SiteGround Tutorials
phpBB 3 Tutorial
phpBB is one of the most widely used free discussion board scripts. This free and very powerful application is easy to install and administer. It allows flexibility in terms of design and organization. With SiteGround's phpBB hosting package you can use all phpBB features.
With the release of the phpBB 3 branch this free discussion board has become even more popular. Lots of new functionalities have been added. Basically it is a whole new application and not an upgrade of the old release.
Fortunately, there is an option to convert a phpBB 2 forum to phpBB 3 retaining all the content and registered users.
phpBB 3 Tutorial includes:
- How to install phpBB 3 on your hosting account: automatic installation via Fantastico and manual installation;
- How to administer phpBB 3;
- How to install phpBB 3 templates;
- How to install a language pack in phpBB 3;
- How to manage users and groups in phpBB 3;
- How to convert your forum from phpBB 2 to phpBB 3;
- How to create a backup of phpBB 3 forum database;
We have also prepared the following video tutorials for phpBB3:
It is very important that your host is phpBB optimized. Here are some of the things SiteGround is proud of:
- We offer FREE phpBB3 installation and FREE transfer of phpBB3 forums from other hosts;
- Our servers are perfectly optimized for phpBB3;
- We have long experience supporting phpBB3 forums. There isn't a single phpBB issue we haven't dealt with already;
- Our phpBB3 hosting package is the best offer on the market - it has the lowest price for the quality and features it includes;
Thus if you don't have a phpBB site yet or you are have problems with your current host, check out our Professional phpBB Hosting. You will get a FREE phpBB3 installation and FREE transfer of your forum from other hosts!
phpBB3 Installation
Get a FREE phpBB installation with SiteGround phpBB hosting Package!
There are two ways to install phpBB:
- Automatically via Fantastico - In just a few mouse clicks you will have your forum website installed and configured, ready for you to begin building your site. No technical knowledge is needed.
- Manually - This method is preferred by advanced users who want to follow closely the installation process and make any customizations right away. If you would like to install phpBB manually, take a look at the section phpBB Manual Installation.
phpBB Auto Installation via Fantastico
In this tutorial section you will learn how to install phpBB automatically via the Fantastico Autoinstaller.
To start the installation process, log in to your cPanel. The cPanel Button is located in your customer area under Manage Account. Once you are in cPanel, look for the smiling face icon of Fantastico and click it.
Once logged into Fantastico, you should select the phpBB link from the list of scripts that appears to the left:
A new page will be loaded with a short description of the software. You should locate the [New Installation] and click it:
Installation Location and Configuration
On the next page you will be prompted to choose the installation options. First you should choose the domain (sub-domain) name for which you would like the script installed. You can do so via the Install on domain drop-down menu.
Note that it is not imperative to have more than one domain name listed in the drop-down menu. This depends on whether you have or do not have any addon or sub-domain names added for your account.
The [Install in directory] box can be left empty in case you want to use phpBB3 for your home page (e.g. www.yourdomain.com). Note that you can have only one script installed under the same directory. This applies to the web root directory for your domain name also and you have to use different sub-directories for different scripts. You can specify a directory, e.g forum, in case you want to have your phpBB installed at an URL of type: http://www.yourdomain.com/forum
The next thing you should do is choose the desired login details for your new phpBB forum. Under the Admin access data you should add the desired administrator login details and password for the new forum.
The Base configuration options are self-explanatory. Additionally they can all be changed after the installation is completed. As soon as you have adjusted all details according to your needs, you can click the [Install phpBB] button.
In case everything is in order a new page will be loaded with summarized information about the installation and a Finish installation button.
Clicking the button will perform the actual installation. It is important not to interrupt this step in order to successfully complete the installation.
On the next page the forum URL and the URL to the administrative backend will be displayed as well as the administrative login details you have set.
It might be a good idea to bookmark the two pages.
With this step the automatic installation is completed.
 |
 |
phpBB 3 Manual Installation
Get a FREE phpBB installation with SiteGround phpBB hosting Package!
You can follow these instructions if you need to manually perform a phpBB installation for your web site. Note that you should skip this step if you have already completed the automated installation.
The manual installation of phpBB includes uploading the installation package via cPanel's File Manager or using an FTP client. The latest release can be found at the phpBB official website.
Bear in mind that the uploaded package should reside under the public_html, which is the web root folder for your account, or alternatively under a sub-directory for it.
Additionally, prior to performing the installation, a new database should be created. You can easily do so following the MySQL Tutorial.
The next step is to access the directory where you have uploaded the phpBB3 installation package. In case you have uploaded it directly under the public_html folder it will be accessible via your domain name only. In case you have used a sub-directory, for example "phpbb3" it will be accessible via an URL of type http://yourdomainname.com/phpbb3. If everything is done right you will see the following page:
Feel free to check the General Public License as well as the support reference page. They might come in handy in the future.
Next you should click on the Install tab.
All requirements are met on SiteGround servers so you can safely click the Proceed to next step button.
The next page is Installation compatibility. Again this step should be passed without any troubles. You will see that several of the supported databases are not available on our servers. However, this is not an issue. All you need is a single type of the supported databases to be available in order to proceed with the installation. The Start Install button should be available at the bottom of the page at this point.
If else the requirement that is not met will be colored in red and instructions how to correct the issue will be displayed.
Next step is the Database configuration. Here you should enter the database details for the new database you created earlier.
- The first option is Database type. Most commonly it should be left as MySQL with MySQLi Extension.
- The Database server hostname or DSN should be set as: localhost.
- The Database server port option can be left blank or you can enter 3306. Both will work without any troubles as our MySQL server works on a standard port.
- The Database name should be the one you previously created.
- The Database username should be the one you previously created also.
- The Database password option is also the one you previously set.
- Finally the Prefix for tables option can be left as it is auto generated. It is not important unless you are installing several scripts in the same database.
Bear in mind that both the Database name and Database username options will include your cPanel username as prefix.
A page with properly filled options will look like that:
You can now click the Proceed to next step button. If you have correctly entered the details you will see a successful connection confirmation.
You can click the Proceed to next step button.
On the Administrator details page you can enter the desired administrative details for the newly installed board.
.jpg)
Verify them and again click the Proceed to next step button. If there are no errors you will get a Tests passed message and again you should click the Proceed to next step button and once again after the configuration is saved.
The Advanced settings page is the next one. Basically on this page there are no changes you should make. All settings are automatically generated and you can left them untouched. Then again click the Proceed to next step button.
A confirmation that the database was successfully populated with data will be displayed and for the last time you should click the Proceed to next step button. This will bring you to the Installation Successful page.
At this point you are given two options. The first is to proceed converting the data from an old phpBB2 installation to the newly installed phpBB3. The other is to proceed directly to your newly installed forum.
Note that you should delete, move or rename the install directory before you use your board. If this directory is still present, only the Administration Control Panel (ACP) will be accessible.
This finalizes the phpBB3 manual installation.
|
|
phpBB 3 Administration
In order to start managing your forum, you should log in with the administrative username and password you have set during the installation process.
Next, click on the Administration Control Panel link at the bottom of the forum page.
First, it would be best to set the general preferences for your forum and to temporary disable it while making changes to it. This can be done by clicking on the Board settings link from the left menu in the Administration Control Panel. From this menu you can set the general settings for your phpBB3 forum - Default style, Name and Description for your forum, as well as the time zone and date format.
When you are ready, click on the Submit button at the end of the page to save the changes.
The next important option to set for your forum is the way users register. Select the "User registration settings" link from the main menu. We recommend using the By User option of the Account activation setting. This will require your users to confirm their registration by clicking on a link that has been sent to them via e-mail.
When done editing the forum settings, click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen. You can check the changes by clicking the Board index link in the Administration section.
|
|
phpBB 3 Users and Groups
Managing your forum's users and groups is quite easy. To manage them, select the Users and Groups tab from the top menu in your Administration Control Panel.
phpBB3 has a new system that allows you to have full control on the privileges for each user and group.
Manage Groups in phpBB 3
First, select the "Manage groups" link from the left menu. From this panel you can create a new group of users or you can modify the existing pre-defined ones that come with the default phpBB3 installation.
The pre-defined groups are very useful and easy to use. For example, if you wish to allow a user to moderate your forum, just add him/her to the Global moderators group. From this panel you can create a new group and then set its privileges. In order to do so, first enter the group name and click the [Submit] button.
Once the group is created, you can grant special permissions to it for a specific forum. Select the Groups' forum permissions from the left menu. Next, select the newly created group and click Submit.
Next, select the forum you wish to grant privileges for and click on the Submit button next to it. Once in the "Setting Permissions" menu, click on the "Advanced permissions" link. An intuitive table appears that will allow you to grant custom privileges for your newly created group. Once you have selected them click on the Apply permissions button under the table.
Manage Users in phpBB 3
Once you have the group set, select the Manage users link from the left menu, enter the username in the search box and click the Submit button.
Then you will be forwarded to the Overview page of the user administration panel. In it you can change users' passwords, their e-mails or even delete the user and his/her posts if you wish.
In order to apply the changes, click on the Submit button next to each category of settings. In addition, you can select from the drop-down menu additional options that can be set for the selected user such as changing his/her Signature, Group, Permissions etc.
|
|
phpBB3 Styles
How to install a new phpBB3 template
For the purpose of this tutorial we will install the "AZ_Retro v1.0.1" template on our forum. You can find a big database of styles at the official phpBB website, as well as in the paid phpBB templates collection by TemplateMonster.com.
Once you have downloaded your template, you have to upload it to your account. The files of your new style must be uploaded in a new folder under the "styles" directory. In our case, we will make a "retro" folder and upload the content in it. A correct phpBB3 style must have the following directories/files in it:
- contrib
- imageset
- template
- theme
- style.cfg
After you have uploaded the files of the new style, you should login to the Administration Control Panel. Next, click on the "Styles" tab.
Now click on the Install link next to the new template - "AZ_Retro". On the new page, select the "Make default style" option and click on the [Submit] button.
Now you can click on the "Board index" link at the top right corner of your screen and you will see the newly installed template applied to your forum!
|
|
phpBB 3 Language Pack
How to install a language pack in phpBB 3
Installing a language pack in phpBB3 can be done with just a few clicks. Go to your forum's admin area, select the System tab from the upper menu and click on the Language packs link on the left.
Once the language is installed, select the General tab from the upper menu and then click on the Board configuration link from the left menu. Then from the drop-down menu next to the Default Language setting select the newly-installed language and click on the Submit button at the bottom of your screen.
Now when you visit your forum it will be displayed in the newly-installed language.
|
|
Converting from phpBB2 to phpBB3
The conversion of a phpBB2 forum to phpBB3 is relatively easy.
In case you are installing phpBB3 via Fantastico make sure you have checked the conversion check box as shown on the screenshot:
Checking this box will prevent the installation directory from being deleted and thus allow you to convert the data from an existing phpBB2 on your account to the newly installed phpBB3.
Please bear in mind that the conversion will bring over only the registered usernames and posts.
If you are installing phpBB3 manually all you need to do is click on the Convert tab once the installation is completed.
In both cases the conversion should be performed by accessing the install directory via your web browser. Depending on where exactly phpBB3 is installed the exact URL will be similar to:
http://yourdomain.com/phpbb3/install
In the conversion area you should click on Convert:
At this point conversion from phpBB2 only is available as an option.
On the next page you will have to enter the required details for your old phpbb2 installation. The database details can be found in the config.php file for the old forum. The path to the forum should be relative to the new location where phpbb3 is installed. Once you have supplied the correct details click the “Begin Conversion” button. Here is a sample page with the filled details:
The conversion will process automatically. It will not make any changes to your old forum.
Upon completion it is possible for the script to request from you to rebuild the search index for the newly installed forum. You will be able to do it from the administrator backend.
At this point you should delete the “install” folder as you will no longer need it.
After performing those steps the conversion from phpBB2 to phpBB3 will be completed.
|
|
phpBB 3 Backup
How to backup the database of your phpBB3 forum
Backing up the database of your forum is easier than ever with phpBB3. All you have to do is select the Maintenance toolbar from the top menu in your Administration Control Panel and then click on the Backup link in the left menu. Next, click on the "Select all" link in order to select all tables for the backup and then click on the submit button. You can leave the default settings as they are. In a few moments a download pop-up for your database will appear.
If you have a big forum with a lot of users and posts the backup might take some time to be created.
|