phpBB requires the LAMP / LEMP stack to function. It is easy to set up and maintain and completely free. Many reputable online forum communities use this software to run their bulletin boards. If you’re looking for a feature-rich, efficient and free community bulletin board, then you may want to consider phpBB. To get started with installing phpBB, follow the steps below:

Install Apache2

phpBB is PHP-based and requires a webserver. So, go and install Apache2 on Ubuntu by running the commands below: After installing Apache2, run the commands below to disable the Apache2 directory listing. Next, run the commands below to stop, start and enable the Apache2 service to always start up with the server boots.

Install MariaDB

phpBB also requires a database server to function. and MariaDB database server is a great place to start. To install it run the commands below. After installing, the commands below can be used to stop, start and enable the MariaDB service to always start up when the server boots. After that, run the commands below to secure the MariaDB server. When prompted, answer the questions below by following the guide.

Enter current password for root (enter for none): Just press the Enter Set root password? [Y/n]: Y New password: Enter password Re-enter new password: Repeat password Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]:  Y Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]:  Y

Restart MariaDB server

phpBB, a PHP-based software will require the below PHP modules. To install PHP and related modules run the commands below sudo apt-get install php libapache2-mod-php php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-soap php-gd php-xml php-intl php-mysql php-cli php-mcrypt php-ldap php-zip php-curl After installing PHP, run the commands below to open the Apache2 PHP default file. Then change the following lines below in the file and save. You may increase the value to suit your environment.

Create phpBB Database

Now that you’ve installed all the packages that are required, continue below to start configuring the servers. First, create a phpBB database. Run the commands below to log on to MariaDB. When prompted for a password, type the root password you created above. Then create a database called phpbb Create a database user called phpbbuser with a new password Then grant the user full access to the database. Finally, save your changes and exit.

Download phpBB Latest Release

Next, continue below to download the phpBB package. To download, run the commands below. After downloading, run the commands below to extract the downloaded file into the Apache2 root directory. Change or modify the directory permission to fit the Apache2 configuration.

Configure Apache2

Finally, configure the Apahce2 site configuration file for phpBB. This file will control how users access phpBB content. Run the commands below to create a new configuration file called phpbb.conf Then copy and paste the content below into the file and save it. Replace the highlighted line with your own domain name and directory root location. Save the file and exit.

Enable the phpBB and Rewrite the Module

After configuring the VirtualHost above, enable it by running the commands below To load all the settings above, restart Apache2 by running the commands below. Then open your browser and browse to the server domain name followed by install. You should see the phpBB setup wizard complete. Please follow the wizard carefully. You should see the phpBB setup wizard Create an admin account by typing a username and password. Enter the database connection details and continue Accept the server configuration settings and continue. If you do have a mail server, configure it on this page. if not ignore it and continue Enjoy! Run the commands below to delete the install directory sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/phpbb/install Congratulation! You have successfully installed the phpBB bulletin board. You may also like the post below: