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Installation documentation

Posted by Jackson 
Installation documentation
January 29, 2002 12:22PM
First let me start by saying I think Phorum is an outstanding product. It is exactly what I wanted in a message board app. However the installation documentation is not good at all. I have been a wedmaster for about 3 years. I could not install it to save my life. =)

Luckily I am good friends with my server admin and he was able to install it after about 6 hours. He said the installation instructions were the reason it took so long. I am a Network Engineer and although I understood all the terminology used, I was unable to even begin to grasp what the installation documentation was saying.

I was able to make the changes to phorum settings and then you completely lost me. I think there needs to be more instructions after the phorum settings and starting the installation. Not everyone knows this stuff by heart. I have the same problem sometimes when I am explaining outages to customers. I think if you can "keep it simple" (well as smple as possible anyway), the installation would be possible without the server admin getting involved (most people can't even contact theirs, let alone get their help).

Other than that, I love Phorum and plan to use it on all my websites. I will be sending a donation forthwith and keep up the good work!

-Jackson
Webmaster DreamsUnderground.com
I am also having a hard time with the installation instruction provided in the /docs directory. I am trying to install this phorum with MySQL do you have any installation procedure (notes) that you have from the installation to run this forum script. Would it be possible if I could get these document email to me.
Thanks
<b>Re: Installation documentation</b>
February 05, 2002 10:16AM
<HTML>just follow install.txt.</HTML>

Re: Installation documentation
February 06, 2002 07:35PM
I have to say, Thomas that the installation instructions do leave something to be desired. I too made lots of mistakes. And I'm still quite confused about some aspects of configuring the board.

But I wonder if you would accept my (or others') support on this issue? - donations in kind. I've written many manuals and I would be prepared to suggest some improvements or even to rework the install.txt file.

From what I can see so far, Phorum may be just what I need and I would like to help it realise its potential.

Chris
Re: Installation documentation
February 06, 2002 08:33PM
Yes I would agree. I am not new to this. I have installed thousands of scripts etc. in the past few years, but I have yet to figure out the installation intructions in the docs file.

This looks to be a useful bb, and I think it would be the answer for many of my clients (I'm a web designer), but at this point I cannot recommend it's use due to insufficient documentation.

Please, anything is only as good as it's weakest link - the documentation leaves something to be desired. I'm not complaining. I'll figure it out eventually, just some constructive criticism.
Re: Installation documentation
February 07, 2002 01:39AM
is this possible to run under ms windows personal web server?
<b>Re: Installation documentation</b>
February 07, 2002 04:09PM
<HTML>for sure, we take every help we can get on this.</HTML>

Hobo
Re: Installation documentation
February 17, 2002 03:41AM
The problem with the install documentation is that beyond telling you how to untar the file, there are no install instructions in there.

There is a rant about security, then it skips right to using the web interface it never explained how to set up.
Re: Installation documentation
March 03, 2002 06:06PM
yes, i totally agree. it's only because seeing the board in action is so great that everyone is going out of their mind with the instructions trying to get it to work.

i've been trying to figure out how to install this script for a while now, and have even had my web host (who is apparently quite fluent in php) try to install it, and am still coming up short. i was about to pay her to install it, but didn't because she couldn't figure it out.

is there someone on the phorum team that would perhaps offer their installation services for a fee? i'd be more than willing to skip all this hassle and just get one of the authors to install it for me.
<b>Re: Installation documentation</b>
March 03, 2002 07:04PM
<HTML>its really easy I don't see the problem.

contact me via email please.</HTML>

Re: Installation documentation
March 07, 2002 12:47PM
Here's the steps I followed.

downloaded the file.
copied it to my html directory
tar -zxf phorums*
it extracted to the phourms.3.3.2a directory.
cp -R phorum-3.3.2a/* ./
cause I want it in the html dir
rm -Rf phorum-3.3.2a
cause I don't want it there...
went to a browser and did [www.myurl.com]
It tells you to go to admin to set up your box
went to a browser and did [www.myurl.com]
and it pulls the install script
chose mysql
it asked me for database name user/pass etc
put info it... failed.... figured it need a database created...
went to a shell prompt and did
mysql
create database whatever;
quit
went to a browser and did [www.myurl.com]
and it pulls the install script
chose mysql
it asked me for database name user/pass etc
put in the nfo and it created tables etc...
very easy... but you have to know a little something.
if you want to get real tricky you can setup your own user to access the database....and dedicate that to phorums...

Stephen
I downloaded Phorum-3.3.2a, unpacked it with tar zxvf.
Then I made sure mysql was running and PHP was working.
Then I pointed my browser to [localhost]
And it asked me what database I use. I chose MySQL, but nothing happened. I just got this pretty empty screen saying "Phorum Install Script" and nothing more.

Then I ran "mysql" and "create database phorum" and tried again. Nothing more happened. I also tried to install PostgreSQL 7.2, but with the same result.

I have browsed the FAQ and read some postings here, but I don't seem to find any obvious solution.

(I'm pretty new to mysql/databases, so I might need very basic explanations?)
max
Re: Installation documentation
March 13, 2002 08:26AM
I created a database in mysql but still receive "Could not connect to database" in instalation script.
Should I create a user too? If so - the script is very very far from self-explaining.
max
Re: Installation documentation
March 13, 2002 08:42AM
Ok, it works. But you really should add in installation.txt that befor proceeding installation script 1. database should be created, 2. phorum db user (not admin!) with pass should be created.
After those steps done - everything works.
Re: Installation documentation
March 17, 2002 02:00PM
Hello, I have to say that phorum is the exact product that I need to design a couple of webs, but, like many other users, I'm lost with documentation. Once I have installed it, I can't open the index.php file from anywhere but localhost. Some idea about how to solve this problem? .Thanks
Re: Installation documentation
March 21, 2002 07:05PM
Some text you may like to add to install.txt:

-- begin text
Choosing a Language for Phorum

Phorum has many language files donated by the community. These files are available from the Phorum website in the Languages section.

Download and save the file you require into the "lang" folder of your phorum directory. You may like to rename the file to a friendlier name but keep the .php extension.
Now go to the Phorum admin screen and choose "Global Settings" - you should now have the option to choose your language. (It will be called whatever you renamed the language file to)

Updated translations and new languages are _always_ appreciated. If you would like to help, the procedure is explained in the Languages page on the Phorum website.
-- end text

I suggest the current section 5 in install.txt could be split into subsections and that this entry could precede the existing one: "Assigning moderators".

/\dam
don
Re: Installation documentation
March 26, 2002 05:49PM
OK, help from someone who can speek english, newbie style lol

i am running windows, everything appears to be talking apple or mac or whatever, what is necessary to download to install this on windows based machine and then put it on the web.

it looks really kewl and all but its like the people who wrote it think everyone understands all this lol

anyways any help appreciated it does look kewl..

do i have to have cgi access to make it work etc..

dlbott@hotmail.com
Re: Installation documentation
March 29, 2002 11:48AM
I think a lot of the problems with phorum people have is getting that connection to MySQL. There is very little to do other than that. (It goes without saying that a php and MySQL installation is a requesite here!)

Here is how I do it:

--------------Step 1---------------
# After the gzip and untarring of the source, I moved the phorum to my webspace and:

mv phorum-3.3.2a phorum

cd phorum

chmod 755 scripts/secure

scripts/secure

# There is not much here to deal with, but perhaps the best thing is to rename the default "admin" to something else - anything else. Everything else I left default.

--------------Step2---------------
# Step a - Get into MySQL:
usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql -u root -p
password:

# Step b:
CREATE DATABASE phorum;
USE phorum;

# Step c;
grant
select, insert, update, create, alter, delete, drop
on
phorum
to
root
identified by
'your password here';

--------------Step 3---------------
# Open your web browser and go to:

[yoursite.com] [admin or whatever you named this] index.php

Enter Your Database Settings:
Database - Server Name: localhost
Database - Name: phorum
Database - User Name: root
Database - Password: 'your password here'
Phorum - Main Table Name: forums

# You're almost there:
Create the admin user:
User Name: whatever
Password: whatever

That should get your Phorum up and running and from there you can toy around with it until you get comfortable. It might be noted that I put an index.html file into the phorum and the admin folders for security's sake. That way if someone trys to hit those open folders with a web browser they are not greeted with an open list of the folder contents.

Enjoy,

Paul Montgomery
Filip Stokkeland
Re: Installation documentation
April 02, 2002 09:01AM
My problem was that the Debian package php4-mysql was not properly installed for some strange reason. phpinfo() revealed that it didn't really know anything about my mysql server. I found this a little strange since phpmyadmin _did_ work.

Anyway, i took a apt-get --reinstall install php4-mysql and then everything worked nicely ...

-F-
<HTML>phpmysqladmin probably use the dl() function to load the database stuff. I have seen that a lot. It really is more work on the server than needed.</HTML>

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