Hi Paul/Team,
I am running the latest version miniBB, plus a few add-ons. What are some points to consider if I need to move my miniBB forum from a sub-directory to a sub-domain? What steps are involved to accomplish the move? I am thinking:
backup
-> move forum files from current location (sub-dir) to new location (sub-domain)
-> modify setup_options.php (variables $main_url and $pathToFiles)
-> update .htaccess to redirect referring links to old forum.
-> voila, mission accomplished?
Have I missed anything? Am I even on the right track? Any advice you are happy to offer will be gratefully received.
With thanks -
mb

I am not really sure what do you mean under "sub-domain" and "sub-directory" terms.

Sub-domain is actually pointing to the same kind of physical folder on disk like your primary domain, or any other kind of domain. For example here on miniBB we have org.minibb.com which points to www.minibb.com/org/ folder which actually contains just one permanent redirection rule.

So if you have your forums under "forums" folder for example, just point sub-domain to that folder, change $main_url setting in setup_options.php (and probably other domain options the add-ons like Captcha may have), and also update .htaccess if you have special domain-related rules.

That would be all...

Having a forum like: forum.domain.com is not recommended; I think it's better like: domain.com/forum/.

Is not recommended by... Google probably? ;-)

I guess, dudes who think they are important, and post those nonsense blogging guides, should not suppress the comfort of using all benefits of a domain name...

Then let's not create sub domains at all and get tied to the physical folders for other purposes as well?... ;-)

For me Google should not exist because it threatens the freedom and genuine purpose of the Internet, but too much to write about ;).

I mostly meant for marketing purposes, when someone tries to promote: forum.domain.com then quite a few people would mix it with forumdomain.com and you'd have to register forumdomain.com if you do serious promotion etc. With folder it's more brandable and less confusing I think.

I think the sub domain is good, if it's possible to set up, for the cases when the forum became kind of a very special and big section of the website. If you store forum under a sub-folder, it appears like a "regular" part of the website, or just fits better the common structure of the website with the other sub-folders. But if it's stored under a sub-domain, it may look more "solid", giving an impression forum is very important and big part of the website.

Hi to all.

To Paul and tom322, thank you for your replies.

Paul's solution is elegant and straightforward because it does not involve moving of any files. Sadly, however, my situation may need a different solution - please see explanation below.

I may need to install WordPress in the root directory (example.com/). As I do not know what impact this would have on my miniBB forum in example.com/forums/, so I came up with the idea of moving it to a sub-domain - away from WordPress files. In other words, the plan is to set things up like so:

move from server path
/user/example.com/forums/
to
/user/forums.example.com/
(WordPress site will sit in /user/example.com/)

Hope this makes sense.

It is entirely possible that my 'disaster planning' is illogical and flawed. Perhaps someone with experience in running WordPress and miniBB will say: "Idiot! Installing WordPress in your site's root directory will not affect your existing forum located in the subdirectory /forums/ in any way: your forum will continue to run as it always has." (Wouldn't that be nice! :-))

I welcome and appreciate any advice/help you are happy to offer.

All best -
mb

That's it. miniBB even could be synchronized with WordPress (not sure about their latest version though) - and the mandatory condition that it is kept under a sub-folder regarding to WP root. Exactly like in your case.

Don't move it anywhere :-) That would be also good point to keep it in search engines index.

Sweet! Paul, you are a legend! :-D As only a couple of my colleagues will need to worry about two separate logins (one for WordPress and one for miniBB), I reckon there is no pressing need to get the two apps to share authentication data.

Now, just for my own learning--and for the benefit of anyone who might need to, for whatever reason, physically re-locate an existing miniBB installation from a sub-directory to a sub-domain--would you mind confirming whether or not the steps described in the first post of this thread are correct to make miniBB work?

With thanks,
mb

Yes, you have all proper steps described.
From the first look I don't have anything to add.

Many thanks, Paul, for checking. :-)
All the best -
mb