phpbb

Easy to use/install?

[johnnydequino]

We are looking to install phpbb bulletin boards on our site. Is it easy to install? Anything I should know before I start? It looks easy - I hope anyway.

jd

[TimM]

As long as you can create a database and upload files to a server - yes, it's easy to install. ;)

I can't think of anything else you'd need to know. It's quite an easy install process.

Have fun!

[eggy ricardo]

Setting file permissions is also usually required. But apart from that I found it to be fairly simple if you read the instructions.

[wheel]

I've been using phpBB for three years. It's easy to install and use - as easy as any other php/mysql program.

Upgrading is a bit of a pain if you have any modifications - and you're probably going to want those. The template is a good example - it's a pig of a block of html code, you should modify it to save on bandwidth costs.This is an issue because you'll probably have to upgrade at least once a year, sometimes twice. And the help forums are a bit condescending :(.

It's also not the best forum if things get busy. I've had users bring it down under heavy loads. So it's good for smaller or entry level forums. Anything heavier and you'll probably need a purchased program.

Nevertheless, it's probably the best/easiest to use free forum program available.

[rogerd]

I'll second the "easy to install" part. And, because phpBB is so popular, commercial forums generally have import routines for it if you decide to change.

[saoi_jp]

Definitely keep it up to date, though. Otherwise you can get kiddie-script-hacked. It happened on one of my sites when I neglected to update to a more secure version.

[Marketing Guy]

PhPbb is certainly pretty easy to install, but it's also pretty easy to customise.

A lot of the mods only require minimal file changes to be made and it's a pretty straight forward process.

Scott

[Reflection]

A lot of the mods only require minimal file changes to be made and it's a pretty straight forward process.

Until you need to upgrade, then it can become a bit of a headache.

[encyclo]

Until you need to upgrade, then it can become a bit of a headache.

I would second that sentiment. My phpBB forum has been quite lightly customized compared to many, but you have to be prepared to hand edit template files and such when you need to do those all-so-vital updates like the one last week. If you are familiar with the command line in Linux, it is much easier, because you can use the patch file and then manually add any of the

HUNK FAILED

stuff.

[Jenstar]

Also be sure to download the latest version right from phpbb, not an alternative download site (unless phpbb.com directs you there themselves).

It is easy to install - it was the first script I ever installed years ago, and I survived ;)

[Marketing Guy]

I had a forum hacked this morning (I hadn't updated to the latest version) - on top of which a few mods I had installed were causing bugs (my fault probably :P).

It didn't take me that long to install a fresh version and re-install the mods - it would have probably taken me longer to install the upgrade around the mods instead of just scraping it and starting fresh again! ;)

I guess it depends how many mods you have running though - I only had a handfull and only one (Activity mod) took much effort.

I'm pretty sure there are fully mod'd versions available, but perhaps not with the current build.

Scott