How to install phpBB3

[wolfone]

These are the steps to installing phpBB3

STEP 1
1. Create the database. - write the db name down
2. create an user and set the permissions usually ALL - write u/nsme down
3. add the user to the database

STEP 2
1. upload all the files to your server
2. make sure that the config.php === 777 chmod - permissions so that phpBB can write to it
3 browse to the following
http://www.yourdomain/phpBB/install/install.php
or
http://www.yourdomain/install/install.php

depends where you installed it.

then follow the instructions - dont be in a hurry - read everything - at one point you will be asked to fill the database username and password - er the details you wrote down when you created the db and username. phpBB will attempt to create the config file for you.
at the end of the installation you will have to REMOVE the installation folder and change the permissions on the config file to 644.

I hope this helps and if anyone needs some help contact me

[gtgeorge]

Don't chmod anything to 777 on a HG server as they are all phpsuexec from my understanding.

[wolfone]

Well when I had re-installed phpBB3, after I had moved my files accross - for some reason I couldn't access the ACP area of phpBB - I did CHMOD to 777, and had no problems, and, one can have folders that are CHMOD to 777, ie, images folder of oscommerce has to be CHMOD to 777 as files get uploaded into them.

Files that are meant to be writable, should be CHMOD to 777, for the exception of config files which once written too, should should be changed back to either 644 or 444 as is the case with Hostgator as they run phpsuexec, whereas with my old host 644 was fine, BUT a server should run with phpsuexec, my understanding is that it is more secure.

I was getting 500 Internal server errors too and it was driving me nuts, until Patrick from the support team pointed out to me that in my one .htaccess file in osCommerce had the php_flag directives set, and apparently one cant do that with .htaccess, yet with my old host my site was running perfectly for 4 yrs.

What I am having a serious problem with at the moment is PHP5 and register_globals on, parts of my site tell me that register globals is disabled, I'm not sure if the php.ini file is in the right place or if the .htaccess is right and in the right place.

^-^

[gtgeorge]

Originally Posted by wolfone

Well when I had re-installed phpBB3, after I had moved my files accross - for some reason I couldn't access the ACP area of phpBB - I did CHMOD to 777, and had no problems, and, one can have folders that are CHMOD to 777, ie, images folder of oscommerce has to be CHMOD to 777 as files get uploaded into them.

^-^

Well dang, I will forward that info to other sysadmins and php coders

[wolfone]

Yes please do and dont forget to say Hi for me ~

[slapshotw]

Originally Posted by wolfone

Files that are meant to be writable, should be CHMOD to 777

This is not true on the vast majority of Hostgator servers, because they have phpSuExec. On those servers, you need 755, not 777, permissions. They will still be writeable with 755. 777 will give you an error.

[gtgeorge]

Originally Posted by slapshotw

This is not true on the vast majority of Hostgator servers, because they have phpSuExec. On those servers, you need 755, not 777, permissions. They will still be writeable with 755. 777 will give you an error.

I'm sorry Slapshot, you were on my list to notify of the revelation that wolfone has bestowed upon us. I am busy notifying all sysadmins and php coders that that 777 permissions was a big lie that we have been all abiding by