Migration Guide

Listing Admin to Luster

A step-by-step guide for migrating Listing Admin data into Luster. The Import Data wizard reads, previews, and copies the data you choose.

Important!

Before You Start

  • Back up your original Listing Admin database. Do not delete it until you have manually checked that listings, members, images, and add-on data imported correctly. Keep the old database longer if you want extra reassurance.
  • Import listings before members. Listing Admin stores all members in one table, but Luster creates one member table per listing. If listings do not exist first, member imports may be skipped.

These Luster add-ons are also involved:

  • News Feed add-on for updates
  • Wishlist add-on for wishlist entries
  • KIM add-on for KIM entries
  • Join Rules add-on for join rules text

On a normal Luster install, all of these are already installed and enabled by default. If you previously disabled one of these add-ons, don't worry, Luster enables it again automatically the moment it finds matching data to import, so your data is never silently dropped. The Preview step tells you when this will happen.

Walkthrough

Step-by-Step Import Instructions

  1. Open the Import Wizard

    In the Luster admin panel, go to Import Data → Listing Admin.

  2. Connect to Listing Admin

    On the Connect step, choose how Luster should read your old data. You have two main choices:

    • Use Live database connection if your old Listing Admin database is still available on the same server or your host allows database connections. In most cases, leave your Host as localhost.
    • Use Upload SQL dump if you exported Listing Admin from phpMyAdmin or with mysqldump. The file should end in .sql:

  3. Enter Your Table Prefix

    On the Options step, enter your Listing Admin table prefix if you used one. If you are not sure, look in phpMyAdmin at the table names.

    Common Listing Admin Table Prefixes
    Old Table PrefixEnter this prefix
    main, members, categoriesLeave blank
    la_main, la_members, la_categoriesla_
    trex_main, trex_members, trex_categoriestrex_

  4. Choose Import Options

    On the Options step, choose what to import. For most users and especially for first time migrations, keep all boxes selected:

    Choose Image Sources

    Luster will automatically detect images and migrate them without you needing to do anything. If you wish to give fallbacks for your image migration, or if your images are hosted on a different website or database, this section can help.

  5. Preview the Import

    The Preview step is a dry run. It does not import anything yet. Read this screen before continuing. It tells you:

    • How many records Luster found
    • How many records will be imported
    • How many records will be skipped
    • Any warnings or incompatibilities you should know about.
    (Warnings are not inherently bad - it just might mean another import run or manual transfer may be needed. The Notes column will tell you more details).

  6. Run the Import

    When the Preview looks right, run the import. A loading screen will appear - do not click away from the page! Larger collectives and databases may need a few minutes to migrate.

    When it finishes, the Done step shows a report. Save or copy the report if you want a record of what happened.

Still using old Listing Admin page embeds?

If you had old pages using files like show_join.php, Luster includes compatibility wrappers that can help old page includes keep working while you transition. See the Listing Admin Bridge Guide for details.

Troubleshooting

Edge Cases & FAQ

For a more in-depth list of frequently asked questions, visit the FAQ section.

Will the import change my old Listing Admin data?

No. Luster reads from the old database and copies data into Luster. It does not delete or rewrite your old Listing Admin files.

My Listing Admin database Is in the same database as Luster.

This is a common scenario and completely normal! Nothing will happen to your previous Listing Admin install or data - it's safe to continue with the import wizard.

Should I use Skip or Overwrite?
  • First time importing? Use Skip. (There's nothing to overwrite yet anyway.)
  • Re-importing because your last attempt was botched and you haven't touched anything in Luster since? Use Overwrite to redo it correctly.
  • Not sure? Use Skip. It can't lose anything you've already done in Luster.
Can I run the import more than once?

Yes. Use Skip when re-running. Luster will keep existing records and import what is still missing.

What if the Preview shows warnings?

Read them, but don't panic! Warnings often explain normal differences between Listing Admin and Luster. Examples:

  • An old field has no Luster equivalent.
  • An image could not be found.
  • A saved template table does not exist in your Listing Admin version.

Based on the warning message, you can decide what to do next to correctly import whatever didn't go through, or to ignore it.

My members tables are missing!

This usually means Luster did not have matching listing/member tables ready. Run the import again with Owned listings selected, or import owned listings first and then import members.

Can I import only members?

Usually not as the first step. Members need owned listings to exist first. If listings are already imported, you can run the wizard again and import members. You can also use the Import Data → Import Member wizard to migrate members for individual listings.

The table prefix is wrong.

If the Preview finds zero rows, check the table prefix. If your tables are la_main and la_members, the prefix should be la_.

What if I do not know my table prefix?

Look at your table names in phpMyAdmin. If you see members, leave the prefix blank. If you see la_members, enter la_.

My custom field values for listings are missing.

Listing Admin stores custom member fields in mExtra. If a row cannot be parsed, the member still imports, but custom field values for that member may be blank.

Does Luster keep Listing Admin passwords?

Luster imports the stored password values where possible. When older password formats are used, Luster upgrades passwords when members log in or reset them.

My images did not copy over.

If images do not copy, try one of these:

  • Enter the old server path instead of the URL.
  • Enter the live URL instead of the path.
  • Upload a ZIP of the image folders.
  • Check whether the image files still exist.

The import can still succeed even when some images are missing.

When can I remove my old Listing Admin install?

Wait until you have checked your listings, members, forms, images, and email templates in Luster. Properly settle into Luster first, and then keep a backup even after removing the old install.