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#1 2024-04-18 06:51:36

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

The phpBB3 Demonstration site for NewMars is working well.

http://40.75.112.55/phpBB3/index.php

We would appreciate all current NewMars members helping the Admins to evaluate this forum software.
To request an account, please write newmarsmember@gmail.com, and provide the user name you would like to use.
One of the Admins will set up an account with a temporary password, and send you an email reply.
Please log in and change the password.

For Admins: Please set up our existing forum members as Regular Members and omit the Newbee group.

Please note that the site is running in a Virtual Machine on Azure... this means that when you first "wake up" the site, it is coming out of hibernation and needs time to collect the software to support your visit. It is normal for MySQL to lag behind, and you are likely to receive a message to the effect that MySQL is missing or absent or otherwise indisposed. Just Refresh your browser, and press "Yes" or "Confirm" and the site will continue normally. Once the software has been loaded, you should not see that particular error while you are using the system. If you see ** other ** errors, please report them.

In any case, please provide feedback to the Admins via ** this ** topic.  It would be a ** lot ** of work to move the forum to this system, so it is only a gleam in SpaceNut's eye at this point.

Here is a preliminary report on the new "Industry" category:

INDUSTRY
TOPICS POSTS
LAST POST
Water
The supply of Water will be a major industry from the first landing on...

1 Topics 1 Posts
Last postWater Locations
by tahanson43206     View the latest post 

Thu Apr 18, 2024 12:39 pm

Oxygen and Hydrogen
This is going to be a major industry on Mars. While finding water is the first priority, Oxygen and Hydrogen will be close behind.
0 Topics0 Posts
No posts

Hydrocarbons
With a supply of oxygen (for oxidizer) and hydrogen, plus carbon from the atmosphere, this industry will be busy from the earliest days making rocket propellant and other hydrocarbons.

All NewMars members are welcome to participate in evaluation of this software for possible use by NewMars. 

The site is available at: http://http://40.75.112.55/phpBB3/index.php

Registrations are open right now.  If you decide to register, please create a post.  This will raise a flag so that either SpaceNut or I can admit you to "Esteemed Regular Member".  Once you've been admitted to the ranks of "Regular Member" you can create posts and topics without further monitoring.

I am particular interested in your development of the proposed new Categories ... We've created such new categories as Industry, Agriculture and Education, and I'm hoping these will attract your interest.

The Admins are ** also ** interested in your suggestions for new Categories!

(th)

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#2 2024-04-18 06:52:23

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

This post is reserved for an index to posts (to this topic) that NewMars members may contribute over time.

(th)

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#3 2024-04-18 12:40:55

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

Our webmaster is Admin kbd512.

Recently, kbd512 asked me to run phpBB3 past the Visual Studio Code with PHP extensions that I installed recently to debug FluxBB.

Visual Studio Code reported only one defect in phpBB3 and it was so minor as to border on nitpicky. However, with the addition of a cleanup suggestion from ChatGPT4, the entire project is now reported as clean.

For the record (and for posterity if there is such a thing) here is the code applied today to index.php.

// Code added to clear Intelliphense error 2024/04/18 (th)
if (!defined('PHPBB_ROOT_PATH')) {
    define('PHPBB_ROOT_PATH', './');
}

(th)

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#4 2024-04-18 17:10:54

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

I have a problem in that when I go to the new board its topics page is visible for viewing but once I log in and it provides a session key the forum topic page is hidden, and I am not able to see it and when logged out it comes back to view.

The appearance of the topics does look good, and I am able to read the topics not logged into it as a user able to post.
post 105 of the original topic
reply to link use

after login I get this if I do not interrupt it

Info
Bad C S R F hash. You were referred to this page from an unauthorized source.

Go back

Jump to

Meta New Mars

P o w e r e d by FluxBB

Then if I let it keep going the page throughs it to the newmars address not on the azure site.

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#5 2024-04-18 17:43:29

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re #4

Thanks for participating in the testing.

We now have TWO web sites up on Azure for you to test.

I would like to point out that the message you quoted in #4 shows FluxBB as the site.

Apache Internal Server Error didn't like something in this post ...

If you are testing FluxBB, then most functions will not work.

If you are testing phpBB3, then everythink should work, but it may behave differently than you are expecting as Admin, so I might be able to answer questions you might have.

I have seen what you are talking about, when I find myself unexpectedly back on the NewMars site.

That might be happening in part because I am using a single browser to access all three sites.

Thanks again for trying to experiment with the systems.

I think it would be best if you were to ignore FluxBB at Azure, until I report it is fixed.

Please just concentrate on phpBB3, and see if you can learn how to create topics and posts to go into the new Categories, or the old Categories, for that matter.


(th)

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#6 2024-04-18 18:04:18

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

Once I log in onto the azure newmars on phpbb3 site here is what I get

NewMars On phpBB3
This is a demo for NewMars

Skip to content
Quick linksFAQACPSpaceNutPrivate messagesNotifications
HomeBoard index
Information
You cannot read posts in this forum.

HomeBoard indexAll times are UTC-04:00Delete cookiesMembersThe teamContact us
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited

Privacy | Terms

Administration Control Panel

It shows that I am in but I am not in to read any location.

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#7 2024-04-18 18:44:50

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re #6

Thank you for showing me what you are seeing!

I created that account when I was first trying to learn how to set up the site.

I am sure that account was set up incorrectly.

I propose we remove it and let you register as a new user, which should give the system a chance to set you up correctly.

I will then re-appoint you to the Admin group.

You cannot delete your own account so if you will acknowledge this offer with "Doit" or something similar, I will delete the account and let you know the system is ready for you to register as a new user.

As a related question,  could you verify something .... when I first set up that account, I used a password that was temporary.

You logged in and changed the password. I do not know how that function works.  Was it fairly simple? I ask because the lost password function is not working because we don't have email service in Azure.  That service costs extra, and I'm not currently paying for it.

(th)

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#8 2024-04-18 19:07:09

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

Go ahead and we will do a new account.

It's in the user panel for the profile so not an issue.

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#9 2024-04-18 19:47:49

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut ....

Re post #8 ....

Thank you for your description of the problem.  When I called up your account, I was able to see the problem. I had deleted "Regular Member" from your groups, because I didn't know (at the time) you need that to operate as a regular member when you are not an Administrator. Now you are both a Registered Member and an Administrator.

Actually, you could have given yourself the Regular membership, but since you are just now learning the Admin features of phpBB3, you did not know it.

There are probably a zillion other things we don't know.

Fortunately this is a test environment, and if we need to restore the entire system it is easy to do, so please feel free to take risks in order to learn how things work.

At the same time, when you ** are ** taking those risks, please be sure you are in the Azure account and not the NewMars one.

Your next homework assignment is to learn how to create a new Category.

I sent you some instructions, but we won't know you've got the technique down until you create a new category.

If you like cooking you could make a category for cooking.  RobertDyck is particularly gifted along those lines, so he might be willing to post one or more of his famous recipes that are scattered around in 20+years of the archive.

(th)

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#10 2024-04-19 17:29:55

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

Had to create new username and its SpaceNut1 as the other one indicated it was still active for use.

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#11 2024-04-19 17:31:37

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re new member !!! RobertDyck is now a moderator at the phpBB3 test site!

RoberDyck registered and created a post in the Large Ship Forum of the Projects Category.

Welcome to RobertDyck, and thanks for joining the Admin team.  Please report to us (Admins and all who might be interested) on what powers you may have as a moderator.  SpaceNut and I now see the Admin menu.  I can't speak for SpaceNut, but ** I ** have no idea what the powers or limits there may be on a Moderator. Please try some Moderator things and let us know what happens.

(th)

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#12 2024-04-20 07:22:17

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

tahanson43206 wrote:

For SpaceNut ....

Thanks to your leadership, our forum is free of hacker attack successes.... We are still being attacked by bots every day and every minute of every day, but for several years now not ONE of those bots has penetrated the strong defense you set up.

However, Dr. Lewis Dartnell's older phpBB forum is under serious attack and the hackers have found a way to promote themselves from Newbee to Regular Member.  I've notified Dr. Dartnell, and he responded recently to acknowledge the situation.

Below I will show the status of the Knowledge forum as of a few minutes ago.  I'm planning to post similar messages to show the progress of the assault. Eventually I assume/hope Dr. Dartnell will decide on a response. In the meantime, the number of fake members is growing at the rate of hundreds per day.

WHO IS ONLINE
In total there are 372 users online :: 2 registered, 0 hidden and 370 guests (based on users active over the past 5 minutes)
Most users ever online was 437 on Thu Apr 18, 2024 9:51 pm

Registered users: Barbarafrers, tahanson43206
STATISTICS
Total posts 2371 • Total topics 323 • Total members 27849 • Our newest member eseiceseqav

Note: there are only about a 1000 ** real ** members in the Knowledge forum, just as we have about 1000 ** real ** members in NewMars.

The total number of fake accounts is therefore on the order of 27,000 and growing rapidly.

***
Update ... here is the corresponding report for NewMars...

Newest registered user: GStanley2023
Registered users online: 0
Guests online: 115

Of the 115 "guest" I am the only "real" entity.  All 114 of the others are bots.

In our multiple initiatives to investigate options for the forum, we have the opportunity to investigate whether we might be able to characterize the "guests". There may be a way to determine if they are human or bot, but at this point, I don't know what such a method might be. Analysis of the IP address ** is ** possible, and we could easily report the country of origin of each "guest".  Google does something similar with it's web site reporting tool.

Come to think of it, we might be able to install the Google web site reporting tool. We set that up for the Living Universe web site, and it produced interesting results.

(th)

For SpaceNut re Turning off Registrations...

If you will document how to do that, I'd be happy to forward your instructions to Dr. Dartnell.

As you do so, please keep in mind that it has literally been years (since 2018) that he opened a session on the Knowledge forum.

Your advice needs to be written for someone who has forgotten almost everything about how to run the site, and in any case, never knew how to shut off Registration.  While you're at it, please find out where the text we see at our Registration page is stored. That needs to be changed to point to our new registration procedure, and now that we have a Webmaster (kbd512) we can change it. (Assuming you cannot, which is  possible).

(th)

For SpaceNut re Turning off Registrations....

Please document how to do that in the new phpBB3 test site.

I'd be happy to forward your instructions to Dr. Dartnell at discuss.the-knowledge.org

***
Here is the status of the hacker assault today:

WHO IS ONLINE
In total there are 156 users online :: 3 registered, 0 hidden and 153 guests (based on users active over the past 5 minutes)
Most users ever online was 582 on Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:08 pm

Registered users: epehobo, tahanson43206, valtrex 500mg coupon

STATISTICS
Total posts 2382 • Total topics 323 • Total members 28274 • Our newest member valtrex 500mg coupon
Here is yesterday's report:
Total posts 2371 • Total topics 323 • Total members 27849 • Our newest member eseiceseqav

The increase of "members" is 425 That's a ** lot ** ... the hackers seem to have found a weak site are are going after it.

(th)

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#13 2024-04-20 07:26:17

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re #12

Thanks for moving the request for assistance for Dr. Dartnell to this forum.

I'm hoping can provide him with advice sooner than later... yesterday there over 400 not hacker ID's added to his site.

(th)

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#14 2024-04-20 08:34:07

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

From first log in and possible second log into the ACP controls for the forum in my case.

https://www.fastcomet.com/tutorials/php … n-settings

https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=518820

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#15 2024-04-20 09:09:13

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re #14

Thanks for doing that research!  I found this tip in the second link:

Post by matthewf » Wed Feb 21, 2007 1:41 pm

sorry david63 but that is true, setting the option to disable does stop new people from registering, I have tested this on both my B4 > B5 test board and a recent CVS, this completely stops people from adding an account to the board

You must have done something similar in the FluxBB forum.

The pbhBB3 forum is totally under our control, so we can change the message.

I am not happy with the message we have now in FluxBB... it appears that message is hard coded, so we would need to persuade our webmaster to make the change and we would (probably) need at least tacit approval from Mars Society.

I'll look for the corresponding message in phpBB3 and change the message.

(th)

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#16 2024-04-20 09:24:05

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut ... thanks again for investigating how to close off Registrations.

I have disabled registrations on the demo site, and created a Topic in Meta to explain the policy and procedure to apply for membership.

Here is the content of a Topic I created to explain the policy and procedure:

This forum is interested in having you as a member. 

Please send email to newmarsmember@gmail.com to request a login.

We have closed off automated registration due to the astonishing amount of hacker activity on the Internet in 2024.

Registration is a simple process. The Admin who receives your request will create an account with a username you request, and will provide a temporary password. You'll be able to change the password after logging in.

Thanks for your interest in the NewMars forum!

For the Admins 2024/04/20
tahanson43206

I will forward this information to Dr. Dartnell...

(th)

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#17 2024-04-20 09:28:57

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For all ....

The test forum at Azure now is accepting registrations by email.

However, we will accept registration requests from existing NewMars members right here.

If you are interested in helping to evaluate the new software, please just ask.

As of right now, SpaceNut, RobertDyck and GW Johnson are registered members.

An invitation is extended to all current NewMars members to assist with evaluation of the phpBB3 forum.

http://40.75.112.55/phpBB3/index.php


(th)

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#18 2024-04-20 10:29:14

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut ...

Re: Specifications for Large Ship
Post by SpaceNut » Fri Apr 19, 2024 11:51 pm

seems that we can migrate the fluxbb discussions to this format.

Above is quoted from the new forum.

Do you want kbd512 to install this system at the Mars Society?  If you like it, and everyone else is OK with it, we can set it up next to the existing forum, and load the existing users table and let the rest of the system grow from there.

We can turn off updates/edits of the old system, and allow unlimited read access as long as Mars Society is willing to maintain the system.

In the case of a long running project like Large Ship, we could import the posts in that topic with a special run, so that all that history is readily available for RobertDyck to use as he brings in new contributors.

We have a weekly Google Meeting coming up tomorrow. Please decide if you want to proceed before then.

(th)

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#19 2024-04-20 10:44:17

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

I would like to migrate our topics, if possible, to the new phpBB3 platform if possible since we are able to save the data into excel then we are able to move the topics into the correct locations in the new data base structure.
I am sure we still need more time to explore this.

Export - / Import tables from MySQL

How to Import a Table using phpMyAdmin

How to Import Data into SQL Tables

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#20 2024-04-20 10:53:10

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut ...

kbd512 can probably migrate everything.

What I'm suggesting for your consideration is to just move (copy) the Users table, and let everyone start over in the new environment.

We can keep the old forum in read-only state (assuming the Mars Society is agreeable).

Members can copy and paste individual posts, as they might be inspired.

Do you want to wait a week before deciding whether to set up the phpBB3 as a separate forum at Mars Society?

(th)

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#21 2024-04-20 10:56:56

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

You already showed that the current fluxbb can be brought over with its tables so modifying the tables to go into the new format should not be a problem.

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#22 2024-04-20 13:54:54

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re #21

Thank you for the inspiration to collect data ahead of a possible migration.  Each of the two forum packages contains tables, and each table contains fields.  The challenge for migration is to match each field in each table to the corresponding field in the other forum package. This cannot be done (reliably) by automation, although automation can certainly help to reduce the workload on the human given this responsibility. In terms of Excel Spreadsheets, it is as though you had two different departments in a large organization, and each spreadsheet has the title Bill of Materials.  If you were given responsibility to copy data from one to the other, you would examine each cell in each column of the spreadsheets. You would carefully record the kind of data that might be stored, and you  would also carefully note an embedded calculations that might be associated with each spreadsheet.  You would then devise programming to (very carefully) move data from one spreadsheet to the other.

I will try to obtain counts of data elements for the two packages.

Part of the challenge of moving a database is maintaining referential integrity.  This means that ID's stored in tables to point to rows in other tables must match after the migration.  ** That ** means there will be gaps in the indices of the destination database that match the gaps in the original database.  FluxBB has many such gaps.

(th)

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#23 2024-04-20 14:16:07

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 29,428

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

With data at work, I make use of Access to combine related tables so as to remove the items not required to give a fresh view of that information. It also is a means to design a new layout for that data as you can copy a view of information that is created in new tables or export it.
In either case its hours of work ahead of the task to bring NewMars into the more modern application.

https://www.phpbbservices.com/2016/11/1 … up-groups]

https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support … ors-phpbb/

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#24 2024-04-20 19:36:54

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re #23

Thanks for your comments on the challenges of working with Excel spreadsheets in a corporate setting where accuracy is vital.

Thanks too for what look like helpful links.

This post is to inform you that I tested the (proposed) new Registration procedure this evening. the email link appears to have worked. The email program on my PC was opened, and I sent an email to the NewMars Recruiting account. I'll let you know if it arrived.

My guess is that all we need to switch to the phpBB3 site is to copy over the users table with passwords.

It might make sense to bring over Topics, so our members can just start posting into them.

I'll ask kbd512 what he thinks might be best.

(th)

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#25 2024-04-20 19:52:25

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,221

Re: phpBB3 Demonstration Forum on Azure

For SpaceNut re phpBB3....

I created the new Inactive users group.

If you have time, please move SpaceNut1 into that new group.

It has the privileges of a guest, so former members can read posts and do whatever guests can do.

The ** big ** feature of this group is to "unban" all those older members who got banned during the spammer/hacker emergency.

I'd like to move most of those usernames into unbanned status as soon as possible.

(th)

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