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Introducing bbConverter – Convert your current forums for use with bbPress 2x


  • Anointed
    Participant

    @anointed

    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/ directory

    2. 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!

Viewing 25 replies - 151 through 175 (of 191 total)
  • Hey you guys, been away for a bit and was excited to see the phpBB conversion being added to the list of converters. Thank you so much Alex and congratulations on the marriage!

    I have a problem that I haven’t seen anyone mention yet so I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong. I’m trying to run my conversion and I’m getting the “exceeded 75000 questions” and so I was going to have to keep trying to run it every hour to finally get it all converted.

    HOWEVER, I keep getting an odd end result after I get the screen with the error messages that it will then take me to my login page but it’s the 5 minutes wordpress installation option and it asks me for my login info and then it says page not found.

    My forum is at http://www.mywebsite/forum

    My wordpress site is at http://www.mywebsite/blog

    After converstion it will send me to http://www.mywebsite/blog/wp-admin/install.php

    If I put in my old info to the wordpress login it will kick out another list of the conversion errors.

    I’m not sure if I’m having root directory problems or something going on with the conversion. I’ll keep looking but does anyone know immediately off hand what I’ve got going wrong or what it could be?

    It’s weird.

    ETA: I just found that the conversion has changed my wp-config file settings for the database name, dbase username and password. It looks like it puts in some generic settings that you guys have. Here’s what my config says…

    /** The name of the database for WordPress */

    define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘wrd_kk3k2nhle4’);

    /** MySQL database username */

    define(‘DB_USER’, ‘tsupport’);

    /** MySQL database password */

    define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘123456’);

    Should I try to find a certain converter file and change this default setting within that file? The converter must not have taken my settings that I put into the form provided to do the conversion.

    Hey you guys, it wont’ let me edit my post above or I would add to it, but upon further review of my config file, it appears to be okay. But what I’m seeing is that when I try to do the conversion, it seems to be created a new username under the database for each conversion attempt. I’m continuing to troubleshoot, but if anyone knows offhand anything that is glaringly stupid, simple or clear that you see that is obvious on what I’m doing wrong, let me know. Thanks so much in advance! :-) I will figure this out if it’s the last thing that I do. ;-)

    What ever happened to SMF? I tried using the contact info given but have never received a response.

    joe

    Hi djoep, are you meaning me that you tried to email about my SMF forum or are you talking the AWJunkies?

    If you mean me, I never received it and would LOVE LOVE LOVE to contact you about how you converted your SMF forum. I’ll email you now to touch base with you. I originally have an SMF forum and had converted it to phpBB and waited on this phpBB converter. But I’m just having no luck and not sure what I’m doing wrong. I’ve thought of going back to the SMF forum and looking your instruction over again.

    I hope you don’t if I contact you and try it again. Thx!

    IF AWJunkies/Alex did make the SMF converter next, that might very well solve my problems so I’m not double converting to get it to bbpress.

    ETA: djoep, your profile doesn’t have an email in it. I tried your site link but it doesn’t seem to be a working website anymore. My email is dianna@diannamangus.com if you would or want to contact to help me with the my SMF conversion. I did get pretty close with it, so I’m sure it’s just something stupid that I’m not doing correctly.

    I meant AWJunkies. I had offered to try to make the smf converter if only I could get a little help figuring out how to use their database query system. It is still a bit baffling to me why they chose to add a layer on top of SQL but there is where I ran into my roadblock.

    I’m afraid I cannot help with the smf conversion until I can get some answers regarding use of the converter’s internal query mechanisms.

    and… you just pointed out an error in my profile… should be bigtreestech.com.

    joe

    Hi djoep, the converter would be awesome, but I had actually tried the manual instructions that you wrote up here in this thread. I got a good ways through it but then got stuck. :-)

    Still nothing about the many problems of conversions phpbb?

    I tried to convert phpbb. It ran through successfully. I had to comment out the code that was causing it to choke.


    edudirectory
    Member

    @edudirectory

    I drop bbPress.

    transposition is too complicated, it’s been five months is expected.

    still no doc, no follow-up or help on the forum.

    Worse this forum does not even seem built on bbPress 2.0.

    I know it’s voluntary but it does not start on an adventure as important without resources and time.

    bbPress seems still in beta.


    OC2PS
    Participant

    @sooskriszta

    https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-bbconverter-whither-phpbb

    I’m quite surprised that you started off with platforms (vbulletin and invision) that are jointly less popular than phpbb. But I suppose one of the plugin developers had forums that used those platforms and I’m glad to be able to benefit from your hard work.

    You have mentioned in the plugin description that conversion for phpbb is coming *soon*, and I was wondering if you might be able to provide some updates on that.

    Finally, am I correct in assuming that bbconverter

    i) imports topics and forum hierarchies into bbpress

    ii) including the relations between topics and forums

    iii) and slugs for topics and forums

    iv) generates an .htaccess to place in the old forum directory so that old URLs are 301 redirected to new ones.

    v) imports users including profiles, passwords, signatures and roles


    Ed
    Participant

    @edkubisa

    Hi guys, any update please re:punbb.

    If it won’t happen – or will be months out, that’s OK. But an ETA would be good to know.

    Thanks.


    Anointed
    Participant

    @anointed

    @OC2PS

    1. Yes

    2. Yes

    3. Yes, uses the WordPress/bbPress permalink setup, so whatever you use for that, is what is used for the conversion.

    4. nope 301’s are your job

    5. Username/password and I think a couple other fields are imported, don’t remember exactly. If you are looking for full blown imports, which is different for each installation as you have different plugins installed than I do… then that would be a custom import job which AWJunkies does provide services for. Check the http://bbconverter.com site and send in a custom quote request.

    @ED

    No idea. Frankly the interest in converting things has been much less than we anticipated. I have no idea what AWJunkies plans are at this point. I do know he does provide custom import services if you need it.


    OC2PS
    Participant

    @sooskriszta

    Thanks, Anointed.

    Can you confirm whether bbconverter can import from phpbb 3.0.10


    Ed
    Participant

    @edkubisa

    ok, very sad though.

    I was hoping that community support would be ramping up by now, with people releasing such converters etc. But it seems not to be the case.

    I will just have to look to an alternative (vanilla?), as I can’t afford to pay for a conversion. Additionally, its not a good ‘entry’ into a new system – having to pay your way in. Doesn’t give the impression of a thriving support system.

    Maybe I don’t fully understand the technical aspects, but if you guys can do a punbb>bbpress manual conversion, how difficult is it to convert those steps into a script for your future users?

    Cheers,

    Ed


    OC2PS
    Participant

    @sooskriszta

    Anointed?


    OC2PS
    Participant

    @sooskriszta

    Oh, I see that in changelog it says phpbb is now supported

    https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bbconverter/changelog/

    This is important info and should really also be included in description

    https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bbconverter/

    where it still says “We are working on phpBB”

    What does this in the description mean:

    “This plugin runs in the background and converts passwords for your users when they log in, so the process is seamless even if your old forum uses different encryption methods.”

    Does this mean that I should not uninstall the plugin after the conversion is complete?


    ebiznet88
    Member

    @ebiznet88

    Hi Anointed and AWJunkies, is there any update on the issues with the phpBB conversion that many users on this thread have highlighted?

    Right now, I’m stuck in no-man’s land and would love to get a resolution of sorts.

    If there is no further support or development into this plugin, then please let us know so that users like me can look at other solutions for our forum boards.

    I appreciate all the work that has gone into this, but as it is, its not complete and not usable to anyone.

    If anyone has successfully converted their phpBB board to bbPress using this converter, I’d like to hear from them.

    Thank you in advance for any replies and help!


    ebiznet88
    Member

    @ebiznet88

    Any replies from the mods or plugin creators?

    Seems only spammers are responding ;)

    Looks like this thread and plugin has been abandoned :(

    I had high hopes for this plugin and forum but looks like I’ll have to look elsewhere. I’ve wasted enough time and effort on this!


    Ed
    Participant

    @edkubisa

    so, no news then?

    anyone have some tips for other forums to try that work well with WP then?


    ebiznet88
    Member

    @ebiznet88

    Doesn’t look like we’ll be receiving any responses from the creators. It looks like they have abandoned the project.

    I’m sure they receive email notifications of replies to this thread, and there have been so many questions posed but they haven’t bothered to come in to reply. Even their website forum has been quiet.

    I’m checking out another possible solution to bridge phpBB3 to WP. Its a plugin available at https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-phpbb-bridge/.

    I will be installing it as soon as I can squeeze a few hours in and hope it works.

    Has anyone else tried this bridging plugin and care to give a review?


    Hard Seat Sleeper
    Participant

    @hseatsleeper

    ebiznet88 – even trying to hire these fellows is not easy. They rarely respond to any emails, even for paid work. And when they do, they seem very disorganized. Maybe they are just busy?

    I suggest you move on.


    ebiznet88
    Member

    @ebiznet88

    Hard Seat Sleeper, are you referring to Anointed and AWJunkies, or the phpBB-WP bridge fellows whose link I shared in my post?

    At any rate, I have moved on from this bbconverter. I have wasted quite a few months and effort waiting for answers to my problems from AWJunkies. Too bad he isn’t willing to finish what he started.


    OC2PS
    Participant

    @sooskriszta

    @ebiznet88:

    I’m checking out another possible solution to bridge phpBB3 to WP. Its a plugin available at https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-phpbb-bridge/

    Interesting.

    But it sucks that in this plugin user management has been given to phpBB. WordPress has many more interesting options, like FB/Google/Twitter login, etc.

    @ebiznet88: Hard Seat Sleeper is on topic and talking about bbConverter


    OC2PS
    Participant

    @sooskriszta

    Does not install.

    The plugin does not have a valid header.

Viewing 25 replies - 151 through 175 (of 191 total)
  • The topic ‘Introducing bbConverter – Convert your current forums for use with bbPress 2x’ is closed to new replies.
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