Migration error with question2answer.rb

Ankhamax · March 4, 2019, 7:12pm

Hi there,

I am trying to use question2answer.rb importer script to migrate my site to the discourse platform. But I am facing the following error during the migration process.

How to fix it? I am using the default docker container on a clean ubuntu 18.04.

importing users

**Traceback** (most recent call last):

9: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:560:in `&lt;main&gt;'

8: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:47:in `perform'

7: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:71:in `execute'

6: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:85:in `import_users'

5: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:555:in `mysql_query'

4: from /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.5.0/gems/rack-mini-profiler-1.0.2/lib/patches/db/mysql2.rb:22:in `query'

3: from /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.5.0/gems/mysql2-0.5.2/lib/mysql2/client.rb:130:in `query'

2: from /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.5.0/gems/mysql2-0.5.2/lib/mysql2/client.rb:130:in `handle_interrupt'

1: from /var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.5.0/gems/mysql2-0.5.2/lib/mysql2/client.rb:131:in `block in query'

/var/www/discourse/vendor/bundle/ruby/2.5.0/gems/mysql2-0.5.2/lib/mysql2/client.rb:131:in `_query': **Table 'primary_db.users' doesn't exist (** **Mysql2::Error** **)**

pfaffman · March 4, 2019, 12:10pm

The users table that it’s looking for does not exist. Do you see a table called “users”? Do you have the right database?

Ankhamax · March 4, 2019, 12:22pm

I believe that I have the right database as I finished importing the database (on Discourse server) using

mysql -uroot -p -e 'CREATE DATABASE q2a' 

mysql -uroot -p q2a < q2a_dump.sql

I was able to back up my new database using

mysqldump -u username -p database_to_backup > backup_name.sql

and I downloaded it on my computer to verify that I have the proper database.

I have a table called qa_users

pfaffman · March 4, 2019, 12:33pm

That’s the default. Did you change the db_prefix to “primary_dB” for some reason?

Ankhamax · March 4, 2019, 12:39pm

It was already included in the importer script as follows.

  # CHANGE THESE BEFORE RUNNING THE IMPORTER

  DB_HOST ||= ENV['DB_HOST'] || "localhost"
  DB_NAME ||= ENV['DB_NAME']
  DB_PW ||= ENV['DB_PW']
  DB_USER ||= ENV['DB_USER']
  TIMEZONE ||= ENV['TIMEZONE'] || "America/Los_Angeles"
  TABLE_PREFIX ||= ENV['TABLE_PREFIX'] || "qa_"
  MAIN_APP_DB_NAME = "primary_db"

So I didn’t change MAIN_APP_DB_NAME part as I am not familiar with that.

pfaffman · March 4, 2019, 12:44pm

Did you set those environment variables? DB_NAME TABLE_PREFIX and so on?

Ankhamax · March 4, 2019, 1:03pm

I set all environment variables that I quoted above.

pfaffman · March 4, 2019, 1:25pm

What did you set TABLE_PREFIX to?

Ankhamax · March 4, 2019, 1:28pm

export TABLE_PREFIX=“qa_”

pfaffman · March 4, 2019, 1:38pm

Sorry. I’m in my logins and didn’t read the code carefully.

I’m pretty sure that I wrote that script, but I didn’t see that main all stuff down in the query; I’m sure I didn’t write that.

You’ll need to edit the script to have it use the database and prefix that you set in the environment variables.

Ankhamax · March 4, 2019, 1:49pm

What should I do about this one?

pfaffman · March 4, 2019, 3:05pm

You’ll need to rewrite all of the dB queries.

Ankhamax · March 5, 2019, 3:21am

I am sorry, Jay. I am not quite sure what you mean by that? Could you please give me some pointers here? I hope that you don’t mean by rewriting the importer script of question2answer.

Thanks

pfaffman · March 5, 2019, 4:54am

Not the whole script, just the database queries, and really just the FROM part. If you have a budget I can fix it for you.

Ankhamax · March 5, 2019, 12:42pm

I don’t have much budget but I would like to import small data from my old forum.

What do you have in mind?

pfaffman · March 5, 2019, 4:24pm

Send an email to support@literatecomputing.com.

If I can log in remotely to the machine where you’re running the import it’ll help, as I’ll be able to see whether it works without sending it to you, having you import, tell me what’s wrong, and trying again.

michaeld · March 5, 2019, 9:16pm

It seems the question2answer importer was written for a case where there is an additional set of tables in the database for another app that was integrated with it. That is what the MAIN_APP_DB_NAME refers to.

We have done an import for a standalone q2a site recently and we have a modified version of the script which does not depend on this extra database. @RGJ was going to clean it up and submit it back in the next few weeks.

RGJ · February 8, 2021, 11:09pm

[Here](https://gist.github.com/Communiteq (formerly DiscourseHosting)/769eff2014d5482f0ab776de03dc3349) is a gist of our modified importer so you don’t need to wait for me to clean it up, the code is already pretty ok though.

remove dependency on that other mysterious database which is probably something bespoke
import comments
import best answer

codinghorror · March 5, 2019, 11:13pm

Aw nice, thanks for that

Ankhamax · February 8, 2021, 11:09pm

In the recent attempt to migrate small data from my old forum resulted in the following error when I used [modified importer script](https://gist.github.com/Communiteq (formerly DiscourseHosting)/769eff2014d5482f0ab776de03dc3349) provided by @RGJ.

Loading existing groups...

Loading existing users...

Loading existing categories...

Loading existing posts...

Loading existing topics...

importing users

**Traceback** (most recent call last):

11: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:601:in `&lt;main&gt;'

10: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:47:in `perform'

9: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:70:in `execute'

8: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:89:in `import_users'

7: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:881:in `batches'

6: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:881:in `loop'

5: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:882:in `block in batches'

4: from script/import_scripts/question2answer.rb:106:in `block in import_users'

3: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:247:in `create_users'

2: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:247:in `each'

1: from /var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:278:in `block in create_users'

/var/www/discourse/script/import_scripts/base.rb:866:in `print_status': **undefined method `to_f' for #&lt;Mysql2::Result:0x000056370b7c1f80&gt; (** **NoMethodError** **)**

**Did you mean? to_s**

**to_a**

**to_h**

I wonder what seems to be causing this error?