How Do I Restore a Website?

[tangierc]

Folks, I have recovered a folder of a website lost several years ago. I need some simple steps to understand how to properly restore this site so I can take a look at it.

I have MAMP installed with MySQL Server version: 5.7.23, the full site folder, and a backup of the database that came from a SQL dump - which was Joomla 1.5.1.

How do I import reinstate the database and properly connect to it? I hope the config file has the correct info.
When I go to localhost:8888/sitefolder/installation/ nothing happens but a white screen.

A simple bullet or numbered list of steps would be greatly appreciated.

[Webdongle]

Create a new empty database then import the sql file into it.
You edit the configuration.php to connect to the database.
https://docs.joomla.org/Copying_a_Jooml ... s_with_FTP

[tangierc]

I did the following just moments ago with no success:

Imported the database
Set the user name, database name, and password to the information I found in the config file - assigning global privileges to the user.

When I go to the website locally I still only get a white screen.

[JAVesey]

I'm no expert on such an old version of Joomla but:

1. Is the version of Joomla capable of running on the PHP version you have running in MAMP?
2. Have you set the paths to the /tmp and /log folders correctly
3. What is the database driver (MySQL/MySQLi) that you have set in configuration.php and is it compatible with your version of Joomla?

Does your version of configuration.php have something akin to this line:

Code: Select all

	public $error_reporting = 'none';

If so, can you change 'none' to 'maximum' and report what you see?

Are you running MAMP or MAMP Pro? If the latter then you have more control over the environment.

See the technical requirements here:
https://downloads.joomla.org/technical-requirements

[tangierc]

The backed up Joomla database says JO_151 in the file name so I assume it's 1.5.1. I don't know how to otherwise if the database is actually a different Joomla version.

I am using PHP 7.2.8 running in MAMP (not MAMP Pro). &.1.20 is an other option in MAMP, but 7.2.8 is on by default and assuming the database is Joomla 1.5.1 this exceeds Joomla 1.5 minimums and recommendations.

MySQL active version is 5.7.23 which also exceeds recommendation.

I am not sure if the tmp and log paths are correct. The structure in my config file follows this:
/home/username/public_html/tmp
/home/username/public_html/logs

however when I setup a whereami.php file and go to it I get:
Current dir is /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/sdnn020111

What would be the correct way to set this up? Would it simply be /tmp and /logs?

I don't see anything for the database driver, but he dbtype is mysql.

[Per Yngve Berg]

It will not run. You need php version 5.2

With update to 1.5.26, it will run on version 5.6

https://downloads.joomla.org/cms/joomla ... format=zip

Updateing J1.5 is easy. Unizip the update package an upload and overwrite on the site.

[annahersh]

If it is J1.5, it will not run on PHP 7. Is there an index2.php in the root directory? If yes, it is J1x. View a .xml file in any module and read the line at the top for <install type="module" version="1.5.0">

Are you trying to retrieve just data from the content component? If yes, it's best to install the latest Joomla version then run a few SQL queries to allow import. Confirm and I will post the query methods.

[tangierc]

There is an index2.php and it is 1.5. according to a module XML.
I am trying to actually run the site.
Did you have any recommendations about the tmp and log paths?

I actually believe that I updated this site to Joomla 3 as I have a backup folder of that site too. However the only sql database file I have has j151 in the file name. The filename doesn't really mean anything I know and perhaps this database would work with the upgraded J3 site that I used a new template for. However since I have this original site I figure I would start here.

I just want to get the site up and running locally then I can think about retrieving data.

[JAVesey]

I am not sure if the tmp and log paths are correct. The structure in my config file follows this:
/home/username/public_html/tmp
/home/username/public_html/logs

however when I setup a whereami.php file and go to it I get:
Current dir is /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/sdnn020111

What would be the correct way to set this up? Would it simply be /tmp and /logs?

In your /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/ directory make two new folders, i.e. /tmp and /logs and change the corresponding entries in configuration.php to read:

Code: Select all

	public $log_path = '/Applications/MAMP/htdocs/Joomla_3/logs';
	public $tmp_path = '/Applications/MAMP/htdocs/Joomla_3/tmp';

This won't, of itself, make your site work but at least you know one more thing to do.

Please see the advice from Per and Anna; the PHP and MySQL version in MAMP are far too modern to allow your Joomla version to run. Loads of PHP functions in particular have been deprecated. Even MAMP Pro only goes back to PHP 5.4.45 (you can download PHP 5.3.5 from the MAMP Pro website and install that if you need).

[Webdongle]

Scrap it and start again using a fresh 3.8.12 install. You can copy/paste the content from the database to new Articles in your fresh install. Even if you get your 1.5 site up and running it will take you longer to migrate it ... and you would still need to install new extensions and create new menus

[JAVesey]

Scrap it and start again using a fresh 3.8.12 install. You can copy/paste the content from the database to new Articles in your fresh install. Even if you get your 1.5 site up and running it will take you longer to migrate it ... and you would still need to install new extensions and create new menus

Along with purchasing a MAMP Pro 5.1 licence (very reasonable cost/benefit balance, in my view), this might be the best advice you'll receive regarding your issues.

Imagine a brand, spanking new MAMP Pro installation and a clean Joomla 3.8.12 installation on it. No template issues following a migration, etc

[annahersh]

If you must have the 1.5 site running, you will need to get a server configuration with PHP max 5.6, though 5.3 would be best since there won't be any reference deprecated errors thrown, as many extensions back then did use the &$constant method.

[tangierc]

OK, thanks. I think I'll just try the updated site folder instead.

[tangierc]

JAVesey did you include the Joomla_3 in the tmp and log path on purpose? That wasn't in my listed path.