Server migration + site 'upgrade'

Started by AGA, Sun 30/12/2018 23:02:50

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AGA

Hello!

We have just migrated the site and forums to a new and shiny server, and I have completely rewritten the AGS site.  You shouldn't notice many differences, but some of the changes include:

  • fixed site search!
  • improved stability of forums and site!
  • SSL! (ish - read below)
  • a few small improvements and changes to the games pages

You may very well notice some glitches here and there, and I have forgotten to address issues people mentioned in the past.  Anything you do notice from now on, please let me know!

I have made the first steps to getting the site fully SSL enabled.  However, until everyone updates their forum profiles, posts and signatures to use only HTTPS links (so no HTTP ever again!) we cannot be fully compliant.

Slasher

Hi

why do some games from profile show;  test.file path and show 404?

Slasher

Traveler

The wiki doesn't seem to work - when I click the AGS Wiki link, I get a 404. The behavior is the same when I try to visit a particular Wiki page through a Google link.

dactylopus

Profile Images / Avatars don't seem to be working for everyone.

Traveler

Also, the main AGS site seems to be much wider than it used to be - I usually don't use the browser in full-scrreen mode and I didn't have to horizontally scroll in the past but now the page is about ~200 pixels wider than before.

cat

#5
Images from http sites don't load anymore. I'll try to set up https with my hosting provider, but need to pay for that separately and I need some time for it.
In the meantime, I linked the screenshot from the database entry in the most recent completed games and MAGS thread. At least game download still works.

And regarding what Traveler said: On my phone, it even looked like the right menu bar disappeared (but I actually just had to scroll there). So yeah, seems wider.

Edit: My provider updated the packages and included free let's encrypt support. What is better: wildcard or no-wildcard certificate?

Snarky

Quote from: dactylopus on Mon 31/12/2018 07:23:18
Profile Images / Avatars don't seem to be working for everyone.

They need to be on an https URL.

eri0o

#7
@cat : what does it mean wildcard or no-wildcard certificate? Does your website uses subdomains? From reading on, it appears they are required with subdomains - like www. and others... The host I use just have a button that magically turns https from let's encrypt on, so I never thought about that. You can also look into .htaccess rules to force http to https redirect (one that I use is RewriteRule ^.*$ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L] )

Edit: found a cool thing here -> github.com/phanan/htaccess

AnasAbdin

Quote from: AGA on Sun 30/12/2018 23:02:50
We have just migrated the site and forums to a new and shiny server, and I have completely rewritten the AGS site.

Thank you for the great effort and the time spent <3 <3 <3

AGA

Quote from: Slasher on Mon 31/12/2018 03:26:00
Hi

why do some games from profile show;  test.file path and show 404?

Slasher

Fixed!

Quote from: Traveler on Mon 31/12/2018 06:43:38
The wiki doesn't seem to work - when I click the AGS Wiki link, I get a 404. The behavior is the same when I try to visit a particular Wiki page through a Google link.

Fixed!

Quote from: dactylopus on Mon 31/12/2018 07:23:18
Profile Images / Avatars don't seem to be working for everyone.

Expected! (as in the first post).  You can't have a HTTPS site that links to non HTTPS addresses, so I've turned on the forum's image proxy, which will effectively ban any images that aren't coming from an HTTPS address.  It shouldn't be a huge problem, as most modern hosting sites offer HTTPS for free.

dactylopus

Quote from: Snarky on Mon 31/12/2018 09:54:42
Quote from: dactylopus on Mon 31/12/2018 07:23:18
Profile Images / Avatars don't seem to be working for everyone.
They need to be on an https URL.
No more tinypic, I suppose.

Perhaps this tidbit in the Modify Profile page should be updated:

"Specify your own avatar by URL
(e.g. http://www.mypage.com/mypic.gif)"

Slasher

The Graphics on game page show:  HD, 8-bit (256 col)

If I change to 32 bit I get: Database query G.37.11 error: Column 'mirror_url' cannot be null


AGA

Quote from: dactylopus on Mon 31/12/2018 13:11:40
Perhaps this tidbit in the Modify Profile page should be updated:

"Specify your own avatar by URL
(e.g. http://www.mypage.com/mypic.gif)"

Changed to: "Specify your own avatar by URL (e.g. https://www.mypage.com/mypic.gif - this must start with https, or it won't work!)"

Quote from: Slasher on Mon 31/12/2018 13:38:38
The Graphics on game page show:  HD, 8-bit (256 col)

If I change to 32 bit I get: Database query G.37.11 error: Column 'mirror_url' cannot be null



Should be fixed!

cat

#13
Thanks AGA for your efforts!

I managed to turn on https for my webspace. But I had to change the URL of my avatar manually to https.
Interestingly, other images (like here https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=56539.msg636596982#msg636596982) seem to work.
Is it possible to update all avatar links automatically in the database?

Edit: Another issue: Picks of the months seems to be reset to July 2017

AGA

Quote from: Traveler on Mon 31/12/2018 07:26:54
Also, the main AGS site seems to be much wider than it used to be - I usually don't use the browser in full-scrreen mode and I didn't have to horizontally scroll in the past but now the page is about ~200 pixels wider than before.

Sorry, forgot to reply to this.  This was deliberate.  The old site looked tiny on modern monitors (even on 1024 x 768!), so I increased the main text area to be wider, while fitting in the same overall dimensions.  It may be a bit more awkward on mobile now, but honestly the site has always been far from optimised for mobile!  It'd take a full redesign before we ever had the site working properly on mobile.

cat

Continuing with issues:

The Member Map seems to link to the old one and terribly out of date. I'd remove it completely.
On the games page, some games don't have a screenshot in the overview, but when you open the page and click on one of three tiny preview screenshots, it is shown correctly. Happens for some of the pick of the month.

AGA

Quote from: cat on Mon 31/12/2018 14:02:26
Thanks AGA for your efforts!

I managed to turn on https for my webspace. But I had to change the URL of my avatar manually to https.
Interestingly, other images (like here https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=56539.msg636596982#msg636596982) seem to work.
Is it possible to update all avatar links automatically in the database?

Edit: Another issue: Picks of the months seems to be reset to July 2017

It's not safe to find and replace everyone's avatar, since currently the forum software is blocking them because they aren't HTTPS.  If the URLs look like HTTPS but actually return 404 (because the HTTPS version doesn't actually exist), then we might end up with threads full of broken images...  Hopefully active users will notice and fix their avatars soon enough.  Most inactive users' avatars have already expired anyway, so no real difference!

As for the in thread images, this is how SMF's image proxy is supposed to work - it downloads the file locally, then hosts it itself if it isn's HTTPS.  It just seems it doesn't work for avatars for some reason.

AGA

Quote from: cat on Mon 31/12/2018 14:11:19
The Member Map seems to link to the old one and terribly out of date. I'd remove it completely.

The map linked to on the forums (https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=googlemap) is definitely up to date... How do you define "the old one"?  I think it may be the style changed slightly, but it's definitely using up to date information, and the latest Google Maps API.

Quote from: cat on Mon 31/12/2018 14:11:19
On the games page, some games don't have a screenshot in the overview, but when you open the page and click on one of three tiny preview screenshots, it is shown correctly. Happens for some of the pick of the month.

Oh yeah, I need to generate thumbnails for some of the games, forgot to do it earlier.

AGA

Quote from: cat on Mon 31/12/2018 14:02:26
Edit: Another issue: Picks of the months seems to be reset to July 2017

Fixed.  The dates recent entries used were in the wrong format, so needed to be converted in the database.

Traveler

AGA, thank you for modernizing the site and for the fixes.

I just noticed that the landing URL (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/) redirects to the Wiki now, not to the AGS landing page.

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