Hi All,

We have a LimeSurvey instance that we host internally. We're moving our hosting external and using cPanel.
I've created a new LimeSurvey instance in cPanel using Installatron, and I've brought both our internal and new external instances up to the same version level (3.25.18).
I've exported the database from our old instance, dropped the tables on the new instance, and then imported the old tables into the new database. The old database has a different prefix (lime_ instead of ls_), so I've then updated the config.php to reflect the prefix change. However, I then get this error "CDbCommand failed to execute the SQL statement: SQLSTATE[42S02]: Base table or view not found: 1146 Table 'i7638877_ls2.ls_settings_global' doesn't exist". This table doesn't exist because of course it is called 'i7638877_ls2.lime_settings_global'. Is there another parameter I need to change somewhere?

Thanks

OK, so I've got this working by leaving the prefix as ls_ in the config.php and then using myPhpAdmin to replace the table prefixes on the restored tables from lime_ to ls_.

However I'd like to know if there will be any future detrimental issues with this before committing to moving the final live data over next week?

I personally probably would have installed the database first, and then used it during the installation of the new Limesurvey instance.

I don't think that you should encounter any problems, but of course, no guarantee. We do not know your environment, what you did exactly and obviously can't test.

I would run a couple of tests and if everything works fine I wouldn't worry too much. Keep the database dump as a backup.

I did consider this however I was unable to get a version match. The version we were running internally was newer than was available in cPanel, so I figured to install the latest available in cPanel and then ComfortUpdate it to the latest release to match our existing. I guess I could have done a manual install with the latest download but then cPanel doesn't create it as an application so I don't have the ability to run scheduled backups etc.

Everything appears fine. The only minor issue is that all my surveys URLs are presented differently. So instead of

mydomain.co.uk/limesurvey/index.php?r=su...x&sid=288312&lang=en

I am getting

mydomain.co.uk/limesurvey/index.php/288312?lang=en

I guess this is the different between hosting internally on IIS and externally on cPanel.

It's not the end of the world but will mean updating a few weblinks and QR codes etc as some of our surveys are active.

The version we were running internally was newer than was available in cPanel,

Installing Limesurvey from scratch is so simple, I wouldn't have bothered with "what is available on cpanel". Regarding the backups: Not using Cpanel anymore, but you should be able to backup websites automatically. Limesurvey is not much different to any website. It is just a very specific CMS, I guess.

The difference on the URL has to do with Mod Rewrite. Apache simplifies the URL. You can also create a redirect from the old URL to the new URL via htaccess. This is probably the easiest thing.

And I actually would guess, that the first URL would be recognized by the new server as well, as long as the position of the Index.php is the same, and of course the domain.

Hi Holch,

Thanks for your reply, it was very useful. I think I'll start again and then do as you suggest by creating the database first from my backup and then pointing to this on a manual install. At least that way I'll feel more confident about it.

In terms of the URL, unfortunately the old URL isn't recognised by the new server. The domain is the same and the position of index.php is the same too. Do you know how I would go about creating a redirect from the old URL pattern to the new? As you can probably tell, this is all new to me. We make heavy use of tokens in LimeSurvey so I'm keen to ensure that any previously issued tokens/URLs issued by e-mail remain valid.

Thanks very much for your help!

So when you call:

it does not open the survey with the SID 288312 on the new server?

In this case I would make a list of all survey URLs that you want to still use from the old server and then have a look at how to redirect these old URLs to the new URLs via .htaccess.

This has more to do with server administration than with anything else. I am not an expert on this, I would have to have a look into this myself and do some research and tests. I am not doing this often enough to know it by heart.

For example here you find a description, but there are loads of others: help.dreamhost.com/hc/en-us/articles/215...th-an-htaccess-file-

So check if there is already a .htaccess file in your LS installation, if not, create one.

You'd probably have to write something like this:

I think this .htaccess file would need to be in the "limesurvey" folder, e.g. here:

mydomain.co.uk/limesurvey/

wrote:

I did consider this however I was unable to get a version match. The version we were running internally was newer than was available in cPanel, so I figured to install the latest available in cPanel and then ComfortUpdate it to the latest release to match our existing. 
 

That could be a problem, because next time cPanel updates LimeSurvey version in their repository it could unexpectedly downgrade your installation. You should only choose one method to install, be it cPanel one, or manual installation.

wrote:

next time cPanel updates LimeSurvey version in their repository
 

Installatron is used. cPanel is not offering a LimeSurvey repository.
installatron.com/limesurvey?locale=en
They seem to still offer 4.3.3 und 3.22.25 from 2020.

cPanel makes it quite easy to install LimeSurvey manually. No need to use a thirdparty installer.
 

wrote:

wrote:

next time cPanel updates LimeSurvey version in their repository

 

Installatron is used. cPanel is not offering a LimeSurvey repository.
installatron.com/limesurvey?locale=en
They seem to still offer 4.3.3 und 3.22.25 from 2020.

cPanel makes it quite easy to install LimeSurvey manually. No need to use a thirdparty installer.

 

It doesn't matter how exactly LimeSurvey is installed. Installatron repository also could be updated some time in the future to give problems.
It is a general best practice to not mix installation and update methods.