UPGRADE!

Too bad about not wanting to hear that, but spam is - one day - going to be the least of your worries. How about "hackers destroyed my blog" compare to spam? Oh and 1.9.3 is lightyears ahead of 0.9.anything at blocking spammers.

If you ban http:// it'll probably ban anything you want to link to in a post in the future. I suppose you could unban it each time you want to link something, then reban it? I'm also not sure what will happen when you initially ban that bit. It might want to delete a whole bunch of posts. Anyway that would be something you'll have to deal with as it happens. Simply uncheck the appropriate box when you ban that term - if you ban that term - and it won't delete the things you don't want deleted.

Don't have the way to upgrade? Poppycock! Take it slow and easy, and don't expect anything to be either super-easy or too hard for a human to handle. Ask your host for help backing up your database and your files if you're not hip to how to do that, then start a new thread for upgrading your golden oldie. I'll be here to help you every step of the way, and trust me: it's easy and it works and you'll say "wow that was easy and it works", but first it's important to have backups of your database and files. It is important because just in case something bad happens we will be able to go back to exactly where you are right now.

Thanks, EdB.

I’ve decided to accept your advice of upgrading to b2evo 1.9.3 (Rainforest), and even I went forward and bought a site in VistaPages, one of the hosting companies recommended by you, since I’m not satisfied with my actual one whose collabortion is something not probable. As exptected, I’m having problems.

In my actual hosting I have only,
1) a domain with several e-mail accounts whose mailboxes are always empty because I manage them as POP from my PC Outlook; and,
2) my blog.
Teherefore, I assume that everything in MySQL Databases belongs to my blog.
Am I wrong?

I copied my actual —and working— b2evo 0.9.0.11, as it is, into VistaPages, and through cPanel I backed up MySQL Databases and copied them into VistaPages too,... but even when they both are there, they don’t communicate and my blog doesn’t open in VistaPages.
Any idea?

Since my target is being able to start my blog in VistaPages, once I have it under b2evo version 1.9.3, I assumed that a good way would be to transfer my blog to VistaPages as it is —that is, under b2evo version 0.9.0.11 — and then, once it starts same way that it does in actual hosting, proceed to upgrade to 1.9.3.
Is there a better and easier way?

Only modifications made to version 0.9.0.11 so far are related to the blog skin.
Is it correct to suppose that upgrading from the so modified 0.9.0.11to the 1.9.3 will respect such a modifications?

I’ll appreciate any help.

Couple of things going on here, so let's take them in order.

I have no idea who or what VistaPages is. Oh okay: they're a hosting provider. Seems they do Fantastico and PHP and MySQL, so everything else should be a workable doodad.

There would only be one database associated with b2evolution, so when you speak of "everything in the databases" it makes me think you have more than one. Therefore I can only say "there is only one that is about your blog", but it has multiple tables that typically begin with "evo_". Like evo_antispam for example.

You are correct: getting your 09011 working before upgrading is THE way to go since you're switching hosts.

First don't lose track of your backup database and files. Make a second copy of them on your PC just to be sure they don't get accidentally hurt. Did you back up your database using the 'backup' feature of cpanel, or by exporting through phpmyadmin? The first is preferred because it's easier to restore that way. This will be written assuming that's what you have. If you only have an export from phpmyadmin it can be dealt with, but it's not as friendly. To me anyway.

Okay this is what I would do: Delete the database and files you uploaded. Your good ones from your old host. Now tell Fantastico to install b2evolution for you. It will do it's thing, and you don't care because all it is doing that you care about is making a database. Do a backup of the new database just to find the name of it. You will want to delete this, then name a copy of your real database whatever name the backup utility came up with. I usually get something creative like bvlt1.gz so that's probably what you'll see.

Using phpmyadmin DROP all the tables in the new database. Back in cpanel, use the backup utility to 'restore' the copy of your database. What you just did was got a bunch of files on your new server to work with a database on your new server, then put your content into the new database.

Now download ONE file from the server: conf/_basic_config.php because it has the connection info for the new database. AFTER making sure you have that file on your computer go ahead and delete everything Fantastico installed. Do NOT tell Fantastico to remove the installation though because it will also delete the database.

Now edit your conf/_config.php and the new conf/_basic_config.php files. There you will see that the old way is very different from the new way, but you will also see that there are 4 lines that are about connecting to your database. Transfer the info from the new file to your old file. In the same file you will also find your $baseurl and your $admin_email fields, so make sure that info is correct in your old file. Note that $baseurl in the old file does not have a trailing slash. That will be correct for the old version, so leave it that way. The final variable to look at is $config_is_done. Simply see that it is a 1 instead of a 0.

At this point your OLD file should have the database connection info from the NEW file. Upload all your old files to the proper path, and everything should work.

I hope.

Oh and no: your skin will not work after you upgrade, but this is long enough for one post. Your skin will work when you get the blog working again, but not after upgrading.

Thanks, EdB.

I’m in trouble. As far as I know, I have two databases: ‘b2evolution’ AND ‘evo1…’. And this ‘evo1...’ is giving me problems.

I already have b2evolution version 0.9.0.11 in both hostings, and I need to export the blog databases from actual hosting (let’s call it OLD) to the new one (let’s call it NEW).

I understand that it’s possible to upload posts from MOVABLE TYPE to b2evo. Is it possible too to export from b2evo to MOVABLE TYPE?

Sorry, EdB if I bother you once more.

I contact this forum for the only reason of fighting spam. You suggested “UPDRADE! (b2evolution)” because I was using the 0.9 and the new ones were, as you wrote, “lightyears ahead in fighting spam”.

So, last June weekend I upgraded to Florida and no more spammers’ comments so far,... Well, at least I haven’t received e-mails letting me know of them, but I have received e-mails informing me that a legitimate comment has been made, and the text of it, but such a comment hasn’t show up in the blog so far. In the posts that I know comments have been made I can read, for instance, “This post has 3 feedbacks awaiting moderation”, and I wonder when the comment (feedback) will finally show up.

I want to know how that works, and I remember last time I bother you with my questions, you suggested I read the manual, something I’d gladly do if I find it, but I still don’t know where that manual is.

Can you help?

The comments in moderation are probably in "draft" mode. Publishing them will let visitors see the comment. The email you get should have a link to edit/delete the comment. There you would be able to publish it. Also, in your back office if you select the post from your post list you should be able to publish comments on that post. In the post list version of the page (not full posts) you will see the little balloon image that is empty when there are no comments and has tiny little writing in it if there are comments.

BTW you can also set comments to publish immediately (no moderation) if you're happy with the other defenses the new b2evo has against spam.

Hope it helps!

Yes, you are right: they were in draft mode and I love that solution you found against spam. I have no problem in using link in e-mail, enter blog and publishing or deleting comments. It's simply great! comments.

Thanks a lot.

P.S.: Nothing about a manual? Does it really exist?

See the tabs up top? See the one called "Docs"? It leads to http://manual.b2evolution.net/ which is the manual. ;)

Yes, I got it. Thanks again.

First unpleasant surprise with Florida version: A reader put a comment in my blog. I wanted to answer to it with another comment of mine. I wrote it and when I hit the button "Send comment" I got the message "Supplied comment is invalid".

Why? There's nothing uncommon in my comment's text. I just wrote it in another part, copied and pasted in the blog designated area.

It happens the same if I try to do it as admin or as reader. And it never happened to me in old b2evo version.

I'll take a guess that your comment is somehow matching text in your local antispam table. An example of how that can catch 'normal' stuff as spam is to see that "... specialist ..." in a comment would be blocked by having "cialis" in your antispam table.

Since you have admin powers you can make your reply comment one sentence at a time and see if you can narrow down the word in collision, then either rephrase your comment or un-ban from your local antispam table something you might not need banned.

Once more, you are right EdB.

I started with first sentence of my comment, and no problem. Second, no problem either. Third,... and I got the "Supplied comment invalid" message.

By trying then first word third sentence, and so on, I discovered that the problem was with the word "tambien" (meaning 'also' in Spanish) because in the black list there was the word "ambien". Even thoug 'también' carries an accent over the letter 'e' and "ambien" does not, there was a match.

I unblacklisted the word "ambien" and I could public my comment. So, I learned something else

THANKS!

I think I'm almost done with my blog in Florida version, that went live on July 1st. I do not care so much about language problems in the admin area; this area is for me only and I can deal with them. But I do care about same problems in the readers interface, and I want to fix them asap because some readers/visitors have already complaint about.

For instance, at the end of each post says "Enviar retroalimentación", same place where in version 0.9 said "Dejar comentario", which is the correct expresion in Spanish. I want to use "Dejar comentario" or alike; never "retroalimentación".

Where should I go to to change that word/expression and any others?

If possible, I'd like to put them for use by other b2evo bloggers.