cannot create session when trying to update database

[DrByte]

zc_install relies on the /cache/ folder being writable and browser cookies being enabled in order to do its session handling.

[brad_at_foreverybody]

zc_install relies on the /cache/ folder being writable and browser cookies being enabled in order to do its session handling.

The installer gave me a green check next to the cache folder being writable and permission on that folder is currently 777. cookies are most definitely enabled and accepted as i can look at my browser cookies and I have a zenInstallid cookie set. My php.ini only allows session cookies and not the query string method.

Right now everything is working fine, including loging into the admin section, but I failed to sluff off all the additional crap i was trying to leave behind since, apparently, much of that stuff was stored in the DB.

With that said I think I'll attempt a fresh install on this server then import only the customers/products/orders over. is this a bad idea? I havent yet searched for a guide on this, but it seems like i ought to be able to pull it off ok.

My only concern is the installer not letting me install for the same reason it wont let me upgrade the db. I am hopeful that removing my config files and emptying the database will solve that issue. I will now search for a way to import the customers/products/orders from a 1.3.8 db to a 1.3.9 db. Unless somebody wants to help out and post a link.

[brad_at_foreverybody]

deleting the configure files and running the installer again worked. I was able to install a clean install without all the crap from the old store. Now I just need to find out what data I need to import to the new store and from where.

I have this new database and all I want to import is customers/products/coupons/orders and related data. would it be best to insert into the appropriate tables all the data from my old 1.3.8 database or insert the data from the 1.3.9 database that I upgraded from the 1.3.8 database from my previous attempt?

[gjh42]

I have seen people recommend using easy populate to export the info from the old store, massage as desired, and import into the new one.

[brad_at_foreverybody]

I have seen people recommend using easy populate to export the info from the old store, massage as desired, and import into the new one.

excellent info, thanks. Do you know if that can import from an older version to a newer one? I will look into this.

Edit: looked into EP and it lists 1.3.8 for compatibility...

[DrByte]

As for EP, it only handles products and categories. Not attributes or customers/orders.

[brad_at_foreverybody]

Thanks for the advice Dr. Byte.

I'm 99.9% confident that I have successfully imported products/categories/coupons form the old database correctly. I actually am a webdeveloper with many years of php and mysql experience. I just wanted to use officially supported means of migrating data if possible.

I am now debating about orders. See I didnt import disabled products (discontinued products number in the 1000s for this store) but obviously there were past orders for said products. I dont think I really need the old orders as the orders are automatically being pushed into our ERP system by some custom code I wrote. Since the orders are in that system we also run our reports form that system so the only side effect i can think of are customers not being able to look up order history from the old orders.

if i did choose to import orders would it be benign to have order products that do not exist in the products table? (i did import the products_id from the old store so they have the same id in the old and new database)

if i didnt bring orders in I am assuming setting the auto increment for the orders_id column on the orders table to that of the old store would be sufficient to have the new orders start incrementing from where they left off. is that a safe assumption?

again sorry for breaking the rules. I assure you a donation is in your future (even if you cant help me here, zencart is great stuff, kudos)

[DrByte]

With that said I think I'll attempt a fresh install on this server then import only the customers/products/orders over. is this a bad idea?

Every time I see someone try to do that they bork it up.

Well, actually, some don't: the ones who don't have any problem with it are the ones who don't have to ask "how" because they already understand databases and relational integrity since they do it every day.

If that's not you, then it's advisable that you wipe your new database, import the old one, run zc_install to do the database-upgrade, and then carry on.


You could remove old database components added by addons by running any provided uninstall scripts that might have been published by the addons' authors. Since you haven't elaborated on anything about the kinds of things you think you need to remove, it's hard to guide you about that.