Install phpBB on NethServer7

m.traeumner · November 2, 2021, 12:09pm

I know this is an old threat, but nobody here describes how to install phpbb. So I have written a howto:

Install phpBB (Wiki / Forum- Software) on Nethserver

Sources:

First step would be installing webserver and creating a virtual host

Go to Software Center at cockpit and install the webserver.
After installation you can find it at applications, open Settings here

Next step is to create a virtual host. Choose Virtual hosts at the menu and click on Create a virtual host
Fill in full virtual hostname (FQDN) and a description if you want.
Click on advanced settings and choose PHP 8.0 (supported since version 3.3.3, for older versions choose PHP 7.1)
Perhaps you have to install it
Click on Create

Have a look at the Web root path, you need it at the next step

Downloading and preparing the installation

login to a terminal, I use putty with ssh and went to the Web root path folder

cd /var/lib/nethserver/vhost/0a1f28537c9ed13/

download the phpBB zip file, I get the address from the download button on the homepage

wget https://download.phpbb.com/pub/release/3.3/3.3.5/phpBB-3.3.5.zip

-You have to install unzip before extracting the downloaded file

yum install unzip

unzip phpBB-3.3.5.zip

move all files and folders from phpBB3 folder to parent folder

mv phpBB3/* ./

to move .htaccess you also have to do the following

mv phpBB3/.[a-z]* ./

we have to change permissions now, please went to folder /var/lib/nethserver/vhost
and execute the following commands (change 0a1f2… to your folder name)

chown -R apache.apache 0a1f28537c9ed13

chmod -R 775 0a1f28537c9ed13

The next step is to create a mariadb user and a database for phpBB

Login with root user to mariaDB

mysql -u root

Create a user, for example phpBB

CREATE USER phpBB’@‘localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY 'password;

Have a look, if the user was created

select * from mysql.user;

Create a database, for example phpbbDB

CREATE DATABASE phpbbDB;

Grant phpBB User access to phpbbDB

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON phpbbDB . * TO ‘phpBB’@‘localhost’;

At least clear temp memory of privileges

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Leave MariaDB

exit

Preconfigure some more things

set a host entry at your DNS-Server with the vhost name and the IP of the Nethserver, if not Nethserver itself is your DNS. If it is you can skip this point.
We also have to set, where log files of phpBB are saved.
Create a custom template 40log_files, I use nano, but of course you can use every other editor you want, if it is installed.

mkdir -p /etc/e-smith/templates-custom/etc/httpd/conf.d/virtualhosts.conf/nano 40log_files

the content of the file should look like this:

ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/phpbb.ab-error\_log
CustomLog /var/log/httpd/phpbb.ab-access\_log common

now we have to expand the template

expand-template /etc/httpd/conf.d/virtualhosts.conf

restart apache

systemctl restart httpd

Starting Installation

Open Browser and enter the address of your vhost for the install script. It‘s yourHost/install for example

yourHost/install

Click on install tab and press install button

install1891×560 112 KB
Set admin settings and submit

Enter Database settings

sql_settings1905×576 88.1 KB
Check server configuration and click on submit

server_config1911×533 95.1 KB
enter mail configuration and submit

mail_config1903×600 110 KB
Set Description and language of the board, (for another language you have to install a language pack before)

description1914×388 54.2 KB
After it was installed. I get a SSL warning, but I think it is because an unsecure server certificate (I have a self signed certificate)

install_script_error1897×428 96.3 KB

Removing or renaming the install-directory
This is necessary to use the board.

Went to the terminal again and open your vhost folder

cd /var/lib/nethserver/vhost/0a1f28537c9ed13/

rename or delete the install folder (I renamed it)

mv ./install ./install_bak

Now you can open the wiki/forum.

go to your vhost address

http://YourHost