Converting to an SMF forum has never been easier! A fully installed SMF forum must be present before converting. Converting will wipe out any existing SMF data, but it will not change the forum you are converting from. If you run into problems, you can get start a topic on the Converting to SMF board at our official support forum. Converting to SMF from almost any forum software can be done in five fast and simple steps.
Check the Server Requirements
Your server must meet a few requirements to be able to run SMF. If you are not sure that your webserver meets these requirements, please try the installation and conversion process anyway - this should detect any problems.
A list of requirements can be found on the Installing SMF page. If your server does not meet these requirements, SMF may not work properly.
Download the conversion tools
The latest SMF converters can be found on the converter downloads page of our website.
First, download the latest version of your required converter from our website. All the forum software and versions currently supported by Simple Machines will be listed. Feel free to ask for another converter in the Converting to SMF board if your forum software is not listed. Commonly, .zip files are the preferred download type. Most operating systems have the tools available to extract .zip archives already installed.
Extract and Upload the conversion tools
Once the conversion archive has been downloaded it will need to be uploaded and extracted before the conversion tool can be used. There are two methods for this step. The method used will depend on the tools available with the control panel supplied by your hosting service. Please ensure you upload in binary if you are using an FTP client. The convert.php file and the associated SQL file for the forum software must be uploaded to the same folder as the blank SMF install.
Uploading Before Extracting
Some control panels have the ability to extract an archive, such as cPanel. This allows hassle-free uploading and extraction of the archive. Once the archive is uploaded, select the "Extract" option to extract the archive to the desired location. Make sure that overwrite files is selected so the newer files replace the old ones.
Extracting Before Uploading
If extracting abilities are not available inside the control panel, the archive can be extracted before uploading. Generally, selecting the archive with the right mouse button and selecting the extract all options will work. The directory structure should be retained when the upgrade archive is extracted, so all files and directories are in the correct places.
Backup the Database
Before starting the conversion process, a backup of the live database should be taken. This protects the forum from accidental damage and any issues from converting. Although all steps are taken, and extensive testing carried out, sometimes issues develop. Therefore, having a backup is crucial.
Backup a Database Using PHPMyAdmin
PHPMyAdmin allows the option to export a database, from the initial page select the export option and follow the instructions and select your forum software's database. These options are different based on host.
Backup a Database Using a Control Panel
If the hosting service provides a control panel interface, this can be used to backup a database. Selecting the "Backups" or "Backup Wizard" option should take you to prompts for backing up a database. With different hosts these options may have different names.
Database access
The conversion tools will access all your existing forum software data through the database, for this to work correctly SMF will require access to read the existing database. On most hosts, this will not be an issue, considering the fact that user accounts can be added to the database through a hosting control panel.
Run the Conversion Tool
The final step in converting to SMF is to run the conversion tool. Navigate to the directory where SMF has been placed, and open the convert.php file. In example: www.yourdomain.com/forum/convert.php.
Converter Settings
- Path to SMF
- The path to the SMF install (eg. /home/user/SMF), the default information will usually be correct.
- Path to forum software
- The path to the existing forum software (eg. /home/user/forum).
- SMF Database Password
- As a security measure SMF requires the SMF database password to be entered to stop unauthorized conversions.
- Set SMF's default character set to
- Select a character set for the SMF install to use, usually the default will be acceptable, if in doubt select UTF-8.
Finishing the Conversion Process
To avoid time outs during the conversion process, the SMF upgrade utility uses several separate steps. Once the first step has finished, you will see a summary of what has been done; most things should report as "Successful";, but if there are any error messages, make a note and please report them on the community forum. If not, everything has finished, and if you have JavaScript disabled click the continue button, again only click it once. Continue this procedure until the upgrade utility is finished and you have a link to return to your forum.
Your forum should now be successfully converted to SMF and you can explore the new features and start using it; however, before doing so you MUST delete the upgrade.php file from the server as leaving it there can be a major security risk (for example, anyone could put your forum into maintenance mode!)
To do so return to your FTP program and in the directory you installed SMF to, locate upgrade.php, select it and hit delete. You may also be able to check the box that says to delete the upgrade file, without having to delete it through an FTP program. But this will not work on all servers.
