Upgrading with Hacks?

[DJ RRebel]

Hi there ... I'm looking to change over from UBB to vB.

I've noticed some cool hacks, but recall that for UBB, upgrading to future versions had major problems if you had hacks.

Can anyone tell me if adding hacks in vB will prevent me from upgrading to future versions of vB ???

Also ... where can I find info on putting forum info (specifically 5 or 10 most recent topics) on my main pages? Keeping in mind my other pages are hosted on a Win2k server.

Thanks in advance for you help ... I also posted some non-hack questions in the pre-sales section of the vB.com forum, and would be extremely grateful to anyone who replies as I'd like to get things started almost instantly if posible !!! :)

[Xenon]

normally you can upgrade your board without problems if you have hacked it.
normally it takes up to one hour to implement the hacks into the new version.
a how to is posted by nakkid in the general hack forum (i think it was there)

but nobody really know what it could be about upgrading to vb3 ;)


question 2: it's a statistik hack, i think you could find it in the release forum

[DJ RRebel]

Thanks for your help Xenon !!! :)

I posted the following post at vB.com ... but I'm guessing vB.org is a little faster for helping others out, so I hope you guys don't mind me posting some questions here, as I'd like to get this all done within the next 24 hours or so and still have a few issues I need to be sure about ...

------- Post from vB.com ------

Heya ... I've been using UBB for my community for a couple of years now, and would really like to switch over, but have a few questions first.

Firstly, I just want to be clear about the importing. My UBB has 10000 members and about 20000 total posts in 27 forums. I'm using UBB version 6.04c running on a shared Windows 2000 server that I have FTP access to (I don't have physical access to the server).

I'm looking for a new host, and would like to transfer to vB at the same time. Here are some of my questions:

1- Looking at the information above, do I fall into any exception where my board cannot be converted 100%?

2- Can I import from my old server directly to the new one? Or do I have to upload the old one to my new host first?

3- How long should I expect the convertion to take (I understand it must vary alot, but an estimated range of time would help me plan ahead, as I don't want to have to go to work in the middle of it or something).

4- Where can I access the full instructions for the UBB 6.0 conversion tool BEFORE I buy? I realise why access to the program itself should be limited to subscribers, but I would like to be able to read the instructions before I purchase, so I can have a better understanding of what I'm actually getting myself into ... lol.

5- Does the converter delete or change in any way the old data?

6- Do I need to install vB before doing the conversion?

7- I know absolutely nothing about MySQL, will I have any problems (particularly with installation and set-up of the database itself)?

I also have a few questions about vB in general

8- Is there a feature, where I can e-mail older members who have never posted, requiring them to click on a link within x days to keep their membership active?

9- I had problems with e-mail configuration with UBB. Is there any e-mail setting I need to get from my potential host? (My current Windows host has a seperate outgoing mail server for webforms and stuff).

10- Can some of you with larger communities recommend a good host that isn't too expensive?

11- Can some of you with larger communities think of any potential pitfalls or problems I may encounter?

12- Are there any permision/configuration settings I need to worry about for vB or the database itself?

Bear in mind, I have installed UBB on my own (took me a couple of attempts and a call to my host's tech support), but I'm not an expert in any way.

Thanks tons in advance for your help ... I'm looking forward to using your product !!!

[Xenon]

hmm i'm not really an expert, because i didn't have a ubb before so i can't say how the importer works, but i try to give some of the answers, perhaps others can answer the rest ;)

1. As i know there are know problems for this
2. I think you have to move to the new server before, but perhaps there's also a script somewhere, which doesn't need it.
3. Most of the changes are structurechanges to the DB i know, so it wouldn't take too much time
4. Hmm, don't think theres an access before you buy...
5. it'll delete most of the data which was hacked in an ubb, if you have an unhacked ubb, i think everything is converted
6. uo, i really don't know, but i think yes vb has to be installed
7. no, the installscript makes everything you need, you jsut have to enter the dbname, server and pw
8. yes you can change there usergroup to need email validation and sent out an email then ;)
9. don't know, on i haven't had any problem with email features till now
10. just german ones ^^
11. if your server is too slow, you can get whitepages sometime if you move... a thread
12. no it's one of the easiest and safest boards you know ;)

hope this could help, but if anyone cann add, please do ;)