The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[dobrichev]

Just letting you know that I’m available and open to helping out, provided there are reasonable proposals.

[rjamil]

Hi all,

May I suggest using HTTrack utility for cloning the site.

HTTrack is the ideal tool for cloning forum.enjoysudoku.com. Forums run on server-side databases (like phpBB), meaning you cannot clone the backend functionality (you won't be able to post or log in), but HTTrack will successfully extract all the existing text, threads, and puzzles into a static, readable offline archive.

Because forums have thousands of deeply nested pages, search filters, and sorting links that can cause infinite download loops (known as "spider traps"), you need to configure HTTrack carefully.

Step-by-Step Configuration for HTTrack

1. Download and Install: Grab the 64-bit installer for Windows 10 from the official HTTrack Website.
2. Start a New Project: Open WinHTTrack, click Next, name your project (e.g., "EnjoySudokuForum"), and choose where to save it.
3. Set the Target: In the Web Addresses (URL) box, enter: http://forum.enjoysudoku.com
4. Set Options (Crucial for Forums): Click the Set options button and adjust these tabs:
   
   1. Limits tab: Set Max mirroring depth to 0 (infinite) or a high number like 10. Forums have deep structures.
   2. Flow Control tab: Set Number of connections to 2 or 3. Sending too many simultaneous requests will stress their server and get your IP temporarily banned.
   3. Scan Rules tab: Add rules to skip unnecessary sorting and footprint links that cause endless loops. Type these in the box (include the minus signs):
      text
      -*view=print*
      -*search.php*
      -*ucp.php*
      -*mcp.php*
5. Run: Click Next, then Finish to begin the download.

Note: Because this forum contains over 15 years of Sudoku history and thousands of threads, the cloning process could take several hours to complete. Ensure you have a stable internet connection and enough disk space.

The above suggestion is proposed by ChatGPT.

R. Jamil