Backup plugin.

[Ripper^^]

I was going to use the backup plugin to make a backup of my database and install but I got these error messages when i clicked on the backup interface link in the administration suite:

Warning: opendir(/kunden/homepages/14/d94200986/backups): failed to open dir: No such file or directory in /homepages/14/d94200986/htdocs/plugins/serendipity_event_backup/serendipity_event_backup.php on line 1316

Warning: readdir(): supplied argument is not a valid Directory resource in /homepages/14/d94200986/htdocs/plugins/serendipity_event_backup/serendipity_event_backup.php on line 1317

Warning: closedir(): supplied argument is not a valid Directory resource in /homepages/14/d94200986/htdocs/plugins/serendipity_event_backup/serendipity_event_backup.php on line 1326

Any help on deciphering/fixing these messages would be appreciated

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

This just means that the directory 'backups' is not existing, which s9y requires to operarte properly. So either create the mentioned directory or you configure the backup plugin to set a different target directory.

Regards,
Garvin

[carl_galloway]

I run two versions of my blog, the public one, and a private backup version on my local server. One is a linux server (public) and the other is a xampp server on windows (private). When I backup my public site I have to use phpmyadmin to export the sql dump, but then always have to edit the sql file to change the paths, delete the create tables, etc.

With phpmyadmin, which tables do I need to export to backup my site so it will work straightaway in the private version. If I get this working properly I'll write some documentation on backing up a Serendipity installation.

[garvinhicking]

Hi Carl!

Basically you really need all tables if you want to synchronize your scripts. It depends on what you want to export to your private version.

For example, if your two blogs already contain the same users and the same categories, you don't need to re-export the tables serendipity_authors and serendipity_categories every time. But if you do make changes to categories frequently, you need to synch those again.

The same applies to plugins: If you configure the two blogs the same and then never change their configuration, you don't need the serendipity_plugin* and serendipity_config table.

So, I cannot really tell you what you need to export, unless you tell me what you want to export. )

Best regards,
Garvin

[carl_galloway]

Garvin that explains it, so if all I want to do is sync my entries and comments then all I have to do is export those tables. I suppose I would also have to export the table that has the images as well.

[garvinhicking]

Exactly. The tables that get populated with usual data are:

* serendipity_entries for entries
* serendipity_comments for comments + trackbacks
* serendipity_entryproperties for Entry properties and options
* serendipity_images for new images
* serendipity_references for the links of your entries
* serendipity_entrycat for entry assignments
* serendipity_permalinks for permalinks

Tables that only change when new authors are added or permissions are changed:

* serendipity_authors
* serendipity_authorgroups
* serendipity_groupconfig
* serendipity_access

Statistical tables you might not need:

* serendipity_referrers
* serendipity_exits
* serendipity_suppress

Plugin related tables:

* serendipity_config
* serendipity_plugins
* serendipity_pluginlist
* serendipity_plugincategories

More tables:

* serendipity_config for general configuration
* serendipity_categories

HTH,
Garvin

[carl_galloway]

Fantastic, thank you for that list, I think maybe I might do some experimenting. Might even look at putting my results into some form of ducumentation for non-technical users.

[PerfectCr]

Question: When I use SQL backup there is a file I can download. Ok. When I click HTML backup the screen just refreshes and there is nothing for me to download. Was anything backed up? If so, where is the file(s)?

All I see is this on the backup interface page:

Automatic HTML backupping started
Automatic HTML deletion started
Actual HTML backup saved

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

The HTML backup uses an exec() call to tar/gzip your dir contents. Depending on your provider this might fail...?

Best regards,
Garvin

[PerfectCr]

Hi!

The HTML backup uses an exec() call to tar/gzip your dir contents. Depending on your provider this might fail...?

Best regards,
Garvin

I don't know what that means. Are you saying that I should also see a file to download when I do the HTML backup? And what exactly is being backed up? The text of my entries? Sorry, maybe I just don't understand what exactly is being "backed up".

I using my own install with godaddy.com.

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

The "HTML backup" will try to create a ZIPfile of your complete serendipity/ directory. This would include all uploaded files and custom templates and plugins. Your entry contents are stored in the SQL dump backup, though.

Sadly I didn't create the backup plugin, and it is very complex so I don't really know what is fialing. It only seems to me that it parses your complete directory structure into memory.

If your PHP is limited to 8MB memory that would mean the HTML backup file can't zip up files than about 7MB. Or maybe I'm not reading the source properly...in either case, the HTML backup is a thing which can easily fail, and if possible yous hould backup the files manually fia FTP.

Best regards,
Garvin

[PerfectCr]

Ok, I get it. I will do a manual backup via FTP! Thanks!