NodeBB from MyBB

[Areks]

Hi, we unsuccessfully tried to port our community to NodeBB from MyBB. Since there is no direct converter we tried first exporting to phpBB3 and then using the importer from NodeBB but, after it finished, the tool told us there was "something" wrong. And although it did port the users, the forums and posts are not there.

We don't really have the time to write a full import tool but we are considering writing an exporter and we have a few questions: We only want our users, posts, topics and forums. So, what is the bare minimum necessary to do that? I mean, is it mandatory to export permissions, user roles, user groups, friend lists, etc etc? Or can we just populate the database with users, then insert the posts and manually configure user groups and permissions from NodeBB?

I hope the question is clear.

Thank you for reading.

[NiLord]

I'd like to support this petition. I've been trying to do the same thing following @a_5mith guide but unsuccessfully.

[a_5mith]

@Areks The necessary is users (some info), forums, categories, posts. You will need to specify first post of each topic etc. Have a look through another importer in the bin/ export file and see what MySQL tables they point at. Then replace the table name with yours.

As long as the exporter gives you a folder called Desktop/Storage with files in called u.123 and p.12345 (users abd posts), the importer will be able to handle it.

[NiLord]

I do have those file you're saying @a_5mith with the following format:

A lot of p.[id] files like this one:

{"normalized":{"_pid":304623,"_tid":7631,"_timestamp":1371231049000,"_subject":"RE: Sonic Lost World","_content":"Que bien! No puedo creer que podremos usar a Sonic en SMG3, eso es incr.... Espera, que? Es un juego de Sonic? o,o....\r\n\r\nDejando de lado los obvios parecidos al galaxy, el gameplay se me hace un poco parecido al Sonic Héroes, detalle que me da esperanza","_uid":1597,"_approved":1},"skipped":{"_pid":304623,"_tid":7631,"_timestamp":1371231049000,"_subject":"RE: Sonic Lost World","_content":"Que bien! No puedo creer que podremos usar a Sonic en SMG3, eso es incr.... Espera, que? Es un juego de Sonic? o,o....\r\n\r\nDejando de lado los obvios parecidos al galaxy, el gameplay se me hace un poco parecido al Sonic Héroes, detalle que me da esperanza","_uid":1597,"_approved":1}}

Some of c.[id] files like these:

{"normalized":{"_cid":2,"_name":"Forbidden Woods","_description":"Staff del foro, ALL HAIL SPAM O_O"},"imported":{"cid":19,"name":"Forbidden Woods","description":"Staff del foro, ALL HAIL SPAM O\\_O","icon":"fa-comment","bgColor":"#004c66","color":"#FFFFFF","slug":"19/forbidden-woods","topic_count":0,"post_count":0,"disabled":0,"order":3,"link":"","numRecentReplies":2,"class":"col-md-3 col-xs-6","imageClass":"auto","_redirect":{"oldPath":"/forums/ubbthreads.php/forums/2","newPath":"/category/19"}}}

And users files called u.[id] with this information

{"normalized":{"_uid":999,"_username":"gigo1101995","_alternativeUsername":"gigo1101995","_registrationEmail":"[email protected]","_joindate":1302972049000,"_email":"[email protected]","_signature":"","_picture":"","_website":""},"imported":{"username":"gigo1101995","email":"[email protected]","signature":"","website":"","banned":0,"location":"","joindate":1302972049000,"reputation":0,"profileviews":0,"fullname":"","birthday":"","showemail":0,"status":"offline","uid":197,"_keptPicture":false,"userslug":"gigo1101995","_redirect":{"oldPath":"/forums/ubbthreads.php/users/999","newPath":"/user/gigo1101995"}}}

Users are imported correctly but forums didn't. Posts can't be imported because forums don't exists (i guess). I have like 15 forums in my system so i have no problem at all if i have to create manually the json file for each one, but Im not sure if that will work because i don't see any problem with those "c.[id]" files

EDIT:

MESSAGE WHILE THE SCRIPT IS TRYING TO IMPORT:

[import][warn] [count:5563] imported topic:_tid: 8345 doesn't exist in storage, probably skipped some time earlier in the import process, dont freak out (a lot of message like these)

[import][info] Fixing 5563 topic timestamps took: 0.54 seconds
[import][debug] restoring configs
[import][debug] undefined
[import][error] Something went wrong while restoring your nbb configs
[import][warn] here are your backed-up configs, you do it.
[import][warn] undefined
if you saved these stdout logs,
look for "[user-json]" or "[user-csv]" to find all the users mapping.
look for "[redirect]" to find all the old --> new paths mapping.

[import][info] DONE, Took 1.56 minutes.
[import][info] Exiting ... code: 0

[Areks]

@julian @psychobunny Can you please further explain this error/warning messages?

[julian]

Pinging @bentael, curator of the import plugin

Either way, a dedicated MyBB exporter would be ideal...

[Areks]

@julian said:

Pinging @bentael, curator of the import plugin

Either way, a dedicated MyBB exporter would be ideal...

Indeed. I believe MyBB is a fairly popular forum software, so there might be a lot of people trying to move from there.

[a_5mith]

@NiLord That error is fine, as you didn't run the flush command, so there's no config to put back, as is my understanding. Are their any errors regarding the categories?

What happens if you visit yoururl.com/category/19?

[Areks]

@a_5mith The browser outputs a ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS error.

[NiLord]

I just try to make all the process again in a clean installation in order to have a screenshot from the first error I get when I exported it the first time.

When the socket error appers I DO have my forum exported but any thread at all

Users are exported too: http://107.170.131.171/users/latest

Any ideas?

[a_5mith]

Can you run redis -v and let me know what version of redis you're using. Minimum required is 2.6.0.

[NiLord]

2.8.9 here

[bentael]

@NiLord
here's how it works:

• Categories (aka forums) have topics in them (aka threads)

• each topic is owned by a user (_uid), belong to a Category (_cid) and have main _content property. if a topic's user or category was not imported the whole topic (along with of its posts) gets ignored

• each post belongs to a topic (_tid), if the topic get ignored, the post is ignored obviously.

• in your case, something is obviously wrong, but for me to find out what it is, I need your storage folder ([email protected]), zipped along with these other info:

  • which version of NodeBB are u using? (even a commit hash would be fine) (that error that you're seeing happens if you don't uncomment 1 line of code, but you should'nt have to do that with the latest master NodeBB)

  • which version of the importer are u using? (I am assuming the latest?)

ps: you would have to be patient with me for the next 2 weeks, i'm 7+ hours off my usual timezone and on a 1mb/s internet speed.

With the NodeBB 0.5.0's release, and after I am back to normal life, i am planning is much easier import process, no more terminal crap and no more storage files and shit, if you're not in a rush, ETA 4-6 weeks for my release

[NiLord]

First of all thanks for the answer, @bentael. We are not really in such a big rush but we would like to export everything as soon posible.

I'll send you the information you require to try to figurate out what's going on. As I said we're not in a "rush" and I understand you are busy (I'm kinda busy too with my work that's why I want to take my time to make everything works fine).

Thank you again!

[NiLord]

Hi, @bentael !

I just sent you the email with the information you required. I'll try to post in this thread a solution if we get it. Maybe this would be an excellent reference for those who have the same problem.

Thanks again

[watomsk]

I'm having a similar issue on my site. Did you ever find a solution?

Thanks!

[ASCIIcat]

Not too sure if this is a bit late or not, but I have converted the phpBB importer to work for myBB
https://www.npmjs.org/package/nodebb-plugin-import-mybb

Needed one for a site I am actually busy with at the moment.
Hope this helps someone