[YES] Test environement

[Nuttzy99]

The MOD Team is currently writing a bunch of docs. One of them is how to setup apache, MySQL, and PHP on a local machine to use as a test machine. This would be pretty good for making sure things work. It won't have the same database impact though as if users were using it live. The point is that the MOD should probably encourage this practice. Creating a test environment is definitely out of the scope for EM.

Also I'm considering adding yet another method to upload files using EM. You will MOD files locally (on a test board) with EM, manually FTP all files over to the production machine and run EM on the productions machine to just perform any SQL actions. This should work well for that last 1% of people that are having problems getting EM to run automatically. I guess for folks that do have an automated EM method already that it doesn't make sense b/c it is probably a lot easier to run EM on the production machine than it is to move the production files and FTP up the entire board again.

-Nuttzy

[-=ET=-]

Sure Nuttzy but you didn't give your opinion on the forum locked by EM suggest

I think this is important as you should not let admins install a MOD on a live forum. A part from technical issues, imagine that there is a very IMPORTANT issue after the installation which will very quickly corrupt the board DB.

Ok you always said and I agree that if there is an issue we will be able to go back simply and safely to the backup files but what about the time between the installation, the issue is discovered and the backup restoration?

On a board like the phpBB.com one with hundred of users connected live all day long you may corrupt your DB VERY quickly.
We must perform tests before restoring old files or unlocking the board!

P.S.: you I could have talked of technical issue which may occur too by querying a DB production structure live. That's very risky in some case and should NOT be done!

[Ptirhiik]

[quote=\"Nuttzy99\"]The MOD Team is currently writing a bunch of docs. One of them is how to setup apache, MySQL, and PHP on a local machine to use as a test machine. This would be pretty good for making sure things work. It won't have the same database impact though as if users were using it live. The point is that the MOD should probably encourage this practice. Creating a test environment is definitely out of the scope for EM.[/quote]

This would be a perfect way to package easymod. At least, warnings and advices in this way, on MODs, on Easymod screens, on dedicated forums and relative forums should be provided each time. From then, having the tools, having the warnings, and having the advices from all, if a webmaster is so just too stupid to consider all of this, well, he won't say he didn't know and will deserve the result .

[Nuttzy99]

[quote="Nuttzy99":]The point is that the MOD should probably encourage this practice.[/quote:] Opps, minor typo. I meant the MOD Team should encourage it.

-Nuttzy cool

[AlleyKat]

Can I just say that the current manual in the Knowledge Base is excellent as it is - I've never come across such a great testserver as the UniServer before. ~3mb d/l, place it whereever you want it, and start/stop it through it's .pif's.

Apache2, PHP 4, MySQL 4, PERL 5, phpmyadmin - what more do you need? http://miniserver.sourceforge.net

[Nuttzy99]

This is in the phpBB KB? Where?

-Nuttzy

[LLKwerv]

Can that be used to actually host a board if you know your IP?

[A_Jelly_Doughnut]

This is in the phpBB KB? Where?

-Nuttzy

Article 123 if memory serves...Nope 124: http://www.phpbb.com/kb/article.php?article_id=124" target="_blank

[Nuttzy99]

So, the thing here will be to encourage folks to setup a test environment and run it as a duplicate (same MODs installed) as the production board. Text will be added to EM, but no actual code for this.

-Nuttzy

[AlleyKat]

Basing off of that locking-the-forum idea, you can have EasyMOD record which userid has entered the EM password to install a MOD and then lock the forum as soon as installation begins. Then have the forum locked to everyone BUT that userid, so that they can check for errors and such. Once that userid has checked for errors, they then enter a different window (possibly settings?) and uncheck the "forums locked for testing?" switch, which is only visible to that particular userid? Just an idea.

I see the idea in this, but... well, that user would have to be admin, anyway, right? Of course I'd also like a faster method for turning the forum on/off from EM, but like in the sql backup discussion, this exist elsewhere so I'd say it was a pretty low priority issue.

I think it has been mentioned elsewhere, but what I'd like to see was a 'end-of-modding-report' listing all involved files with paths etc. Like Ptirhiik I prefer to make my changes on a test copy of the forum, and instead of editing the scripts to fit my forum, I make the changes in my test environment and get it running smooth, then puts the changed files 'live'.