Hello

Ever since switching my hosting company, I had trouble getting my 2015 MLF installation to run (Version 2.3.4). The update process also required me to juggle with both php version compatibility, database structure upgrades, and porting customized code modifications at the same time, so I failed and eventually gave up on updating. Then I figured out I could as well just import a backup into a current MLF installation.

In principle, this is an option. The problem you have to be aware of, is the massive amount of changes in the database structure between 2.3.4 and 2.5.x. There are removed, by new tables replaced and completely new columns. Some things are handled completely different with the new tables (read status, subscriptions, etc.). Completely new functions like i.e. bookmarks, on the other hand, should not cause any problems.

Turns out, the backup features were removed recently.

Yes, we now and again had the problem, that we sometimes forgot to adapt a database change to the backup feature. Because of that a backup for a new table of a new column in an existing table was missing or the backup script tried to backup the content of a column that no longer exists. Because the backup script is a seldom used feature (how many times you made a backup with it?) a report was made several versions later or never.

Beside of that we was made aware of the backup running in timeouts (of PHP) in case of a forum with really many postings and users. So we decided to remove the feature because of its instability and to refer users to specialised tools such as phpMyAdmin or the MySQL Workbench (and so on).

This ultimately made me code a custom php/mysqli data browser. It would simply grab all the database entries and important metadata, parse all the special BB codes and interlink everything. Works great with php 7 and 8.

Makes me curious. Can we (the audience) see the tool and the code?

I noticed that dasgelbeforum runs on 2.4.99.0 which you say was unreleased.

Hmm, there is no public reference to the tag or release of MLF 2.4.99.0. I've no idea how they got this version.

I think they also implemented some code optimizations some years back, wonder if those improvements were added into the main code base?

Not, that I'm aware of. There are a few forums with additions. For some operator this is the reason not to upgrade the forum. A few operators provided their changes to us, but many not. If one provides code and does not mention its use here or there, we can not say anything about the source of the code (beside naming the author).

Tschö, Auge