Hi @m_c_c,

No matter what could be happening with this problem, you are using a version released 5 years ago! Since then a lot of security and performance enhancements (and features) have been added, so, I strongly encourage you to upgrade to the latest stable release. The process is well documented in the manual page, but if you need any help, please tell us.

http://b2evolution.net/man/installation-upgrade/upgrading/

Regards!

Thanks - the install is pretty old indeed. I'm doing a fresh backup of directory files and the database right now and will upgrade to 5.1.2 today.

Mark

Ug - well, the upgrade has hit a snag... I am getting an error and abort on the upgrade. Should I try to upgrade to an earlier version - like to 3.x and then a 4.x?

Here is what the installer is telling me:

Additional information about this error:

MySQL error!

Unknown column 'post_double1' in 'field list'(Errno=1054)

Your query:

INSERT INTO evo_items__item_settings( iset_item_ID, iset_name, iset_value )

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_double1', post_double1

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_double1 IS NOT NULL UNION

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_double2', post_double2

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_double2 IS NOT NULL UNION

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_double3', post_double3

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_double3 IS NOT NULL UNION

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_double4', post_double4

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_double4 IS NOT NULL UNION

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_double5', post_double5

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_double5 IS NOT NULL UNION

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_varchar1', post_varchar1

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_varchar1 IS NOT NULL UNION

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_varchar2', post_varchar2

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_varchar2 IS NOT NULL UNION

SELECT post_ID, 'custom_varchar3', post_varchar3

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_varchar3 IS NOT NULL

Well, before to continue, please try to figure out which version of MySQL is installed in your server and tell us (your hosting provider could help you with that). Also, I'm almost sure that making partial upgrades (version 3.x or 4.x) will produce the same error. The upgrade process must perform all the changes right thru the different database schemas between 2.4.6 and 5.1.2.

After several tests, I am still not able to reproduce this error, but as your site was 2.4.6 and custom fields were introduced in version 3.0, it is safe to skip the custom fields upgrade by commenting that block in the script:

1. Open the file install/_functions_evoupgrade.php in your 5.1.2 code.
2. Go to the line 3831 and open a comment block (adding /* at the beginning of the line). That section should look like this:

		/* task_begin( 'Adding new countries...' );
		// IGNORE is needed for upgrades from DB version 9970 or later
...

3. Go to the line 3853 and close the comment block (adding */ at the end of the line)

		$DB->query( $query ); */

4. Go back to your browser and open up the upgrade page again. The process will be resumed from the point where it failed.

Consider that due to this is an unusual hack that we need to try in response to a weird database behavior, maybe the upgrade could fail in some further point. Please try and tell us the results.

Regards!

Thanks for the additional information.

The server is running SQL v 5.5.32 and PHP v 5.3.

In response to an inquiry the webhost told me that they did not make any changes recently, so I do not know why the original v2.4.6 version of the block stopped displaying content. In their reply they stated that "it looks like the upgraded version of your blog is not compatible with some of the settings" and suggested that I restore the database and go back to the old version. I have asked for specifics about what settings are not compatible.

You are right about older versions - I tried running v 3.3.3. and the last v4 installer, but they stopped immediately saying that the data base schema is incorrect.

I'll try your suggestion this afternoon.

Thanks again!

Mark

Thanks - that got me a little further. The error message now is:

Upgrading data in existing b2evolution database...
Loading module: _core/model/__core.install.php
Loading module: collections/model/_collections.install.php
Loading module: files/model/_files.install.php
Loading module: sessions/model/_sessions.install.php
Loading module: messaging/model/_messaging.install.php
Loading module: maintenance/model/_maintenance.install.php

Checking DB schema version... 10975 : OK.
An unexpected error has occurred!

If this error persists, please report it to the administrator.

Go back to home page
Additional information about this error:

MySQL error!

Unknown column 'post_editor_code' in 'field list'(Errno=1054)

Your query:

INSERT INTO evo_items__item_settings ( iset_item_ID, iset_name, iset_value )

SELECT post_ID, "editor_code", post_editor_code

FROM evo_items__item

WHERE post_editor_code IS NOT NULL

Would it make sense for me to restore the old 2.4.6 database / blog files and then try a stepped installation starting with 3.3.3?

I have not yet heard back from the web host about what incompatibilities might exist with the new version.

Your help is greatly appreciated!

Mark

As an update - I managed to get my 2.4.6 install up and running again, fully functional.

Earlier today I sent my SQL backup to the webhost and they restored the backed up database. I uploaded all the backed up B2E files and the blog came back to life, but still displaying no content.

A little more research and I found this link in the forums here:

http://forums.b2evolution.net/topic-24312

Like that poster, when I disabled the auto-link plugin content reappeared.

I am going to try to get my host to confirm that they can support v 5x (yesterday they said their were some incompatibilities) and if they can try and incremental upgrade. If they can't I'll change hosts....

Thanks for your help!

Mark

NIce to know you managed to find a simple solution. Those versions of PHP and MySQL are fully supported and there should not be problems to run the version 5.1.x of b2evolution.

Now that you have your 2.4.6 site running again, can you please check the table evo_setting and get the set_value where set_name = db_version? It should be 9700.

You may try to upgrade to 3.0.0 as a first step (http://b2evolution.net/downloads/3-0-0-alpha this is an alpha version, so please take this step just as a test looking for the source of the problems in your upgrade). If it is successfully upgraded, the new value of db_version should be 9910 and the table evo_item__items should contain a set of new fields named: post_titletag, post_double1, post_double2, post_double3, post_double4, post_double5, post_varchar1, post_varchar2, post_varchar3. So, it's safe to continue to a higher version, however, as you reported in your latest upgrade attempt, there may be more issues in the process.

If you find any different result to any of the things I mentioned above, then something is wrong with your site and I'm afraid that a clean upgrade to 5.1.2 will be difficult.

Please, keep us informed about your progress.

Regards!