Thought I'd managed this upgrade but now I get this when adding a link either from the Admin area or from my site:

Failed to execute query: 'INSERT INTO Links_Links (Title,Status,Description,Rating,isChanged,isNew,Add_Date,isValidated,Contact_Name,Votes,URL,Contact_Email,Hits,LinkOwner,Mod_Date,isPopular,ID) VALUES ('Platense - Official Site','0','','0','No','Yes','2001-07-07','No','Steve','0','http://www.cdplatense.com/','steve@soccerlinks.co.uk','0','Steve','2001-07-07','No',NULL)' Reason: Unknown column 'Contact_Name' in 'field list'

Can anyone help with this please.

Thanks

How did you do the upgrade?

I think in 2.04, "Contact_Email" was added back in, both for compatibility issues, and for allowing a "contact" to be different from the LinkOwner.

I'm not sure... but I think the Install script senses the need to upgrade, and upgrades the database tables. If not, there is an option somewhere to do it.

You might want to re-run the install program.

Chec, the announcements area for the 2.04 annoucement for more.

PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin

I ran install.cgi from the browser.

I don't really want to re-install unless there is no other way. This upgrade is a nightmare - it messes up the templates and plug ins and I really don't want to go back to the beginning unless there is no option.

Thanks for your help pugdog - any idea what I can do next?

It doesn't mess up the templates, just pick "backup" or don't overwrite on the templates. They should not be touched.

Running from the browser has some problems, unless all your installs were from the browser.

Telnet is much easier, and more informative for installs and upgrades like this.

FWIW: I've had no problems with 2.04 installing, upgrading or even reinstalling. All via telnet.



PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin

I found that there were tags in my old templates that were producing 'Unknown Tag:' responses. I can't remember what they were now but there certainly were some. I had to rework some of the original templates based around the new default template set.

I didn't know there were problems upgrading by browser. I can't see that mentioned anywhere. I think Alex should read this thread and offer some help really or make it clear that anyone upgrading should be using telnet.

Glad you've had no problems with this upgrade but there seems to be plenty of people that have. We're not all computer experts and some of us have no interest at all in how these scripts work. I just want a working Links SQL.. I don't want to spend hours trying to work out what bit does what and why it isn't doing what it's supposed to.

Sorry if that sounds like a bit of a rant but I'm cheesed off with this at the moment and being told that *you* have no problems really isn't what I wanted to hear. I apologise once again.. it isn't meant personally.. I'll mail GT and see if I can get some help that way.

Telnet is always the preferred way. The browser is only for those people who do not have telnet access, and it allows them to still _possibly_ run the program. The DMOZ import only runs via telnet, and there are less problems doing it that way.

Once the install is done, you go to the browser to do the set up.

Template tags always have to be adjusted, especially if you have made custom changes, or added tags.

Also, in the upgrade, some tags have to be turned into <%loop%> constructs, as pointed out several times in the forum.

Upgrades are never "painless", but they don't have to be painful. Every upgrade adds features, and when that happens, modifications have to be made all around.

What that means is that the install works, and you have to make adjustments for YOUR situation. It's not possible, and it's really unfair, to expect GT to be able to release an upgrade that works perfectly for everyone in all situations. Considering the variety and variation in sites, it's just not possible.


PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin

Well I hate to disagree but the install doesn't work for me.

All I am using is the basic av template set from 2.0.3 - I've hardly changed it at all since I wanted the site to look like alta vista, a design that everyone is familiar with.

I added the Days_Old, Bad_Link, Search_Logger and AdCycle Plug Ins. I haven't hacked the script as I don't know perl, or altered it in any way. Everything worked like a charm with 2.03 - I only started this upgrade because I wanted the newer version of the Bad-Links plug in. Boy, was that a mistake!

The 2.0.3 install was done by GT as this was the first install.

I've downloaded the new 2.04 script and run install.cgi from the browser as instructed and I get the error mentioned in my first post.

Given all the above facts then yes I think it is fair to expect the upgrade to work with no problems don't you?

Go to the admin->setup->sql options area, and resync your databases.

Then, check the table format in the database->tables->properties area and see if you have a field Contact_Email. You should also have Contact_Name as a field.

Something didn't go right at the begining for you, since I have upgraded several sites with almost that exact same configuration, with no problems.

Once something goes wrong, you have to back-track to see where.




PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin

OK Thanks

I *did* have a Conatct_Email and Contact_Name field but now that I have resync(ed) the databases these have disappeared.

Do you think I should just re-install?

Thanks

Wow! - Just to add to that.. the Contact_Name and Contact_Email fields have now disappeared altogether but the add a site option now works again.

How did that happen then? I thought the contact name and email fields were a part of 2.04?? I don't understand and I'm not going to try. It seems to work.. maybe there's something else that's stopped functioning I dare not look but thanks for your help.

No, the problem was the aborted install.

The .def file was updated, but the database tables were not. How that happened, I'm not sure, but before driving yourself crazy, you should always:

1) resync your .def files.
2) repair your tables
3) reindex the search

IN THAT ORDER!

This hasn't changed much from 1.x except that it's much easier now <G>

It's very, very important for the .def file to match the database table layout. When you resync, the database table itself is read, and the .def file is re-created, with as many user-supplied-changes as possible being retained (like weights and defaults) but others set to the system defaults for that field or field type.

This is probably the least understood "feature" or "function" of Links SQL. The .def files are very, very important, and they are not re-synced, or updated often enough by the system programs for my tastes. I've always felt that a resync should be part of the repair process, the build process, etc. There is no really good reason I can think of to _not_ resync the .def files -- if they are out of sync, then bad things can happen.

It is the .def file, not the table, that is used to determine what fields exist, what order they are in (and thus what values your forms input), and if they do not match the tables, very strange, and often very bad behaviour can happen.

If you go back to telnet, and install the upgrade, I think you'll find it all works ok. Nothing in your setup as you described it should not upgrade easily.

There are a lot of versions of Links out there, since Alex seems to install the "current" version rather than the current release version, on many sites. There are all subtle differences, and I'm really hoping that 2.1 will _finally_ "freeze" and bring everyone up to, the same version both major and minor.



PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin

Thanks for the info.

I know nothing about .def files and resync... you're right it would be handy if the build process handled all that so that us computer dummies don't throw our PC's out the window trying to get something to work that may aswell have been written in Chinese.

When the next upgrade comes along I don't think I'll be first in the queue somehow :-)

Thanks for taking the trouble to help.

Hello!

I have still the same problem!

Was this problem solved? If yes, how?

Thanks