Where settings for sql database location?

[Newstillwet]

I am a brand new user, trying to update a site made for me by someone else years ago, currently running Joomla! 1.5.26. I have created a copy of the files in another server folder and have directed a second url to the ns1 and ns2 name servers of the host. (The registrar is different than the name server/host.) I have not yet uploaded a copy of the sql file.

In other words, I want to go through the upgrade to 3.x in a second copy of the website first.

Problem:

I cannot find where the path to the sql file exists in the Joomla file structure.

I read online that it is specified in the log file path, but that is clearly not true. The log and tmp paths actually point to folders that no longer exist, and the site has been working fine. When I log in to the site as administrator and check System Info > Directory Permissions, all directories are Writable except those two (log and tmp paths), as expected - and the site works fine.

How does the generic path to the name servers (from the url at the registrar) find the sql database, and the website files? It only directs to the two name servers. And in what order does this happen - e.g. url>sql>files or url>files>sq?

I need this to set up the copy, so I can test the upgrade process.

Info: Debian, Apache, Mysql 5.6.32, Perl 5.8.8, Php 5.3.29, Phpmyadmin 4.8.5.

Thank you in advance!!

[toivo]

Welcome to the forum!

The Joomla database does not have a path in the filesystem. The database is hosted in the database server, usually the same server responsible for hosting the Joomla files. The database can also be hosted in a different server, in which case the location is identified by an IP address or a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).

The location of the database server can be found in the file configuration.php:

Code: Select all

	public $host = 'localhost';					// This is normally set to localhost

[Newstillwet]

Thank you for your reply. I don't see public $host in the configuration file.

Here are the only related variables in the configuration.php file.
var $host = 'water4you.powwebmysql.com';
var $smtphost = 'localhost';
var $ftp_host = '127.0.0.1';

Perhaps the first line above is the equivalent of public $host in the later versions?

How do you suggest I go about doing what I'm trying to do? I just want to upgrade to a current version of Joomla. Obviously I can download everything to a local copy, but I prefer to have a copy on the server that will work easily in case the upgrade on the original messes up. And I want a functional copy on the server anyway, as the beginning of another website. It would be a LOT easier than starting one from scratch when I don't really know Joomla.

If I can't do this I'm stuck with moving everything over to wordpress - which means a lot of work, and a learning curve with that anyway.

Aside from this, I still don't know how the registrar reference to the generic name server finds a specific database on those servers!??

And whether the database finds the Joomla files or vice versa. I've been looking at all this to get the overall path as I mentioned in my post, and I have had no success with many online articles.

[toivo]

Perhaps the first line above is the equivalent of public $host in the later versions?

Correct, my example came from 2.5.28.

The migration and updating process is documented in the sticky topics in the following sub forums:
Migrating and Updating to Joomla! 2.5
Migrating and Updating to Joomla! 3.x

When you have questions about the migration and updates, feel free to create a topic to those two forums. Make sure you include the results from the Forum Post Assistant (FPA) by following the instructions from https://forumpostassistant.github.io/docs so that our volunteer experts can review the configuration.

There are different development environments, but considering the steps to get from Joomla 1.5 to 3.9.x, it would be far easier to work in a localhost, running for example Wampserver, because 1.5 does not work in the later versions of PHP, which you want to run with Joomla 3.9 so that third party extensions are tested properly.

Aside from this, I still don't know how the registrar reference to the generic name server finds a specific database on those servers!??

The database is identified in the database server by the name of the database schema:

Code: Select all

	public $db = 'joomla39';

Often the address of the database server is just 'localhost' or the IP address '127.0.0.1', meaning the same server Joomla runs in. You can access the database if you use phpMyAdmin or some other MySQL client in the cPanel provided by your host.

The best way to migrate the whole Joomla 1.5 website to a development environment is to install an old version of Akeeba Backup and run a full backup, then restore the single compressed .jpa file to a virtual host in localhost or remote server using the Akeeba's Kickstart utility. Check first the compatibility of different versions of Akeeba Backup, Joomla and PHP from Akeeba Backup Compatibility.

[Newstillwet]

Toivo, thank you very much for your reply. Very very helpful!

I have downloaded the appropriate versions of Akeeba Backup and Kickstart. One tidbit in the Kickstart instructions was alarming: "Moreover, if you already have a site installed on the target server you have to ensure that all folders and files are writable. If not, Kickstart will fail and leave your site in a possibly broken state."

At this point I'm ready to pay someone to do this work. It will take me many dozens of hours due to the learning curve.

Thank you again.

[toivo]

Cheers. The message from Kickstart is just a standard instruction, but some experience in the Joomla back end, cPanel and server administration is required.

If you need someone to audit the site and do the planning and the actual conversion, you can create topic in the Professional Development Services forum, describe the requirements and include your contact details. Interested Joomla professionals can then contact you.

[Webdongle]

https://www.eshiol.it/joomla/j2xml/impo ... j2xml.html may be of help?