Software Updates.

[lrrpie]

Hi all,

Just a quick note that I have to perform some software updates on the MCB server. It will be unavailable during the updates so don't freak out if it's down. Shouldn't take too long though.

Lrrpie out.

[Painthappy]

Heh... I'm not always the professional... Thank God for Lrrpie.

[lrrpie]

Well, it certainly was an adventure but I think the first round of updates are functioning...

[Cross-Country]

What is this?

I DON'T LIKE CHANGE!!

[Pyrate Jim]

You get used to them.
You can't argue against them because they happen anyway,
Might as well accept it and move on.

[lrrpie]

Hi Jim!

[lrrpie]

Well, this was only part 1 of at least 3 updates that need to be done. Some of these are security updates and some are feature updates. I keep the server OS up to date with regular software patches/updates, which is generally the easy part. The more complicated parts are upgrading certain supporting components (Like the PHP processor) and ultimately upgrading vBulletin itself (the forum software.) Getting everything to coexist sometimes seems more like art than science! Anyway, all of this will be done over the next few days, assuming everything goes correctly!

Today was a bit of an adventure getting our existing version of vBulletin to coexist with the upgraded PHP. If people were attempting to login this afternoon they would have seen things all f'ed up for a while.

[lrrpie]

One more thing. There are times when we have no choice but to upgrade when we learn that there is some serious exploitable software flaw which has been discovered. Sometimes, the upgrades change features when we had no intention to so do, but the software fixes incorporate changes that we cannot undo. Like Jim said, it's just the way it is...

[Cal440]

Can't see my notifications list is this normal?

[Painthappy]

Okay, we are getting ready for the full upgrade to vbulletin 6.2.2 - I'll shut down the site for the upgrade. Lrrpie will take a snap shot of the server so if it all goes wrong we can revert back in an instant. The issue will come with "themes" and where things are... etc, etc. I know as much as you... Which isn't much sadly, so we will figure it all out together. Leaving this here as a heads up so when folks see the site is being upgraded, know that it will be for awesomeness!!

[lrrpie]

Unless we run into some unexpected problem, the site upgrade is scheduled for tomorrow morning 8/21 somewhere in the ballpark of 10am (Eastern) or so.

We have to "turn off" the forum during the upgrade processes. So, there might be moments when the home page appears during the various upgrade procedures but you won't be able to login. Due to the complexity, if something goes terribly wrong in the upgrade process (aka it just fails spectacularly) we'll throw in the towel, revert to a server snapshot taken just prior to turning it off, and go back to status quo ante. Wish us luck!

[Cal440]

Good luck. My page still isn't working quite right I'm hoping the update will fix it.

[TencenT]

Good luck, see you on the other side!

[Carp]

[lrrpie]

For the record, we haven't done much to the forum since July of 2020. So, this is a big one.

This here is Helmut Von Moltke. He was chief of staff of the Prussian Army. He wrote:

"No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force."



So, I've got THAT going for me... which is nice.

[Chappy]

Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face….

[lrrpie]

Welcome to the other side!

[Painthappy]

It's going to be a moment to get our modifications back up and running. Tapatalk is off for now until that can get upgraded. New things will be found, old things will be in a different spot.

I guess just go around and give everything a good poke.