Phpbb

[Bahumat]

Hello, i wanna setup a forum but i dont know much about how to do this.

i know i can download a phpbb program (trying to make it cost as little as possible). Then from here i assume i design the forum.

What im stuck on is how to get the webspace i require to host it, and how on earth i get the thing on my webspace.

Thanks in advance

Bahumat

 

[Overdriven]

Well, if you buy a domain you can (with certain sites) get webspace and a monthly bandwidth allocation, once you've set that up you use a FTP client and upload the entier PHPBB directory onto the website, then just fill out what's needed. (You'll need a SQL database, so having a website which lets you use SQL helps)

 

[Bahumat]

its sounds difficult. Is there alot of messing about or is it fairly straight forward?

 

[Alan]

Take a look at "A Small Orange" http://www.asmallorange.com/services/hosting/ they came highly recommended from other users who also run the vBulletin forum system, sure your looking at phpBB instead but the requirements are the same, php - mysql - etc.

They will even do the domain name registration stuff for you for $10 which isnt too bad.

 

[Bahumat]

Take a look at "A Small Orange" http://www.asmallorange.com/services/hosting/ they came highly recommended from other users who also run the vBulletin forum system, sure your looking at phpBB instead but the requirements are the same, php - mysql - etc.

They will even do the domain name registration stuff for you for $10 which isnt too bad.

Thanks Tears

 

[Penguin]

I've setup a PHPBB forum before and the installer is fairly easy. As long as you have web space with PHP/MYSQL and you'll probably want a domain, unless you're happy with a subdomain/directory which some web hosts provide.

You'll probably just have to create a database with a username and password using your hosting panel, then enter these details in the PHP Installer.

You can get domains for a couple of dollars less if you check around. I bought a .com for $7.98 yesterday from namecheap using a coupon code.

 

[Chilly]

~cough~ sig ~cough~

 

[gunner440]

http://www.primefarm.co.uk for all your hosting needs !

 

[Shovel]

Bahumat: You should expect to have to learn a certain, small amount of technical detail when you install a forum onto your own web hosting. However, it is relatively simple and you can learn as you go alone.

As has been stated, you need web space that supports the server-side scripting language PHP (PHP: Hypertext Processor). For most common-or-garden forum solutions you'll find that PHP version 4 is all that's required, even though PHP5 has existing for a while now. Similarly, the database server that needs to come with your hosting (MySQL) is up to version 5, but most forums only need version 4 (and many will still run on version 3). Cheap hosts seem to still be offering v4 as standard. I'd avoid any host offering less than that, you might find if you want to install some other software on your webspace that it won't run on MySQL 3.

That's just as easy as checking through the features list at your hosting website.

The forum software itself will consist of a number of files and will have some kind of special installer file. So you upload the files to your new web server, run 'install.php' (or similar) and it will present a form to enter all the details needed. Then it will save a configuration file and you should be good to go. Sometimes you might need to edit a configuration file first, but they tend to be very simple (perhaps just a few settings) and are generally well commented.

After that, you're free to tinker. You customise the structure and appearance of your forum using HTML and CSS, both of which have their share of complexities but there are many good tutorials out there and if you're lucky the theme that comes with your forum software will be well commented such that you can edit it.

You might also want to look at some other forum software, such as PunBB[/org], which is highly regarded (PHPBB seems to have a bad reputation these days and does get targeted by spam bots).

Whichever software you go with, be sure to keep it up to date as all forum software will get regular security updates. If you don't keep it up to date, you'll inevitably get hacked by a spam bot or automated hacking program.


Good luck.

 

[JingleBells]

That'll be PunBB

 

[MYstIC G]

if you're gonna struggle with all this I'd suggest you use a free hosting site such as http://www.forumer.com/

 

[Shovel]

That'll be PunBB

Thank you. I seem to do that mis-ending tags trick a lot at the moment. Keeping writing <abbr …>…</a> in documents as well.