server Autoshite new server - Test site @ autoshitetest.co.uk - Final Call!

[SiC]

We need to upgrade the server this forum runs on.

This current site is running Debian 10. In a few months time the Debian Project will no longer be supporting this version. It came out in 2019 and we are now 5 years on from then. That was the latest version when this server was originally built and now the latest is Debian 12 which it's life ends in 2028. Support includes all security updates and so it's important for us to keep this up to date for security reasons. 

Last night I spun up a complete new server. It's currently accessible here:

https://autoshitetest.co.uk

Please do login and have a play around. Right now search is still indexing (like here) and Email isn't working. I ran out of time last night for email but I hope to get that up soon. I have only restored this month's images as restoring all 215gb is expensive. The database restore is from last night at the time I started doing this restore.

This site served two main objectives. First is to make sure the backups actually are useful when restored. Secondly, just as crucial, serve as a basis of the new server going forward. 

For those interested, it's actually running on our hosting providers latest ARM 64bit servers. Apart from a useful half price voucher this month, the performance of these systems promise to be a lot quicker than what this is on now. Also use less power for the same given task (so better for the environment). Likewise the datacentre they're situated in France claims to use significantly less water for cooling than most other DCs. 

I plan to keep it up for a few days at least but I won't be running it constantly as that costs money. I don't want us to double our monthly hosting bill with two identical sites! 

So have a play and see what you think. Let me know of any issues that you see. Performance should be good as it's quicker and less people accessing it. Remember any data saved or posted on there will be lost when I do the eventual switch over!

Thanks.

[Cookiesouwest]

It let me log in

 

[Matty]

Seems sound Si just 24hrs behind. Massively didn't understand the above anyhow mind 😆

[SiC]

Think of it as a bus where the manufacturer is stopping making all parts after June 2024. If anything breaks you probably could limp it along but it's not safe to (i.e. don't install security updates). Or you get on the Lathe and make new parts but that's very time consuming (i.e. compile from source code on everything used).

Alternatively you just replace it with a brand new bus that you know is supported for a good while longer. Just there is a bit of work to make that new bus ready for public use.

[Matty]

47 minutes ago, SiC said:

Think of it as a bus where the manufacturer is stopping making all parts after June 2024. If anything breaks you probably could limp it along but it's not safe to. Or you get on the Lathe and make new parts but that's very time consuming.

Alternatively you just replace it with a brand new bus that you know is supported for a good while longer. Just there is a bit of work to make that new bus ready for use.

That actually makes sense. Made me laugh like fuck as well 🤣 

Thanks for all the ongoing effort. Without the members who give their time up to run the place, people like me couldn't just turn up and take!

[PhilA]

Pretty snappy. Not bad considering all the data has to be converted from French to English on the fly. Impressive.

[SiC]

32 minutes ago, Matty said:

Thanks for all the ongoing effort. Without the members who give their time up to run the place, people like me couldn't just turn up and take!

I'm only doing the wiring, plumbing and general maintenance. Without people like yourself posting about their fun with old A-Series vehicles, it would be a very empty, unexciting shell of a building!

31 minutes ago, PhilA said:

Pretty snappy. Not bad considering all the data has to be converted from French to English on the fly. Impressive.

Obviously the loading is lower as less people are on it which helps. However the ARM processor cores should be able to do more work than this server (which is old gen AMD EYPCs) and hopefully will be faster. I've also taken the option of the hosting providers latest faster (3x more IOPS) storage option for the database storage. While more expensive, I've set up the configuration to have this only dedicated to just database to be more efficient on storage, so works out similar. So I'm hoping it'll be a faster experience allround without actually costing any real difference. 

Not bad for a souped up Acorn Archimedes!

[High Jetter]

It seems fast, and I didn't need to log in. I can't see how you can go directly to the latest unread post on a thread though, as currently - but that might be on page 2 of your workings

[SiC]

27 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

It seems fast, and I didn't need to log in. I can't see how you can go directly to the latest unread post on a thread though, as currently - but that might be on page 2 of your workings

You should see the main forum without logging in, as per here. However to post or see the other forums then you'll need to login. Likewise the unread messages I can't see working unless you're logged in. 

If you read all the messages around 6pm on here yesterday then it'll be in the exact same state as on the test forum. It's essentially a snapshot of that exact time. 

[catsinthewelder]

I didn't notice a lot of difference until I tried to use an emoji.  Could use it straight from the phone (rather than the drop down menu) .

On editing the post I couldn't type anything after it but could delete it without deleting the whole post so that was an improvement.

[SiC]

The forum software should be identical to this site, so it'll have all the fantastic* fobiles in the editor and such as this does.

I'm hoping they put a newer and less buggy editor in the Version 5 software they're supposedly releasing this year. The editor on this Version 4 is pants.

[SiC]

Any more thoughts? I'll probably shutdown the server instance tomorrow as no point costing money any further. 

Only thing I haven't had a chance to sort is the email. But I can always put that through a third party service initially. 

I'm tempted to go live with it soon as everything seems to work fine from what I can tell and it's a shed load quicker than this current setup. Lower load but even when I post this message right now, this server is lightly loaded but still takes time to navigate around. 

[DSdriver]

Let us know when you need more in the kitty from us Luddites who just presume everything happens automatically.