Topic: SOLVED! Help: forums domain error after changing server ip (smf e phpbb2)

[ruipedroca]

Hi,

When i reconfigure (change ip address) my server (SME 7.3) and then try to access the forum, i get an error, since the browser tries to open the domain previous to my server ip change.
This happens both with SMF and PHPBB2.
What file(s) must i edit in order to solver this?

Regards,

[p-jones]

Are you using a browser on Windows ? If so try ipconfig /flushdns or use the repair function on your network connection to flush the DNS Cache or clear any temp routes that are still in place.

[ruipedroca]

Hi,
No, i'm using linux only (kubuntu 8.04) and Firefox 2.
What seems to be happening is that when the forum is installed, it assumes the domain SME Server has, but when the server ip address is changed, it tries to open the forum in the previous ip address.
Maybe this is something to do with dns server, which i didn't configure.
My solution was to reinstall and give the domain the same name as the final server ip address. We're all on a local network only, with no internet access.
If someone could shed some light in this matter, i'd really appreciate.

Regards

[cactus]

Hi,
No, i'm using linux only (kubuntu 8.04) and Firefox 2.
What seems to be happening is that when the forum is installed, it assumes the domain SME Server has, but when the server ip address is changed, it tries to open the forum in the previous ip address.
Maybe this is something to do with dns server, which i didn't configure.
My solution was to reinstall and give the domain the same name as the final server ip address. We're all on a local network only, with no internet access.
If someone could shed some light in this matter, i'd really appreciate.

Regards

How did you configure this during setup? You most likely had to set some IP/hostname somewhere, unless you installed it using RPM, then this is most likely done automatically.

You most likely need to update the configuration settings of your forum (if internal links on the forum point you to the old hostname or IP), if you cannot access your forum at all and are redirected to the wrong (read old) ip address it is most likely a DNS issue and you need to issue the commands suggested by p-jones, when using windows.

[ruipedroca]

Hi,

Thanks, i'll try and then post report.

Regards

[ruipedroca]

Hi,

For SMF, the solution was quite simple and i'm to blame for my lack of attention because it's right at the contribs page of SMF where it says "Changing the Forum Base URL".
So, i followed the instructions, i.e., i edited "Settings.php" with vi in /opt/SMF and then just changed the domain, which in my case was the new ip address.
Then i tested it, and everything was ok again!

Regarding phpBB2, i didn't found yet the solution, since there's no indications in the respective contribs page.
I've taken a look within the files in /opt/phpBB2 and /opt/phpBB2/admin but i haven't reached a solution yet.
I'll keep trying, but if someone already knows where exactly what file must b edited to change the domain, please post it here!

Regards and thanks for your time!

[cactus]

I'll keep trying, but if someone already knows where exactly what file must b edited to change the domain, please post it here!

There should be an admin interface to which you perhaps would be able to connect, otherwise search for a configuration file or a settngs table in the phpBB MySQL database.

[ruipedroca]

Hi,

It worked, thanks for the tip!

Here's exactly how i did it:
1-installed phpmyadmin in contribs, then did the "signal-event post-upgrade" and "signal-event reboot" commands
2-logged into phpmyadmin, then edited the table "phpbb_config" and changed the old values of "sitename", "site_desc", "board_email" and "server_name" to my new values (in my case, i've just replaced the server old ip address with the server new ip address)
3-saved and exited phpmyadmin
4-then, i didn't reboot nor signal anything, since i deducted that the table values would be read again
5-pointed the browser to http://server-new-ip-address/forum and voilà! Everything now is working!

Now i can test and choose between the two forum software available in SME Server 7.3: SMF and phpBB2!

Thanks again and best regards!

[ruipedroca]

For SMF, the solution was quite simple and i'm to blame for my lack of attention because it's right at the contribs page of SMF where it says "Changing the Forum Base URL".
So, i followed the instructions, i.e., i edited "Settings.php" with vi in /opt/SMF and then just changed the domain, which in my case was the new ip address.
Then i tested it, and everything was ok again!

I must have done something slightly different from this, because in my second fresh server testing it didn't work - that's why i think is a good idea to test a second time, because in the first atempts sometimes we change many things we later don't remember - anyway, i went back again to the wiki again in contribs/SMF and there says:
"The log into SMF as admin and browse to
"Configuration"->"Themes and Layout"->"Themes and Settings Tab""
I've tried that but couldn't find the link "configuration" because the webpage didn't load properly.
So, i've installed phpmyadmin and then edited the table "themes", changing there the domain in several fields.
Then, when i tried again and everything worked fine, i.e., all the pages were properly loaded!

So, for short:
-edit "Settings.php" with vi in /opt/SMF and then just change the domain
-use phpmyadmin to change several fields containing the domain in the tables "setings" and "themes"


Regards