Losties Forum Move!

All mods are now installed....a few false starts as I got to grips with the file editing etc, but once I realised I had to make extra edits to the Lost style templates I was away!

We now have a portal....although it is not as advanced as the current one, ie I cant create custom blocks (yet) for things like widgets and the world clocks, but there is a way of creating custom blocks, its quite advanced editing of files which I will need to spend some time with....but I will

I also need to figure out the domain thing....I want the main URL to point directly to the portal, but i'm sure the answer is pretty straight forward, I just haven't found it yet!

Right....wallpapering for the next few days then back to it....I actually think this new forum will be ready a lot sooner than I had thought

If anyone wants to have a look, you can see the portal at www.losties.net/phpbb3/portal.php and then find the link to the forum from there, on the left hand side menu

Style and structure is now set up, and I must say looks better than the current forum!

Permissions and other settings are also done.

I now have about 20 mods to install...yikes! Lots of great new features though.

A few puzzlers for me.....

I cannot in any way transfer the database as forumotion wont allow me to purchase the database from them, which means no posts. I already plan to keep the current forum open and readable only as an archive, and my members have agreed to that. I have a mod to change postcount so as they reregister I can alter their postcount to reflect posts on the old forum, but oh how I would love to get those posts over.

I can make a link in each section to the "archive" on the old forum, but I have been wondering if I can copy all the posts over. I can post them as a guest (so I can change the username to the posters username) and add a "originally posted on..." at the top. But that will take ages......theres currently 12253 posts! Maybe before the move I will ask members to request certain posts moved, that should cut it down a little.

I also need to figure out how to point the domain to the forum without having to use the /phpbb3 script path.

Right....onto the mods!

phpbb3 successfully installed!

The ftp supplied with the hosting package was pretty crap so I used filezilla instead, but even that took a good hour or so....not sure if thats down to the size of the install (in which case its much bigger than phpbb2) or my connection....but anyway it is done

The admin panel is different to what I am used to, and I realise that is because I am used to free forum providers who have coded the admin panel to be a lot more user friendly, so it seems I have to relearn phpbb3, but its a learning curve I am looking forward to following. Sad geek girl that I am. Or so my other half says anyway lol

Next steps....

Replicate original forum in structure and style
Install mods that are already on original forum and add some extras

This is where the fun starts then! I now appreciate the work that free forum providers put in, but curse them for not allowing me to purchase the database!!!