We would like to use minibb (and recommend it to other people currently searching to create Forums), but we are new at this, and don't know anything, so we have to start from scratch :


1)after downloading minibb, according to your website instructions, what else should be done in order to be ready upload it on a webpage and start using it ?

2) what about mySQL, php, etc. ? Please try to explain in a simple a clear manner what are all the necessary steps in order to, at last, be able to start using minibb.

(references to really useful links for newbies would also be welcome, if there is no other solution, more simple).

Thanks for anybody's help : It's urgent !

you can't get much easier than minibb :)

you need a server that supports PHP, it should tell you on your server hosts website if they support it.

you need a server with a database, ask your server host to create a database for you. you need to know what type of database it is, most servers use MySQL.

if you have those things, unzip minibb15.zip to a folder on your computer. now open up setup_options.php (with notepad) and follow the instructions here.

next, upload all of the files and folders to your server.

browse to _install.php (e.g: http://www.yourwebsite.com/forum/_install.php) and click the button.

that's it.

Thanks, but ...

We all thank you for replying,

but, in order to make things clear and simple in real practice to all newbies,
please by as kind as to explain the following points :

----- 1------
"you need a server that supports PHP (...),
"you need a server with a database (...)
-------------
- Where and how do you find server hosts of that particular kind ?
Is there any Host Directory, or some tips (links ?) for that kind of things, allowing people to chose ?

----- 2-------
"ask your server host to create a database
for you. you need to know what type of database it is,
most servers use MySQL."
------------
Is it obligatory to ask unknown persons, ie an (anonymous) "server-host" to "create a database for" other people ? It seems Time-consuming, complicated (most people find "ready to use" host packages to start, specially "Newbies", without having to "ask" X or Z to an anonymous "host", and even less "to create a database for" them, may be dangerous, and /or inadequate.

There are many BBoards "ready-to-use", and hosted even free of charge, at the Web, with "only a click" ! But the main advantage of "MiniBB" is that it seems (at least it claims) to be slim and Easy to "Do-It-Yourself" in many ways, well adapted to various needs of thousands of people.

And it's better for people to clearly know what they will be proposing to communities, in order to have a honest and adequate tool, in a serious and responsible manner :

It's rather Spooky, f.ex., to expose every participant to "spywares", picking up their IPs, personal email addresses, etc., manipulated by unknown, irresponsible individuals that may be hidden, at one moment or another, behind an anonymous host interface, etc. (Imagine for instance the possible dangers for a School-Board, or for a commercial Business in a competitive environment, etc). Experience shows, also, that software applications made by other people, without detailed, continuous and easy contacts, often reveal, later-on, many .."bad surprises", because they are not adapted to user's needs, provoking delays, waste, or even blocking things.

Spend money for a special developer, it's something to be considered for later-on, not just for starts ..

Can't peope do it freely, and chose their database construction and settings, as they want, themselves ? If "MyQQL software is downloaded, can't people prepare a database themselves and upload it afterwards to their websites ?.

Is it really too complicated ? (Newbies may be sufficiently intelligent people, at least like the average, but lacking only special technical know-how).

If not, thank you to explain, in as a clear and simple manner as possible, the way to do it by newbies in real practice.

--------3 --------
"if you have those things,
unzip minibb15 (...)"
------
That's next step, folks !...
:)

Is it really too complicated ?..

to build your own server from scratch? yes, it's very complicated :)

just get a good host that runs mysql and php and you should be able to start ftp'ing files to it and installing minibb straight away.

as you've said, be wary of the 'free' hosted boards that are available. they've all got their own agenda and you won't be doing your visitors any favours by using one.

i just had a quick look on google and found http://www.webhostingratings.com/ - a site which rates website hosts. if you don't have a server already, then find a company that hosts them. it's worth shopping around, ask your friends for recommendations and investigate a company as best you can before choosing them.

can't give you much more of a guide beyond that. if you're just getting started in website production, then google really is the best place to start.

the server package i use myself has 100megs of storage space with pretty much unlimited bandwidth. the box itself is shared with 9 other sites running an old version of apache and the latest php and mysql on freeBSD. i can ssh into it if i need to or use the server administration tools provided by the host (they use Plesk).

if all that sounds like gibberish, then it'll be worth your time to read up on running a website generally before thinking about installing a forum.

My personal opinion on that is: why do you think, Anonymous, that web-development is the easy thing? If I got it, you are talking about the people that has absolutely no knowledge about web-servers, databases, archives, HTML, PHP etc. etc. I am just wondering why we should support these people for FREE. miniBB itself is free software, but if you don't know what to do with it, it's only your problem (maybe, also financial). It's the same thing if I come to the airport and say: "Hey dudes, I have no imagination about your airplanes, but I definitely want to fly. I give you 5 seconds, please teach me." Sounds spectacular, doesn't it?

* Newbies forget all about "miniBB"..and go fishing !
-------------------

"4days : Posted: Apr 16, 2003 02:56:24 ·

"to build your own server from scratch? yes, it's very complicated :) "
-----
If this really concerns building a SQL database necessary to use "miniBB", it's .."too bad" (as Snoopy'd say) :)

-----
"just get a good host that runs mysql and php"
--------
Back to point No 1.

-----
"as you've said, be wary of the 'free' hosted boards that are available. they've all got their own agenda and you won't be doing your visitors any favours by using one."
------
Yeah : that "spooky" feeling ..
.. and various "bugs"/inadequancies, plus a permanent threat to suddenly lose all your data !

-----
"can't give you much more of a guide beyond that."
------
We were hoping for more, but thank you for initialy trying indeed.

By the way, .. Congratulations for your crystal-clear way to simplify the presentation of those initial parts on which you gave practical, ready- to-use, advice (even if insufficient for helpîng newbies to start using miniBB).

-----
"investigate".. "find a company ..it's worth shopping around"
-------
For newbies, just starting to TRY to use "miniBB", it's not yet "worthwhile", but a Waste to spend so much Time and Money.

If it works and bb's community develops well, no problem, naturally we shall seek a big and efficient paid host commerce.

But, for starts, "tests", etc. => What about some practical info on FREE web-HOSTING ready-to-use "miniBB" ?

It seems that it exists for other bb's. But why don't we hear anything about it, here and now, on "miniBB" ?

------------
"read up on running a website generally (a)
before thinking about installing a forum." (b)
------------------
(a)we all know, and practice quite well, for years, website-running (at servers without "SQL" databases), as many people.

But not "installing a forum" (b).

Maybe it was an error to believe "miniBB"'s publicity and think that its use could become easy for a growing number of people, if experienced persons made a clear introduction and completed it.

----
"freeBSD", "ssh", "php", "mysql", "plesk", (etc)..
-------
OK, OK, don't bother. Everything is clear for "newbies"..

----
"..you should be able to start ftp'ing files to it and installing minibb straight away."
-----
Ah, that "big-bang" moment, unfortunately risks to never arrive for newbies on "miniBB", if we judge by what followed your initial attempt to help :

*******
"Paul : "Posted: Apr 16, 2003 09:55:57"

"MINI-BB .. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, IT'S ONLY YOUR PROBLEM" (sic !)
-----------
Nice moto, very sympa : ..May we suggest to honor this masterpiece of litterature by placing it at "mini-BB"'s website's frontpage ?

-----
"miniBB .. is free.., but .. your problem .. financial"
----
a .."contradiction-bug" perhaps ?

Many bboards are "free". What's specific to "miniBB" would be, publicity claims, its slimness and "easy" use..

----
"why do you think .. that web-development is ..easy ..?"
------
OK. If it isn't, for people of at least average intelligence, but having no time to lose on various particular technicalities, then forget it !

Some use to think that intelligent web-developpers would be bored by repeating always the same low-grade stuff, and would prefer, instead, to pass-it-on to simple people, by a socially useful transmission of basic, elementary knowledge, in order to free themselves and gain time to tackle really smart, new, creative and fresh, high-tech horizons.

But experience teaches that, on computers, in general, there are always 2 kinds of people : Those who facilitate things and make them popular, helping society to move forward, and those who uselessly complexify things, provoking unpopular stagnation.

In a free country we can all chose.

But helping to build worldwide communities of people, by developing the web, is really important - and, precisely, "miniBB" might have been helpful.

---
"you are talking about the people .."
----
Precisely.

-----
".. that has absolutely no knowledge ..."
------
No. Many people have some knowledge (ie basics of "HTML" and "databases", even schoolchildren learn it today).

But not on the specific (and only) simple question clearly asked from the start :

- "How newbies could use miniBB ?"

-------
"..about web-servers, archives, .. PHP etc."
----
Yeah : it's true that there many awful "sinners" in our society today, who dare declare that they never met Mr and Mrs "PHP" and "mySQL", until recently..

------
"I am ..wondering why we should support these people for FREE."
------
If you want to largely promote "miniBB",
it's obviously natural, and necessary, to simplify things for the greatest number possible of people.

On the contrary, uselessly complicate things, and dissuade, instead of encouraging, people, would be counterproductive and strange..

---------
"It's the same thing if I come to the airport and say: "Hey dudes, I have no imagination about your airplanes, but I definitely want to fly. I give you 5 seconds .. "
-------
All these texts, that we were obliged to write here, vainly asking for clear and full info on "how newbies can start using miniBB", obviously wasted much more than .. "5 seconds".

Everybody can go to an airport and immediately "fly" with airplanes, simply by buying a ticket, or even not, if invited, promotions, etc. It happens everyday.

But if you mean "pilot" them, that's obviously an entirely different and dangerous thing, and it's really a pity, and strange, that you suddenly claim that ..using "miniBB" (made only for free speech) would be as "complicated" as that !

=> Well, if it's as YOU say, then we'd be obliged to give-up "miniBB", and advice all friends and interested newbies to forget about such a "complex" thing as "miniBB" setup, which uselessly wastes too much time ..

"IF"...

gosh, Anonymous, nice soapbox you have there!

perhaps I can have a try (in spite of your flame) - I was a newbie till a few months ago (now I'm doing my first careful extension on minibb). Is see your point of explanations on the Internet in general, and spend quite some time investigating what I wanted(could?) do. As 4days mentioned I found minibb is about as easy as it gets to do it yourself (and you explained yourself why you'd want to do it yourself).

Now on your questions - 4days really answered all but one, very nice hah!

"4days : Posted: Apr 16, 2003 02:56:24 ·

"to build your own server from scratch? yes, it's very complicated :) "
-----
If this really concerns building a SQL database necessary to use "miniBB", it's .."too bad"

I bet he meant "server" - not database. And I think building a server is pretty complex, but setting up the database isn't all that hard.

But first let's go back to terminology; PHP, MySQL and stuff - I think you can do without knowing what it is... (If you want to stay a newbie you should not read anything like this.)

If you go to the site 4days mentioned; http://www.webhostingratings.com you can do an advanced search and find providers in your price/quality range (between free/crap till expensive/corrupt) that support MySQL and PHP - so why try to understand what it is??? But; before you buy into a webprovider you should look up what their (on-line) support is like.

For example I would suggest you look up if the company explains in plain English (or whatever you prefer) how to create a database. The reason Paul or 4days will have a hard time explaining to you is that not all vendors have exactly the same - meaning setting up a DB is not the same trick all over the internet.
However many sites will give you something called "Plesk" (again - not interesting what it is)- log on and click a button (often) called "databases", give the beast a name, a userID and password (fields all required) and press something like "ok" and you'll find you have just created a "database". Not too complex - log out; quick! ;-)

from there it is pretty much as you state;
--------3 --------
"if you have those things,
unzip minibb15 (...)"
------
That's next step, folks !...

(for minibb - I recommend to read the manual and follow the steps - should do the trick).

you know what makes the Internet easy? there will be people that help you, if you do not flame them too often.

Anonymous
I am just wondering that you was not too lazy to write all that stuff :) and I am wondering moreso that I was not too lazy to read it.

So, my opinion stays as it is. If you come to our site and don't know what is PHP and what is mySQL (I don't speak about can you use them in programming - it's not necessary) - then sorry. Some time ago I've received a letter: "I have unzipped miniBB and didn't found .exe file - how can I run it on my computer?" - I have no words, I can't help such kind of "newbies". Try to understand - we are not paid for developing miniBB here, we are doing it for ourselves first. Many people like it - they are welcome! We are glad to help people who give professional questions. Let's say that this is our "little shop" - we are working in it just for pleasure and have rights to do what we want, as other people, too. Open-source is free project for free people - if you don't like this idea, go and by thousands-$$$-worth products and kill the brains of their developers.

ROTFL !!! ...This is hilarious !

[A+]Blaster

This is the .. "Real, authentic, Anonymous Newbie" speaking,
(RAAN, if you prefer : that makes a "true" pseudo, according to what happened here ..) :

> Thank you "mmx", for trying to clarify some useful points made by "4days",

even if the "B-A, BA" asked since the beginning of this thread, remains obviously incomplete.

RAANewbie(s) are currently WORKING HARD, to find practical ways to get through :

A) => Found a host with php, SQL,(after spending a Night without sleeping),..

B) + activated a database (it took Hours long ! due to lack of accurate info, and some strange incidents). But we still think preferable to learn how to build oneself a database from scratch.

C) + almost completed "step 3" ("unzip miniBB + setup", etc., S. above : it had to be done twice, but it worked),

D) + and striving to arrive to "step 4" "install.php", (?) etc.

Further anouncements on the heroic adventures of newbies bravely facing the huge Antarctic wilderness of a completely unknown "mini(?)BB" Continent, lost in the middle of nowhere, without even an overall map, but only a few (useful) handwritten notes given by "4days" and "mmx" on how to say "good-day" to pinguins and call for "help !"), will be issued later-on, (if still "alive")..

Meanwhile, whoever might have any questions, of whatever kind, we warmly recommend that he/she should ...ask "Paul" :

As it has become obvious to all (even to the "other" "anonymous", etc.), "Paul" is simply the right person, who really LOVES to ..encourage newbies, and fully and accurately respond to People's Quest for Knowledge !

:)
----
PS: After all, let's hope that, in the end,

this thread might really become USEFUL for many other people, offering some practical help for a simple and efficient introduction.

But, for the moment : No illusions, the "Antarctic" still remaining to face without an overall map, readable by all people of average intelligence, looks really a hard nut to crack !

Hope, at least, that we don't get lost in the middle of a wild no-mans-land..

By the way, do you stil remember the name of that guy who claimed that "miniBB" was "so easy that even your mom can do it ?"

...Good Easter, despite everything, blistering bgrrrrrrrr.......§§??!! (censored).

RAAN : still on "step 4"..

EVERYTHING that "4days" and "mmx" said, was done, but it does NOT work !

=> The uploaded "_install.php" file doesn't "react" at all :
--------
"4days : browse to _install.php (e.g: http://www.yourwebsite.com/forum/_install.php) and click the button. that's it."
---------

No :

1) when you try to "browse" there simply by "e.g: http://www.yourwebsite.com/forum/...", you see nothing, and the server gives an "error" message, saying that the page does not yet have an "index.html" file (and it's true). That blocks.

2) if you try to "browse" through "cgi-bin", you can see the "public" files, but, still, you canNOT activate "_install.php" :

It blocks saying something about "FTP internal error : PASS command not understood", this time.

And attempts to activate the file "_install.php" directly through cuteFTP itself (by selecting + commande/execute, etc) does not work, neither.

> What should be done ?

sorry, when i said 'browse' i meant browse in your web-browser. using internet explorer, mozilla, shitstate nastigator or lynx - whichever you prefer; type

http://www.yourwebsite.com/forum/_install.php

in the addresss field and hit return.

then you should be prompted to click a couple of buttons and you're ready to go.

ZD Webhosting is a great option. They offer PHP and MySQL, as well as some great prices. I know the guy who runs it, very nice and a prompt returner of emails. That's my $0.02

Anonymous
By the way, do you stil remember the name of that guy who claimed that "miniBB" was "so easy that even your mom can do it ?"

You are there. To USE it, not to INSTALL it.

miniBB's great.