Migration from Linux to Windows installation

[Makover]

2 reasons:

1. I'm not familiar with Linux, however I'm not sure that even basic knowledhe of the OS is necessary since all interacion is done via FTP and the control panel (web based)

2. The company already has a Windows hosting package. I'm trying to save them some money (hosting in Israel isn't as cheap as in the US )

Thank you,
Alon

[kobra]

I'm not familiar with Linux, however I'm not sure that even basic knowledhe of the OS is necessary since all interacion is done via FTP and the control panel (web based)

The OS is behind the secenes - and the Zen Cart script still runs as php/mysql which has little to do with knowing the Win environ.

What is your domain name? .com or?

[Makover]

http://carshops.co.il

Another obstacle is that I can hardly contact the one that deployed the website 2 years ago. Fortuatly I found the DB UID/PWD under configure.php.

[fairestcape]

I'm trying to save them some money (hosting in Israel isn't as cheap as in the US
Alon

I host some of my sites in the UK, some in the USA and one in South Africa... Are you obliged to host your sites in Israel? About the only issue with hosting in a western/eastern hemishphere is time zones and the server's clock - but there are work-arounds.

Experts out there... am I missing something else?

[Makover]

One of the motivations in having hosting servies locally in Israel is the local support - 24/7, on the phone and in Hebrew. We use them very seldom, usally only on setup phases, but when we need it, we want it conveniently

I've already informed the boss on the extra cost that we might have to tolerate if migration to Windows will fail. I'm still gonna give it a try.

Thank you guys for the help.
Alon

[Makover]

I'm trying to do a fresh install on the new Windows host, before the migration. I get across this error during the Database Setup phase:

Error encountered while writing /includes/configure.php

I've searched and found this, but I think it's irrelevant for Windows installations. Also, when trying to change file permissions using an FTP Client (FileZilla), the change doesn't take effect. Probably because of the Windows filesystem or perhaps I should ask the hosting company for this change.

Any idea?

[dbltoe]

reference my post above, you cannot change permissions on a windows box by ftp. You have to either be able to assign the remote drive and change permissions that way or have the host switch the permissions for you.
Hence the "contact the mother ship" comment.
While you are doing initial install, it should not be giving you a can't write error. If it is, you will need to get the host to change the permissions and I'd leave them alone until you're sure you've got the settings correct.

I don't want to get into a "my os can whup your os" battle here, but now that we've established a need to at least for now use windows, how's about working just a little more on helping? I worked several stores very well from IIS BUT>>>
I had control of the drives and could set permissions.

Yes, you can rock and roll with Linux but, sometimes you gots to take what you gets.

[fairestcape]

Having taken Makeover's situation into account - to be on a platform they are more familiar with, to save costs, to host locally in Israel etc...

... it seems a bit of a pyrrhic victory to me...

Zencart will STILL require MySQL and PHP - you can't escape that. (If you want to work with a cart that's not php and MySQL, then you'll have to look at ASP perhaps, but a dbase of some sort is fundamental.)

You will be bugging your host every second day, asking them to re-set permissions (I'm thinking of define pages changes) and a host of other issues that will ratchet up costs anyway.

And then there's also the fact that zencart will "cuddle up" to linux far better than it will to a windows server.

You may find, in the longer term, that you'll spend more time and money on a windows box than your would otherwise...

[kobra]

One of the motivations in having hosting servies locally in Israel is the local support - 24/7, on the phone and in Hebrew. We use them very seldom, usally only on setup phases, but when we need it, we want it conveniently

Yeah and how is this currently working out with them??

In fairness, if they are not savy about Zen Cart they will be of little assistance.
Sounds as though they do not have the servers setup or provide the tools for you to manage things in a manner that should be required.

In this world, what is wrong with email support? Most providers only use phone for sales visa canned tech responses and sophisticated support ticket systems for technical issues

[Makover]

OK friends, my English isn't good enough to understand all your arguments, but I understand the spirit. I'll ask them to open another Linux package tomorrow. In this case I'll just have to:

0) pray
1) have a new installation of zen-cart 1.2.5 (this is the version installed on the old host)
2) install the language pack (to support Hebrew)
3) move zen-cart from the old server to the new server
4) upgrade to the latest zen-cart version
5) pray