about 'How to install a hack: guide to newbies' thread...

[TECK]

logician, i was reading your tutorial and there is a part that attracted my attention:

You need to back up 2 things:

Your MYSQL database. You can back it up via Vbulletin Admin Control Panel/ Database Backup section. Even if you dont apply a hack, get used to back up your database once in a while. If anything goes wrong in your server, you can use your backup to get it up.

i dont agree with this part. vBulletin database backups are extremly unreliable. if a newie does that and his database is faurly big, he(she) will experience browser timeouts, because a backup can last up to 20minutes sometimes, on a large database.

i know this because i did custom jobs for clients and experienced this problem. that's why i released a tutorial on how to backup properly the database, with easy steps for people who don't have experience at it.

you can read it here. let me know if i'm correct on this issue with the vB backups in a browser.

all the best,
floren.

[Logician]

It's a guide for newbies who dont even know how to apply a hack. Is there a simpler way to teach them backup db, eg. via telnet in such a tutorial?

Besides many hosts (especially the host of many "newbies") dont give access to telnet or use such tools on their servers so backup via Admin CP is the easiest and sometimes the only way for many users.

It's good you have a tutorial focused on mainly backup process but please remember my tutorial aims to shed a light on installing a hack only. I couldnt write pages in this tutorial on specific details like backup or the text editors you should use.

[TECK]

Originally posted by Logician
It's a guide for newbies who dont even know how to apply a hack. Is there a simpler way to teach them backup db, eg. via telnet in such a tutorial?

even if they are newbies, they might have a busy board with 1000s of members. in that case the vB backup will fail. over 200 members and 2000 posts, the browser will timeout. i try it.

Originally posted by Logician
Besides many hosts (especially the host of many "newbies") dont give access to telnet or use such tools on their servers so backup via Admin CP is the easiest and sometimes the only way for many users.

all php host providers OFFER you telnet access because the database backup purposes.

Originally posted by Logician
please remember my tutorial aims to shed a light on installing a hack only. I couldnt write pages in this tutorial on specific details like backup or the text editors you should use.

i'm not trying to complain about your tutorial. i think is a great piece of work you did there. is just that backups are VERY important for your board. that's all i wanted to highlight, not to tell you "look man, you dont know what you say, look at me, i do better things...". i simply tried to highlight a point that was several times discussed at vB.com with "newbies".