/b] [b]domainName.com[/b]
On PuTTY:
When you first open PuTTY you'll get a PuTTY Configuration window. It will have a lot of options. For us monkeys, we don't know nor really care what all the options are for. On the left of the Configuration window you have a 'Category' Column. On the right you have a bunch of options. Enter yourdomain.com into the "Host Name {or IP address)" text input box. SSH should be selected by default underneath in the "Protocol" row.
This will open a window that looks like an old DOS prompt, or the cmd prompt in XP (which always makes me wonder what Windows is really operating on?)
You will see text: "login as:" enter your username and hit enter.
Next it will prompt you for a password. Enter that, hit enter.
Then you, too, will be greeted by that bash$ prompt. Put down your hammer and leave your quarters alone. It's not a subliminal message.
Typically, this will log you into the root level of your host server. Different hosts log you into different places. The commands you're going to find useful right now are the Change Directory command, or 'cd', the List command, or 'ls'. Briefly, to see what the contents of the directory you're in right now, type "ls". To enter into a new directory, type, "cd directoryName". To back out and go up one level, type, "cd ..".
Next, you're going to want to log into the directory on your server that mysql runs out of. I had to do this because otherwise I didn't have user permissions for MySQL to run. Your server may be configured differently, but if you're reading this because you got ./mysql permission denied, then you'll want to navigate to the folder with mysql in it. For me, mysql was located in /usr/local/mysql/bin. Your mysql may be elsewhere. You may have to contact your host, or read their support pages, to find it. Or you can log in with an ftp client like I did and just poke around until you find a mysql folder.
For me, I had to type in:
Code:
cd usr/local/mysql/bin
Next, you actually restore the database. Type the following:
Code:
mysql -u [b]username[/b] -p [b]databaseName[/b] < /path/to/your/[b]backupName.sql[/b]
It may take some time, especially if your database is huge. Mine was 3MB, and it only took a few seconds.
At this point your database should be restored. I logged back into MyPhpAdmin and checked my previously empty databaseName. Sure enough, it was chock full of MySQL goodness. I praised my various holy relics and bashed some $ to celebrate. (no screeching, my voice was horse, and I was all out of fruit to throw)
Ok, after this, I had to install the vBulletin files. This is another point that wasn't too clear to me, but thanks to people posting here, we have some more information for you, my fellow monkeys.
IF you're just restoring your database, and have already installed and configured your preferred version of vBulletin, you should be done. Your database is restored, your files are already there, happy posting!
IF you're upgrading your previously installed vBulletin, from vBulletin 2.x or one of the beta or RC 3.0, you should follow the excellent help in http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/ under 'upgrading'. The official documentation is not as silly as mine, but that will probably be a welcome relief.
If you are restoring this database to a new server location, and do NOT have vBulletin files uploaded to your server yet, then at this point you should also read http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/ -- and follow the directions for an upgrade. Haakon wrote below:
Originally posted by Haakon
) so problem number 1 is gone.
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