1054 Unknown column 'system_data' in 'field list' Topic is solved

[Roland_S]

Hello there!
This is my first posting in this forum. I do have a problem with updating my Joomla Site.
I want to update from 3.10 to 4.4.3.
I uninstalled almost everything, that could cause trouble.
Unfortunately the template we use is not available for Joomla 4 and the Company does not exist anymore (It's the JSN Metro Template).
The Problem now is: I do not have another template installed (i guess, years ago i deleted everything i thought i would never need again)
When I try to install the Protostar template again I always get an error message.

And when I go to Extensions -> Discover ("überprüfen" in german) i get the 1054 error message with this call stack.

Would be great, if anyone could help me.

Code: Select all

Call stack
# 	Function 	Location
1 	() 	JROOT/libraries/joomla/database/driver/mysqli.php:610
2 	mysqli_query() 	JROOT/libraries/joomla/database/driver/mysqli.php:610
3 	JDatabaseDriverMysqli->execute() 	JROOT/libraries/joomla/database/driver.php:1421
4 	JDatabaseDriver->insertObject() 	JROOT/libraries/src/Table/Table.php:821
5 	Joomla\CMS\Table\Table->store() 	JROOT/administrator/components/com_installer/models/discover.php:170
6 	InstallerModelDiscover->discover() 	JROOT/administrator/components/com_installer/views/discover/view.html.php:35
7 	InstallerViewDiscover->display() 	JROOT/administrator/components/com_installer/controller.php:59
8 	InstallerController->display() 	JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Controller/BaseController.php:702
9 	Joomla\CMS\MVC\Controller\BaseController->execute() 	JROOT/administrator/components/com_installer/installer.php:19
10 	require_once() 	JROOT/libraries/src/Component/ComponentHelper.php:402
11 	Joomla\CMS\Component\ComponentHelper::executeComponent() 	JROOT/libraries/src/Component/ComponentHelper.php:377
12 	Joomla\CMS\Component\ComponentHelper::renderComponent() 	JROOT/libraries/src/Application/AdministratorApplication.php:101
13 	Joomla\CMS\Application\AdministratorApplication->dispatch() 	JROOT/libraries/src/Application/AdministratorApplication.php:159
14 	Joomla\CMS\Application\AdministratorApplication->doExecute() 	JROOT/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php:225
15 	Joomla\CMS\Application\CMSApplication->execute() 	JROOT/administrator/index.php:51 

[pe7er]

Welcome to Joomla forum!

The default Joomla 3 template "Protostar" is not compatible with Joomla 4.
When you update to Joomla 4, you'll get two new templates: a back-end and front-end template.
The back-end template is automatically selected.
After upgrading (make sure you have a backup before doing so!), you can use the default template Cassiopeia for the front-end.

[Roland_S]

Hello! Thanks for your reply!
I do realize, that Protostar is not compatible with Joomla 4.
At this point I don't really care about that
The Template that is in use on our site (JSN Metro Pro) is also not compatible. Right now I just want Protostar to be installed, so I can switch to this template, so i can hopefully make the update successfully.
The problem is, that I have some Error in my installation and I only get the above error message when I go to "Extensions -> Discover" and when I try to install a different template via "Extension -> Install" I only get an error message with no more information (Debug is activated).
I already reinstalled the Joomla 3.10.12 Core Files again.

[pe7er]

Right now I just want Protostar to be installed, so I can switch to this template, so i can hopefully make the update successfully.

Sorry, but I do not understand why would want to switch to Protostar?
When you upgrade to J4 you get two new J4 compatible templates:
Atum (default J4/J5 back-end template)
Cassiopeia (default J4/J5 front-end template)

[SharkyKZ]

Go to Extensions -> Database and see if anything is reported there. If there is, click Fix button.

[Roland_S]

Right now I just want Protostar to be installed, so I can switch to this template, so i can hopefully make the update successfully.

Sorry, but I do not understand why would want to switch to Protostar?
When you upgrade to J4 you get two new J4 compatible templates:
Atum (default J4/J5 back-end template)
Cassiopeia (default J4/J5 front-end template)

I already tried to update with the active Template (JSN Metro Pro), but the Update always breaks up and ends with a Error 500. Since on the Pre-update information site only the Template + the JSN Framework are listed as potential Problems I suspect that the problem lies there.
Thats why I want to install and change to Protostar. Just to make the update work.

[Roland_S]

Go to Extensions -> Database and see if anything is reported there. If there is, click Fix button.

thank! already did that, no errors listed in the DB

only thing i noticed:
in the debug console it says that there are 28 duplicates in the DB.
always user and user groups.

[SharkyKZ]

Well, your database structure is incorrect but database fixer apparently doesn't catch issues like this. You can try re-adding system_data column yourself but there may be more structure issues.

[Roland_S]

Well, your database structure is incorrect but database fixer apparently doesn't catch issues like this. You can try re-adding system_data column yourself but there may be more structure issues.

So should there be a table "field_list" in the database?
Cause I only have:
ghn78_fields
ghn78_fields_categories
ghn78_fields_groups
ghn78_fields_values

Are there any easy options to find and repair structure issues in the db?

[SharkyKZ]

No, system_data column should be in #__extensions table.

[Roland_S]

should the column have a specific prefix (for example: plg, mod, com)? or is the name simply "system_data"?

[Roland_S]

No worries. Unterstood that wrong!
I created the "system_data" column and the error messages are gone and i could install the Protostar template.
I did "sucessfully" update the Site to Joomla 4.4.3, but with some errors.
I think there are still some errors in the existing database, and I'd like to get rid of them when updating to Joomla 4.

I just want to keep some elements of the existing database (articles, categories, menus, modules), everything else can go.
Would it be better, if i make a fresh Joomla 3.10.12 installation and insert the tables I want from my old database into the new one?
Is this possible? Is this a "good" way?

[Roland_S]

Quick update: For my part the thread can be closed.
As mentioned above, it helped to create the "system_data" column in the extensions table.
Nevertheless the update had a lot of mistakes so I decided to install Joomla 3 fresh, import only the essential tables in the new database an make the update.
That was successful and I now have a working (altough not yet good looking) Joomla 5 page with all articles and menus and modules I need.