Introducing bbConverter – Convert your current forums for use with bbPress 2x
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Thanks to AWJunkie we are proud to announce the official release of bbConverter, the only tool you will ever need to convert your current forums for use with bbPress 2x.
Currently supported platforms:
1. bbPress 1x
2. Vbulletin 3x – 4x
3. Invision Power Board
Future platform support already in progress:
1. PHPbb 3x
2. Xenforo
Platforms being considered
1. myBB
Download:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bbconverter/
Installation:
1. Upload the bbConverter folder to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory2. Activate bbConverter through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
3. Go into your WordPress admin under ‘Settings’ and choose ‘Converter’
4. BACKUP YOUR WORDPRESS DATABASE!
5. Choose the platform you want to convert from and fill in the database information. Click start
6. Once the conversion has completed, visit the WordPress Admin ‘Tools’ section and click ‘Recount’
7. Do NOT deactivate the plugin once it is finished as it is needed for user password management.
Did I forget to mention — BACKUP YOUR WORDPRESS DATABASE BEFORE STARTING!
Important Note:
It is important to understand that this script is going to be modifying your wordpress database in order to bring over your forums/topics/replies/tags/ and users from your old forum setup. This means we are directly modifying your database which means backup is paramount.
Ok, now that is out of the way, let’s get to the plugin itself.
Each Forum sofware, whether bbPress 1x, vbulletin, or Invision Powerboard, has its own configuration file. For example vbulletin calls the file config.php
This is the file which contains your database connection information and you need to save this information in order to fill out the plugin start screen.
Required options:
1. Platform you are converting from – dropdown
2. Database server — usually localhost
3. Database port — (example: vbulletin uses 3306)
4. Database Username
5. Database Password
6. Database Name
7. Database Table Prefix — If you installed your forum software using a prefix enter it here. ( example: vbulletin default uses vb_ ) If there is no prefix, then leave it blank.
8. Rows Limit — This represents the number of database rows the plugin will convert during a single cycle. I would start this number at 50 or below at first. Keep in mind that forum conversion takes a huge load on the server mysql so if you are on a shared host, you may want to notify your host before running the script.
If you are on a dedicated server with shell access, then I would suggest opening up a terminal window and monitoring the resources. You can change the ‘Rows Limit’ at any time while the script is running. I have gone as high as 2500 instead of 50 on my servers. ( don’t click stop/start as it is not needed to change the limits )
9. Delay time — Suggested to use 1. This is the number of seconds that the server waits between the conversion cycles. It gives your server a second to catch its breath.
Other Options:
1. Clean — If something actually goes wrong, then you can choose to clean the database. This will effectively remove all the imported data and allow you to start the conversion over.
2. Restart — Restart allows you to pick up where the script left off should you have the need to stop and start the process. Example is when your browser or computer window closes during the conversion process. If you close the browser during conversion for any reason, then the conversion stops.
3. Users — You have the option of choosing not to import your users. If you are using bbPress 1x and have the forums linked to your WordPress install already, then you do not need to import users. Do not check the box. Otherwise you do want to import your users.
Once Import is complete:
1. Recount — Once everything is finished, then go to the wp-admin/tools and choose recount. This is going to present you with a screen full of checkboxes. Check every box and click submit. This is going to line up all the topic/replies/user posts counts etc.
2. Keep bbConverter plugin active after conversion.
bbConverter has a special script which will allow your users to maintain their old forum username and password. In a nutshell, when a user signs in for the first time after the forums convert, the script will check their old password, validate it, and then use the WordPress system to generate the identical password for the user in the appropriate place. This means that you need to keep bbConverter active until every single user has logged into the forums in order to maintain password management. This is not at all resource intensive, and you won’t even notice the plugin running in the background.
That’s it your finished.
O, did I mention… BACKUP YOUR WORDPRESS DATABASE FIRST!
Enjoy!
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I hate to nag, but I would really like to know if this will work with punBB anytime in the near future?
If not, I will just move to a different system – my current setup is just spam infested – no punBB plugin can stop it. I really need to jump ship soon
thanks a lot Anointed
Let’s hope he has good news, as I have no money for custom work i’m afraid
Let me also tag along on the latest thank yous. I’m so excited about this converter and hoping desperately that the phpbb converter will come out really soon.
I have an SMF forum and tried with some of the notes on this thread but with no luck. I got a bit lost in the notes of it. I’ve been working for a few days straight trying to get something figured out to get this client’s forum into bbpress.
I’ve converted my SMF forum into a phpBB forum. There is another WP plubin for phpBB to BBpress conversion, but it’s in huge beta mode I believe. I’m able to pull everything but the actual posts themselves. So close but yet so far.
So I have 2 forums ready for whichever way that I can find the first available options to convert.
If anyone has fine tuned the SMF conversion as well, let me know.
I’ve tried everything I can and keep running into issues.
I’ve been watching this forum for a few days now for updates.
This is great stuff! Can’t wait to get my hands on the phpbb conversion option.
Thank you so so so so much in advance!
I believe there’s a huge installed based of phpbb forum owners looking to convert over to bbpress because of the attraction of integrating seamlessly with WP. I believe the number is even bigger compared to the other forum platforms such as Invision and vBulletin as phpBB is free.
SMF is also free but its newer than phpBB and so I believe there are fewer of such boards around.
Because of this, I hope the bbpress crew can see where they want to put in their efforts to create or complete the converter for phpbb.
It would be a great step forward for the community of bbpress users, don’t you agree
Hi ebiznet88, I agree, it does seem phpBB is the most commonly used board. In my attempts to try to get my conversion done, I looked into Invision and vBulletin to see if I could get my SMF or phpBB versions of my forum over into Invision or vBulletin and then use the converter. I’ve tried everything.
For those who have SMF, the conversion over to phpBB is very easy and clean cut and no issues. It’s a plugin for phpBB from their site that you use. I had no problems. So if the phpBB converter comes out, those who have a SMF forum like I did, can convert to phpBB and then use this converter for bbpress.
Yes, I totally agree with you.
I’m waiting with baited breath (or whatever that expression is…LOL)
So excited to see it come out if they (Adam, AWJunkies and/or whoever else is working on it) are able to have time to work on it.
I would be very indebted to them!
mmm today I managed (successfully I believe) to use this script (with some edits) : https://bbpress.org/forums/topic/importing-from-phpbb#post-313
to convert my phpBB3 to bbPress v1.0, and then I used bbConverter to convert the bbPress v1.0 to v2.1
and all seems to have copied fine
one Issue I’m having is the passwords.
When I try and login with a user and the correct old password it continously fails
.It seems (after going through the code a bit and the database) that it’s looking for _bbc_class in the user meta table in this code but that isn’t there in my table atall.
/*** Convert passwords from previous forum to wordpress.
*/
public function convert_pass()
{
global $wpdb;
$username = $_POST;
if( $username != ” )
{
$row = $wpdb->get_row( ‘SELECT * FROM ‘ . $wpdb->users .
‘ INNER JOIN ‘ . $wpdb->usermeta . ‘ ON user_id = ID ‘ .
‘ WHERE meta_key = “_bbc_class” AND user_login = “‘ . $username . ‘” LIMIT 1’ );
if( $row )
{
$converter = newBBConverter( $row->meta_value );
$converter->translate_pass( $username, $_POST );
}
}
}
Any ideas ?
I know this is quite vague so I can give any more details if needed.
Cheers
Hi Chrisella, I gave it one more college try on that Forumconverter plugin and it even mentioned needing to use bbpress 2.0 rc4 version. I installed the older version of BBpress but still no go. I’m getting stuck when I get a 500 internal server error and I believe I’m timing out.
When I get the error page after about 2 minutes of conversion, it then makes me log into my wordpress installation as if it’s trying to install itself. I put my login info as it asks and it then gives me a long list of the errors that occurred. It does say “…… has exceeded the ‘max_questions’ resource (current value: 75000)].
When I go to my forum, I do have the forum and topics, but no actual posts. So close yet so far.
If I knew how to further fix my timeout issue, I may try to call my web-hosting to see if they could guide me on the issue or maybe give me more conversion time just for this issue…I’m just grasping at straws.
If no luck on this last attempt with calling my web-hosting, I’m at the mercy of AWJunkies guys for when they have time to possibly finish the plugin for a phpBB conversion. They will totally make my day.
I’ve pretty much tried every route one can possibly try to get my forum over to bbpress. I’ll just wait with crossed fingers and toes.
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