[@jeffhiggins Member 15 years, 4 months ago]

Suppose I was to use .9, is there any way to actually get my 1.0 database over to a .9 install?

See, this is the major problem that has been plaguing me all this time. To begin with, I only switched to bbPress because my phpBB3 (modded) broke and the database was partially messed up (no matter what I tried, I could not get that database onto a clean install).

Luckily I was able to get that db over to bbPress, but now that I am here I feel like A) I’m stuck (no backup/restore feature scares me half to death, and that I might have made a mistake. To hear that I should be downgrading to an older version is pretty frightening too, because this is for a client, and I wasn’t planning on sticking around for years to fix all the potential things that might happen from using a year old version of something (especially when support for the .9 version gets dropped altogether.

I really don’t like phpBB3. It does not offer me to the modification/ease of use that I need as a dev. On the other hand, it seems like the more I try to do with bbPress, the less it delivers. Almost none of the useful plugins work with 1.0.2, so I’m stuck deciding whether I should spend the time creating my own theme (based off of the WP theme for the client), or whether I should be trying to figure out how to get this db (which has changed since I left phpBB3) and move it to a platform that is more mature.

This is all very frustrating – and basically illustrates why I hate forum software in general. Any suggestions? I’m desperate/almost at my wits end…

All I really want is:

1. avatars (not just gravatars) [that users can upload for themselves]
2. private messages
3. attachments
4. smilies

And yet, it seems like even these things cannot be had with 1.0 – at least not from what I can find by searching this site (which by the way really needs to organize plugins based on bbPress version compatibility). So in a round about way, I guess I’m stuck with bbPress (and hopefully things will improve – don’t get me wrong it’s great software, but it’s just too simple [without plugins] for what I need). That being said, if the only way for me to enjoy those features lised above is via plugins, then how do I downgrade my install to .9? Alternatively, can I [and if so how do I] install .9 and then point it to my pre-existing 1.0 database (so that all the users, posts, etc, are not lost, and so they resolve in the new .9 install)?

Thanks in advance for any help that you – or anyone else – can give me…

[@jeffhiggins Member 15 years, 4 months ago]

I suppose. In my case, I’m developing (or rather, redeveloping) a forum for a club, so I don’t have to worry about people not re-registering (or just prompting the system for a new password), because their participation in the club (which they pay for) hinges on their forum experience. In your case, I suppose it might be more concerning.

[@jeffhiggins Member 15 years, 4 months ago]

Ok thanks. I will do that. I assume that there is no way to actually allow usernames with /’s though? I’m somewhat experienced with WordPress, but I’m definitely new to bbPress.

On that note, it is very disappointing to see that so many plugins don’t work with 1.0 release. Had I known that I probably would have started with .9 release, and it seems that since you can’t downgrade, I’m pretty much stuck. On the other hand, having migrated from phpBB3, bbPress is just so much better to work with (even with its obvious shortcomings – like no automatic database backups/restore capabilities – which I think is a MUCH NEEDED feature).

[@jeffhiggins Member 15 years, 4 months ago]

Sure do!

[@jeffhiggins Member 15 years, 4 months ago]

Another twist. Since the name was imported from the previous phpBB db using a plugin, the username actually imported as ///Abcd, but now I am unable to change it to anything else… is there a way to change usernames (not just displayed [first and last] names) from the Admin CP?

[@jeffhiggins Member 15 years, 4 months ago]

For what it’s worth, I don’t think the non-working password “issue” is such an issue at all.

All that one has to do is inform their members that they will need to prompt the board for a password reset, and then they can reset their password to whatever they like (including their old password).

It takes all of two minutes for each member to reset their password. Of all the inconveniences associated with switching forums from one architecture to another, this one seems to me to be so minor it is hardly worth mentioning.

[@jeffhiggins Member 15 years, 4 months ago]

You, sir, are a godsend.

I was having so many problems with my modded phpbb3. I had started off with a modded version (NEVER EVER DO THIS!), and it proved to be very unstable and equally insecure (extensive spam). Cookies also failed to work properly. In short, it was a disaster. I tried to revert to a clean install, and I was unable to. Ghost db tables kept breaking the clean installs (the forums can’t find x element, or y table, or z style), and so no one new could register, and there were broken links and tabs all over the place. It was a nightmare (which ironically enough kept me from having any because I’ve hardly had time to sleep trying endlessly to fix these broken forums).

After days and days of trying to transfer the database to a fresh install of phpbb3 (repeating the process over and over and over again), I realized that at the heart of the problem was a horrible architecture (phpbb3), and an utterly failed modification concept (an epic fail – basically the opposite of WP/bbPress plugins). If only there were a way to transfer the database from phpbb3 to bbPress! Maybe bbPress would snuff out all the corrupted db tables that were giving me such grief and corrupting each clean install of phpbb3! Turns out, that is exactly what happened. And it’s all thanks to your plugin – which literally saved my site.

The only “problem” area with was with forums that had ‘ in them (I “” problem because it was so fantastically easy it literally took about 2 minutes). I just renamed each forum to 1, 2, 3, 4 etc, and then changed them back in bbPress! Also, users password were not transferred, but that hardly matters!

Thank you so much! Do you have a PayPal account so I can donate?