How to install Simple Machine Forum on Ubuntu 17.04
To install Simple Machine Forum on Ubuntu 17.04
Simple Machines Forum (SMF) is a free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes. It is an open-source software which is written in PHP and uses a MySQL/MariaDB database. It provides many features and it is user-friendly. It is so simple to install Simple Machine Forum on Ubuntu 17.04, and this article covers the ground on the same process.
Pre-requirement
Install LAMP(apache, php 7, mariadb)
In mariadb (create database, user and give privilages to user)
For php
php modules(apt-get install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql php-curl php-gd)
Installing Simple Machine Forum
Before you begin the process, you need to enter into the Apache document root location from where you are going to start the process.
root@linuxhelpubnt:~# cd /var/www/html/
And from there, you need to download the SMF package by using the following command.
root@linuxhelpubnt:/var/www/html# wget https://download.simplemachines.org/index.php/smf_2-0-14_install.zip
--2017-11-17 06:20:18-- https://download.simplemachines.org/index.php/smf_2-0-14_install.zip
Resolving download.simplemachines.org (download.simplemachines.org)... 66.71.247.134, 66.71.247.135
Connecting to download.simplemachines.org (download.simplemachines.org)|66.71.247.134|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Syntax error in Set-Cookie: at position 0.
Length: unspecified [application/octet-stream]
Saving to: ‘ smf_2-0-14_install.zip’
smf_2-0-14_install. [ < => ] 2.57M 734KB/s in 3.6s
2017-11-17 06:20:23 (734 KB/s) - ‘ smf_2-0-14_install.zip’ saved [2694219]
Once it is done, you need to extract the downloaded file with the help of the following command.
root@linuxhelpubnt:/var/www/html# unzip smf_2-0-14_install.zip -d smf
Archive: smf_2-0-14_install.zip
inflating: smf/proxy.php
inflating: smf/SSI.php
inflating: smf/subscriptions.php
inflating: smf/index.php
inflating: smf/Themes/index.php
inflating: smf/Themes/default/Stats.template.php
inflating: smf/Themes/default/ManageScheduledTasks.template.php
inflating: smf/Themes/default/Notify.template.php
inflating: smf/Themes/default/Themes.template.php
inflating: smf/Themes/default/ManageMail.template.php
.
.
.
inflating: smf/install_2-0_postgresql.sql
inflating: smf/install_2-0_mysql.sql
inflating: smf/install_2-0_sqlite.sql
And then, you need to change the ownership of extracted directory by using the following command.
root@linuxhelpubnt:/var/www/html# chown -R www-data:www-data smf
Later, make sure you create VirtualHost for SMF, and for that you need to create a .conf file. You shall do that by executing the following command.
root@linuxhelpubnt:/var/www/html# nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/smf.conf
In that .conf file, you need to add the following lines.
< VirtualHost *:80> ServerAdmin admin@smf.com DocumentRoot /var/www/html/smf/ ServerName smf.com ServerAlias www.smf.com < Directory /var/www/html/smf/> Options FollowSymLinks AllowOverride All Order allow,deny allow from all < /Directory> ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/smf.com-error_log CustomLog /var/log/apache2/smf.com-access_log common < /VirtualHost>
Once you are through with the configuration, you need to make an entry in the hosts file. So run the following command to open the file.
root@linuxhelpubnt:/var/www/html# nano /etc/hosts
And add the following line to it.
< ip addr> smf.com
Now, you need to enable the newly created .conf file by running the following command.
root@linuxhelpubnt:/var/www/html# a2ensite smf.conf
Enabling site smf.
To activate the new configuration, you need to run:
service apache2 reload
Once it is done, you need to restart the Apache service by running the following command.
root@linuxhelpubnt:/var/www/html# systemctl restart apache2.service
Let us now continue the process from the browser. Open your browser and give the URL as linuxhelp11.com, the SMF installer appears on your screen. Click Continue to proceed with the process.
In the next page, you should enter the database details and click Continue.
In the next stage, you are asked to fill certain key settings for the forum. Click on the continue option.
In the next stage, the details related to the database is displayed on your screen. Click continue to proceed further.
Fill the account details and then click Continue to proceed further.
The installation is now complete, if you want to go to the forum, you need to tick the checkbox and click “ your newly installed forum.”
You will be taken to the Home page of SMF.
With this, the installation of SMF comes to an end.
# chown -R www-data:www-data smf
# wget https://download.simplemachines.org/index.php/smf_2-0-14_install.zip
# unzip smf_2-0-14_install.zip -d smf
# systemctl restart apache2.service