Alright so how can I assuming I had access to a linux server 24/7 create a forum? I understand that one of those free ones might be sufficient for my wishes but I would like to get a good hard shove down the right hillside as a computer sciences related project.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
It isn't clear to me, are you looking for advice on writing a forum, or on installing one?
As far as writing, don't do that. It is a bad idea.
As far as installing, some make the process almost trivial, provided a little basic knowledge of how *nix works. Simple Machines Forum is well-regarded.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
What he said.
Writing a secure forum is very difficult, but if you just want to fool around with some code you can always install EasyPHP on your machine and run SMF off of it.
--j_k
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
k, how would I go about installing a forum onto a linux/unix server that my school hosts?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
k looking into SMF looks good already, first word I read was "free" Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
There are tons of free forums.
You will need to ascertain some things to run SMF on that machine.
1. That the apache httpd is installed on the machine.
2. That PHP is installed and enabled on that machine.
3. That MySQL is installed on that machine.
What sort of 'access' do you have to this server? Are you familiar with the *nix command line?
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
Most of the decent ones these days have web-based installation packages. Usually you need to know enough about the server to be able to setup a new database for the forum to use, upload the forum install package and point a web server to the right address.
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
I don't think installing and running a forum is a trivial enough task that it can be adequately be addressed here. Read the docs for the forum software you're looking at and see if they have a support forum if anything is not clear.
In general, you'll tend to better if you try to figure it out for yourself and only ask for help when you get stuck. If you're getting stuck before you even get started, then maybe you need to brush up on some more basic skills first.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I can upload stuff and access it and possess full rights on my particular assigned part of the Linux server.
*edit* with Putty.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
And does that include the ability to put up web pages, and more particularly PHP web pages, and does that include a MySQL or other database account?
The first can be confirmed by checking for a www directory, usually.
The second can be confirmed by putting the following script in the www directory (with the extension .php) and seeing if it works:
code:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>
The last, you'll have to find out from your school.
I'm assuming "full rights on my particular assigned part of the Linux server" means you've got a normal user account.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
all 3 = yes. I have a MySQL account, the abilityt o put up a webpage and it uses php.
However now I have run into 2 problems, the first is putty related and possibly vista is the culprit.
I open putty type int he server host name click open and i get a pop up saying:
"Network Error Permission denied" then im left with an inactive putty window.
Second, at the www.yourdomain.com/smf/install.php i need to type in port number, hostname, username, and password and as well the path /home/username/public_html/smf which was automatically detected i click connect and it gives me:
"Unable to connect to FTP server with this combination of details."
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I was able to connect to the server and upload the needed files via SSH Secure File Transfer, just that putty seems on the fritz.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
when I do the test.php thingy fugu i get this page:
page taken down just in case.
[ September 03, 2007, 10:45 PM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Alright well the connect to ftp server step luckily it seems SMF has predicted my predictiment and had steps to do that mpart manually via my ftp client.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
You probably want to take down that info page; nothing there should be sensitive, but its never a good idea in case it is or becomes so. Given you have a MySQL db, you should be able to run SMF no problem.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Next, whats the name of the alliance in Babylon 5? need it for the forum name.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I put in the MySQL server name which i assume is the same seevr name as linux2-cs.johnabbott.qc.ca, and I try using localhost by default and get these errors.
Cannot connect to the MySQL database server with the supplied data.
If you are not sure about what to type in, please contact your host. Lost connection to MySQL server during query
This is when i put in linux2-cs.johnabbott.qc.ca. it says 99% of the time I should use localhost instead but then i get this error:
Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (111)
Not sure whats wrong here.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
MySQL is often hosted on a separate server. The errors you are getting indicate MySQL is not running on the server you are entering. You need to find the appropriate documentation for where your MySQL database can be accessed.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
grrr, would that have anything to do with the Oracle server?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Perhaps, if some wires got crossed in the telling. Note, however, that an Oracle DB is not a MySQL DB, and code which relies on a specific type of database may not function on another.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Is it also possible that the MySQL server is on the Linux server but its somewhat buried in it somewhere?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
It says in the test.php page
MYSQL_SOCKET /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
but in the php smf script it says cannot to the local php server at through that socket though.
Does that still imply that MySQL server isnt within the linux server or is there another problem implied here?
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
That could easily show up whether or not MySQL is running on the server. Your other results suggest MySQL is not running on the server.
Do you have shell access? If you have SFTP access, you probably have SSH access. It might be possible to find out if mysqld is running, but there's really no point in futzing around like that, because . . .
Your school should have provided some documentation about how to use your MySQL database. There is no easy way of inferring how they have set it up. Find that documentation or call someone.
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