Member Avatar for narcotic

hi , i would like to set up an online forum but is totally clueless on how to do it. what programs would be needed to setup a forum ?

  • 11 Contributors
  • 16 Replies
  • 280 Views
  • 1 Year Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by cyfm

Dani AI

Generated

As wondered, you can run a forum without being a programmer. Most of the heavy lifting is done by packaged forum apps; the work is choosing the right one, getting hosting and a domain, and following the installer and permission steps. Decide first whether you want a hosted service (someone else manages updates and email) or self-hosted (more control, more responsibility).

If you self-host, expect a small web stack: a web server (Apache or Nginx), the language/runtime your chosen software uses (modern PHP for many PHP-based boards; some use Ruby/Node), and a database (MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL). Some projects also expect SSH access, Docker or Composer to install extensions, and a little RAM/disk for uploads and caching. Always check the official install requirements for the specific platform before buying hosting. (docs.flarum.org)

Quick practical checklist: pick hosted vs self-hosted; register and control your domain (this makes future moves easier); set up SMTP so accounts and notifications work; install the latest official release (manual/vendor installer is safer than an old control-panel snapshot); set correct file ownership and writable folders for uploads/cache; enable HTTPS (free options exist); and schedule regular backups. As noted, installs often need config edits and permission fixes; as warned, control-panel auto-installers can sometimes lag behind vendor releases — validate versions before you rely on them. (letsencrypt.org)

Concrete ops: automate DB dumps and off-site retention, keep code and plugins updated, and lock credentials (use a protected .my.cnf rather than passing passwords on the command line). Example cron (store credentials securely and restrict the file to 600): 

# daily 03:00 backup (use /home/forum/.my.cnf, chmod 600)
0 3 * * * /usr/bin/mysqldump --defaults-file=/home/forum/.my.cnf forumdb | gzip > /backups/forum_$(date +\%F).sql.gz

If you need to migrate later, export the database and attachments — most boards or community tools support importers. For install requirements, file-permission notes, SSL and backup commands, see the official docs linked above. (dev.mysql.com)

Recommended Answers

All 16 Replies

Member Avatar for fizankhan

phpbb is free you can also get free ipb or the best in my opinoin is vbulletien those three are mainly used just serach on google.

Member Avatar for narcotic

i'm doing a project on creating my own forum. are those pre-set codes or do i still have to learn some coding ?

Member Avatar for Dani

You don't need to be a programmer to set up a forum. :) You just need to know how to install web-based software (but don't worry, it comes with instructions.)

Member Avatar for narcotic

oh . i need to learn and understand the code on how to create a forum

Member Avatar for mddv

If your web host is providing you with cpanel then you may be able to install a forum from there since it is automated. But if they dont the all you need to do is download the type of board you want to use then just follow the instructions. It isn't all so difficult. It is basically editing the config file. and changing permissions for files on the server.

Well good luck.

Member Avatar for mandar-seo

Can I get any free webspace and domain to setup an online forum?

Member Avatar for einfoway

You can get free space to host your forumn (not recommented) but you will need to pay atleast for domain


regards
<< url snipped to comply with forum rules >>

Member Avatar for mddv

Hello just wondering how you are going with your forum.

Have you created one yet?
How many members?
whats your url?
What is your target audience?

Cheers

Member Avatar for etechsupport

oh . i need to learn and understand the code on how to create a forum

____________________________________________________________________________
Check the knowledge base to create a forum;

Member Avatar for Soniqhost.com

The forums are pretty easy to setup, do you know which one you want to use?

Member Avatar for dojo

I wouldn't advice to have the host install it automaticaly. The scripts they have in cpanel are always outdated. Get your hands on the latest release of the script you want to install and do it yourself. Running a forum will mean modding the theme and script afterwards, better learn everything from the start ;)

Member Avatar for mandar-seo

Can I atleast get the subdomain which I could use alongwith the free webspace that I will get?

With regards,
Mandar Thosar

Member Avatar for Dani

Check out our Web Hosting forum within the webmaster marketplace. You should be able to get some good deals in there. It's not nice to hijack existing threads with an off-topic question.

Member Avatar for Scottg1989

You can get free space to host your forumn (not recommented) but you will need to pay atleast for domain

Of course, there is always the option of free domain names ()

Member Avatar for cyfm

Their are many free forum hosts out their but you have to ask yourself these questions:

1). Do you want to move to your own server in the future?
If yes it may be cheaper to start of with a small hosting package or make sure that your free hoster allows forum 'dumps' for later on when you want to transfer all your members and posts across when you move to your own hosted server.

2). Make sure you check their Terms of Service (TOS) as one day you might try to login and find your forum no longer exisits due to 'violations' of TOS.

I personally would go for a host (does not need to be expensive) who can start you ouut with a small hosting package and increase it if needs be, also you want to buy a domain name but this is usally free if you sign up to a hosting account go to the forum software main website and download it from their, forum software these days is pretty easy to set up and basically does it for you.

Member Avatar for cyfm

Oh and don't go with InvisionFree they are the worst free forum host of Invision i've ever come across their rude, aragant and never reply to support tickets.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.