What is the best way to duplicate an existing forum?

[michaelsilvia]

I have a forum with several hacks. I want to start another forum (paying for another license of course), but would like to make the forum the same with all the existing hacks, but with a fresh database. Is there an easy way to do this?

[Jordan17]

In your directory on your hosting service, (in mine all of the forum stuff is held in /forum) copy all of the contents of your forum root folder. Wherever you copy this to, it will look exactly the same - but because the same database is still being used, all of the posts will be the same.

Are you hosting the forum on the same server?

copy the database that contains all posts, give it a new name, and clear it so it is blank. This way all of the tables etc which have been installed via hacks will still remain. But empty.

Makesure the duplicate database (that is empty) has a new name. You will need to change all of the database names in the config file (I think this might be config.php - but not sure! Someone may need to help you out further with this bit.

Are you hosting the forum on a different server?

Copy your original database from your original server (copy the SQL code as this will be easiest). Run the SQL query on your new server. All of your database and data will now be on your new server. Empty the database of all data. Clean it. Good. Now you have your empty database.

Upload all of your files (copy the entire root forum directory) and upload it to your new server.

Please make a backup of your original forum and download it to your computer! Just in case! Hopefully everything should be great.


Good luck. Also - I'm not sure if you will have to pay a seperate license fee for this. But someone else should be able to confirm.

[peterska2]

Hi Michael

As all the files you currently have are valid for that licence only, you will need a new set of files and rehack as appropriate. (Assuming you are still running 3.0.7 as in your profile)

Running 3.5.x makes this a lot easier as mods are mainly just products, and template changes.

If you want to keep the same style, you can just export the style and then import it to the new site, upload copies of the appropriate images.

To confirm, it will require a seperate licence fee.

(PS I got your email, and I'll be getting make to you early next week)