phpbb3 release schedule

[admin (no pm's please)]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Action	Status	Complete
Add xactions portal	done	fri 18th
web pages need overall_footer.tpl	done	Thu 24th
create control database	done	Thu 24h
Add xtransfer portal	done	fri 18th
Review all fwrites to ensure all user edits end up in the database and not the file system.	done	Tue 22nd
Recreate base database from live copy	done	Thu 24th
Add portal display to user profiles	done	fri 18th
Check control panel login	done	fri 18th
Integrate google advertising	done	Thu 24th
Set up domain for forum creation	started
Update forum creation to set domain name and flags	done	Thu 24th
Deploy client code	not started
check uber admin forum status routines	not started
check file attachment paths	done	Tue 22nd
make template export do a download and not a store	done	Thu 24th
Install more templates	started	Over 100 styles installed

Probably a few more things to be added here, but this started the wind down towards release.

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[admin (no pm's please)]

The XACTIONS portal seems to be working at least for some basic.

As such we have things like the CASH mod running
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[admin (no pm's please)]

XTRANSFER now in place as well

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[admin (no pm's please)]

relevent portals can now be displayed in user profiles.

This has been shoe horned into the custom profile display, like has been done on myff phpbb2, but unlike phpbb2 the templates on phpbb3 are already defined for this.

Thus far in fact standard phpbb3 templates have no need to be enhanced for use with myff.

I hope we can keep it that way.

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[admin (no pm's please)]

The control panel now works for phpbb3, it looks a lot threadbare, but that is part of the general process of moving away from the use of the control panel.

phpbb3 has protected rights for the original admin so some the restore admin stuff is not needed, and the system is now geared towards portals and template editing as the means of adding features, so even if some of what is in the control panel for phpbb2 is going to be available again it will probably not be via the control panel.

I can see template rescuing being as needed in phpbb3 if not more so. But even there it seems better to develop the routines in a reactive and not a proactive way, until we know the sorts of issues that do arise a proactive stance would probably get it wrong.

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[admin (no pm's please)]

Down to 5 items on the list

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[Nick(NR)]

Have sticky'd for the time being until phpbb3 is released as there could be an influx of support that may push it out of view, doubt it will happen, but this way people can see it up at the top and check in on the progress without having to find it.
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[admin (no pm's please)]

A few more things started, and a few more things thought of.

It is getting really very close now.

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[admin (no pm's please)]

The actual live domain :

http://www.myfabforum.org/

is showing slickers of life, but it is not by any means really live yet, and I would ask that no one does anything on the domain until actually invited to do so.

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[Daniel(u1bd2005)]

Looks like progress is coming along nicely, and I see you've started installing the templates.

Just a question, you release new domains every now and again, now www.myfabforum.org I was just wondering do you already own a portfolio of domains and just choose one from that or do you just buy them once you start on a new project such as myfreefriends or phpbb3 etc.
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[admin (no pm's please)]

hmm found one weird template that when you install it, it just stays on prosilver have taken that one out.

database blank now seems fully tweaked

It really looks like just a small bit of coding and the deployment to do, deployment means deploying not just the master myfabforum.org domain, but it also means deploying a phpbb3 "client" to an existing client domain, in this case Zaphod, that is best done on Saturday morning to minimize risk of disruption.

As for domains, we always have a few set aside corresponding to ideas that might be a go, probably there are 6 or so floating around, but equally it also makes sense to collar all good sound myff.org type domains for the forums. I don't think we are missing any of the good ones

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[admin (no pm's please)]

Actually just tweaked the database to make the default action of phpbb3 to check for template changes, and have removed the ability to change this.

This seems typical of the zillions of settings in phpbb3 that are more geared to giving people the ability to shoot themselves in the foot.

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[admin (no pm's please)]

I'm now struggling to see what else might be done before actually deploying?

I have removed a few more silly options from the admin panel. For example just why would anyone not want a search flood limit imposed on guests and users?

Bascially though I have left almost all of the "load" type settings at the defaults and admin editable.

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[xXx BR3W3R xXx]

Admin so you have decided to add te upgrade button then or was it always going to be there thanks.
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[admin (no pm's please)]

I think if anyone thinks sensibly about it, they would see there would have to be an upgrade button.

e.g. 20,000+ forums is hardly amenable to it being done on request

Equally it would be extremely unpopular not to allow people to "upgrade".

The only questions are:

1) Timescale before anyone is allowed.

2) Do we apply an initial screen? e.g. letting only 2% of forums try the upgrade at first, and then relaxing this.

3) Do we facilitate the original design from 2006 that is set to allow a test upgrade, where the old forum stays until the admin is happy, and they are therefore allowed to stay with phpbb2 if they reject the new forum?

4) The exact DNS mechanics, currently the priniciple will be that following an upgrade the forum will appear at forumname.phpbb3.myfreeforum.org, and if the upgrade is confirmed the DNS will propagate to make forumname.myfreeforum.org go direct to phpbb3. The other angle to this which is scary from my perspective is that if we were to make the default for new forums to be phpbb3 on a previously phpbb2 domain, then all existing forums will need DNS updates to lock them to phpbb2. I hate that sort of change as the propagation delays and the fact that the system is not written for mass updates is a bit scary.

All told the upgrade procedure will be quite challenging, and certainly not something we want to rush into. Let's get phpbb3 working and stable first.

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