Install TP v0.8.6b on 1.1RC2 issue - editing Themes/default/index.template.php

[mediamon]

1. I provide volunteer support in a number of open-source product forums as well as providing help desk support at my place of business. So my suggestions/comments come from experience as I'm sure your comments do also. There is no need for  defensive posturing.

2. I understand TP is beta and I mentioned that a number of times. No need to remind me. And I completely understand the installer might not quite be finished and some hiccups might be encountered installing or otherwise. All I was requesting was a a very simple install document for the current version.

3. If there is indeed a definitive location for an updated install document I would never tell anyone to go "search for it". Especially after that person already stated they had already treaded though the boards and searched for current docs. But if you do decide to take the easy way and cannot provide a URL and have that overriding need to tell someone to search for it, maybe offer a few keywords to search on.

4. I would gamble the number of support inquiries posted in this install forum would be cut in half, if a doc was made sticky and/or provided with the distribution. Compare the amount of time it takes to create a simple doc versus the time it takes to repeatedly respond to common/similar inquiries, many inquires that could be prevented. You do the math.

5. No one yet has responded to why an install read me is not offered in the distribution package and why the provided instructions to edit the index.template.php file is so out of whack. And why an updated index.template.php is not available for download or bundled in the distribution. This is especially odd since both  SMF 1.1RC2 and TP 0.86b have been in existence for awhile.

6. Just because it's beta is no reason to tell people to search for it or to suggest that since do not know how to use the forum packet manager that they should not be using it. It is just better to not respond. Your assumption was false I had previously updated my SMF through the SMF packet manager so I do know how to use it. I stated that I did not know TP could be installed through the packet manager.

7. I have documented the install process and some of issues I observed and solutions and workarounds implemented. It truly did not take very long to put together so that is the crux of my question, why had it not been done before? I would be willing to contribute this document to your project, if Bloc would ensure it would be posted in a conspicuous location and would distribute with the software, and provide  he URL to the forum support team so they don't have to tell well meaning people to "search for it".

8. I do certainly appreciate the volunteer "tech" support you all have provided on this board. But the tone/delivery needs a little tweaking. Volunteer or not there is no need for such defensiveness. That kind of approach in the support forums is detrimental to this fine project.

[G6Cad]

4. I would gamble the number of support inquiries posted in this install forum would be cut in half, if a doc was made sticky and/or provided with the distribution. Compare the amount of time it takes to create a simple doc versus the time it takes to repeatedly respond to common/similar inquiries, many inquires that could be prevented. You do the math.

I totally agree with you thats why we HAVE sticky posts with how to install, upgrade, convert, replace and more.
But the thing is, mist users don't know how to read them or follow them, they read a line, and OH, lets do this, and then they don't follow the rest of the steps, and end up with errors. (Not saying you did that though)

But one thing we all have noticed are that we could spend a lot of time writing docs to explain the steps on how to install the diffrent versions. But the hard thing in this is that not many servers they install it on work the same, diffrent versions of sql, diffrent versions of phpmyadmin, Linux setups that don't work proper and so on.
Not many hosts work flawless right now, but the development is in progress for the scripts to read and/or rewrite the code to suit more servers.
When we have a fully working script we will build up a massive documentation for how to with every thing regarding TP
But as long as the development change form one day to an other, there is no reason for us to spend time writing docs that are not valid the day after.

But i know what you want to see, and your thinking is great, but we cant provide a documentation other then the helping threads through several installs with errors that wi manage to solve in one way or another.
Thats the biggest issue with beta testing, we all are beta testers, and beta versions change drastic some time. In the next release there are numerous of changes that are going to make things easier for the users to install TP through diffrent setups, so it will be better. Bloc and some other mods here are writing up diffrent guides as is now, a whole new documentation section is there and are building up every day.

So i hope you will see this soon and feel that your thinking was answered to a long time ago
Both by you, and by us that help out here

[kulbrich]

This topic looks closest to where I'm now stuck (and yes, I've searched, and yes, I've read, and yes, I've tried what I could think of, but sadly I'm still a newbie to this!).

I have SMF 1.1RC2, and applied the patch to RC2 for that security issue (which I guess didn't warrant a new release #).  Next, downloaded TP 0.86 and installed it via the Package Manager.    Nothing happened.  After a while of trying out everything I could think of, I realized there were additional steps listed in the "TP_mod-instructions.txt" file that I guess I'd assumed were done programmatically but were left for me to do.

Patched as instructed, by hand. 

Ran into the snag on the index.template.php file with the text missing.  Searched.  Downloaded the updated version from this other thread --> http://www.tinyportal.net/smf/index.php?topic=6456.0 , and replaced my version with that one.

Then it occured to me to test my results ... and, well, after all those steps, I now have a pure blank forum, that responds on no urls whatsoever, and renders no content at all. 

Any suggestions where I should take my troubleshooting next?  I doublechecked all my edits, and they all appear correct.

[mediamon]

Any suggestions where I should take my troubleshooting next?  I doublechecked all my edits, and they all appear correct.

Hi Kulbrich-

I'm presuming your DB did not get updated. I solved my issue by downloading the database update only version of TP (manual_tp_install.hp) then copying it over to the root of SMF, then running the script from the browser.

See my post at http://www.tinyportal.net/smf/index.php?topic=6456.msg52755#msg52755

Hope this helps,
Woody

[kulbrich]

Thanks ... I'll take a look at that.  Also after downloading and examining the "manual install" zips for files as well as db, I think the Package Manager install just failed utterly and completely (while reporting "Success" at every step) -- because there are no TP source files anywhere (unless you count the zipfile and the temp folder in the Packages directory) in my whole SMF installation. 

I guess I'll see about installing stuff by-hand?  (I'm thinking an SMF reinstallation is in my near future).   Thanks for the suggestion!

Karl

UPDATE: Manually installing the files appears to have fixed the install -- at least, TP shows up now and lets me play!  Odd the package didn't install.

[G6Cad]

Some times the hosts have activated the php security on their servers, and when the security is set a bit high by the host, the files don't get uploaded correct through the package manager, and give a blank forum even if the package did get installed correct.

Usually it helps with just upload all the TP files from the manual package, but sometimes even that fail for some reason, but almost every time it is the security settings on the host that are the reason for non working packagemanager, and not TP install package.