| Installing a phpBB2 forum on Windows 2000 Server |
| Description: Step by Step Guide To Installing phpBB2 on Windows 2000 |
| Author: VampyreUK |
| Date: Fri Sep 19, 2003 7:17 am |
| Type: Tutorial |
| Keywords: windows 2000, php, mysql, phbbb, configuration |
| Category: Installing/upgrading/converting |
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Installing a phpBB2 forum on Windows 2000 Server
Julian Cook & James C. Rocks
Requirements
Notes
This document assumes the user to be capable of setting up a Windows 2000 server with a fully functioning IIS web server and that a number of packages are pre-downloaded. MySQL Control Centre and MyODBC Driver v3.51.x are not strictly necessary for a functional forum (see later). The user must also be familiar with information about the target system such as passwords, machine names and similar … default values are supplied & used in this document, but the user may substitute alternatives in most cases
Hardware
* Windows 2000 server with IIS installed and running (you DO need to test that your web server is working). The system should be patched with the latest Service Pack (at time of writing SP4) and Microsoft security updates.
* Approximately 1GB free space on C: Drive (this is probably a generous estimation of space requirements) … these packages can be set up in non-default locations but we strongly advise you to stick to defaults where possible. The target drive should be fully defragged something that is particularly important on older, less well specified, systems.
Software
• MySQL v4.0.x (at time of writing 4.0.15)
• PHP v4.3.x installer and the PHP v4.3.x zip package (at time of writing 4.3.3)
• MySQL Control Centre (at time of writing the alpha version 0.9.3) ... this is not strictly speaking necessary for full forum function (see later).
• MyODBC Driver v3.51.x (at time of writing 3.51.06) … note that this is for testing purposes only.
• phpBB2 Forum software (at time of writing 2.0.6)
Information
Server Name: ServerName
IP Address: IPAddress
Host Name: localhost
Data Source Name: datasource
Database: database
User: user
Password: password
Forum directory: forum
Forum Administrator: Admin
Forum Admin PW: AdminPW
SMTP Server: smtp.yourdomain.com
E-Mail Address: email@yourdomain.com
PHP 4.3.x
1. Install PHP by running the executable php-4.3.x-installer.exe.
2. Accept all defaults until the Mail Configuration dialog where you enter your SMTP server address as smtp.yourdomain.com and your e-mail as email@yourdomain.com.
3. Continue with defaults clicking OK twice to finish the installation.
4. Copy the contents of the PHP 4.3.x zip package to the PHP installation folder allowing it to overwrite any files.
5. Click the Start Menu then Programs --> Administrative Tools --> Internet Services Manager (this can also be done by opening Control Panel, double-clicking on "Administrative Tools" and then on "Internet Services Manager") ... a dialog called "Internet Information Services" will appear. In the left hand pane there will be a computer displayed, this is the computer you are running IIS from.
6. Click on the "+" next to your computer to see a number of sub-folders revealed.
7. Right-click on "Default Web Site" (it is possible you may have renamed "Default Web Site" to something else) and select "Properties" and, at the "Default Web Site Properties" dialog, select the "Documents" tab.
8. Click the "Add" button and in the "Add Default Document" dialog enter "index.php" ... use the available arrow buttons to ensure that index.php is as high a priority as possible e.g. in second place behind index.htm.
9. Click "OK" several times until you exit the dialogs and close the "Internet Information Services" dialog.
MySQL v4.0.xx
Notes
The use of MySQL Control Centre (steps 8 through 13) is not strictly necessary however it was found during testing to be a superior tool than some others and shields the user from the complexities of command line arguments. When defining the user (step 12) not that it is advisable to restrict that users access only to the necessary databases and options and that the values shown are simply defaults. It is not strictly necessary to start and stop the SQL service (step 5) however our experience leads us to suggest it is advisable.
1. Install by running setup.exe and accepting all defaults.
2. Open the %systemdrive%\mysql\bin\ folder (usually c:\mysql\bin), find the program called 'winmysqladmin' and create a shortcut (rename it to MySQLAdmin) on the desktop.
3. Double-click the MySQLAdmin icon, the main application will drop down to the Windows tray but a dialog requesting username & password will remain open, Supply these as user & password.
4. Bring up "WinMySQLAdmin" (right-click the traffic light icon in the tray and select "Show Me") and select the "my.ini Setup" tab, briefly check that the following settings are correct:
| Quote: | [mysqld]
basedir=c:\mysql
datadir=c:\mysql\data
[WinMySQLadmin]
Server=c:\mysql\bin\mysqld-nt.exe
User=user
Password=password |
If all appears correct click the "Save Modification" button and close "MySQLAdmin"
5. Right-click on "My Computer", select "Manage", "Services" and find the "MySQL" Service. Ensure that it is running and, if necessary, set to automatic then stop and start the service to ensure that it has picked up the new "my.ini" settings.
6. Close "Computer Management".
7. Run "MySQLAdmin" (it auto-minimises to the system tray so you'll need to bring it up again as described above), select the "Start Check" tab and ensure that all values say either "Yes" or "OK" ... close "WinMySQLAdmin".
8. Install "MySQL Control Centre" accepting all defaults except at the "Licence Agreement" dialog where you must select "I accept the license agreement".
9. Run "MySQL Control Centre" (there should be an icon on the desktop), right-click on "local" (if it is not called this you should edit the name as described in this same section) in the left-hand pane of the dialog and select "Edit". Check the following values as correct (you may alter these but these values work):
| Quote: | Name: local
Host Name: localhost
User: root
Password: <blank> |
Click "Apply"
10. Double-click on "local" and a series of sub-folders should appear. Right-click on "Databases" and select "New Database" supplying database as the database name.
11. Click on the "+" next to "Databases" and test the new database by right-clicking on it and selecting "Connect", if it turns green and a tables folder appears below it, it should be fine, right-click on the new database and select "Disconnect".
12. Right-click "User Administration", select "New User" and enter the new user details as follows:
| Quote: | Username: user
Host: localhost
Password: password
All Privileges: checked
phpbb (database in right-hand panel): checked |
Click "Add"
13. Close "MySQL Control Centre"
14. Run "MySQLAdmin" (again you will have to bring the application window up from the system tray as it auto-minimises when it runs), select the "Database" tab and check that the new database exists ... minimise "WinMySQLAdmin" (right-click the traffic-light mage near to application dialog's top-right and select "Hide me").
MySQL ODBC v 3.51.x Driver
Note
This component is included in the install process purely as an indicator that MySQL has been installed and configured correctly; the forum software does not require it in any way.
1. Install the "MySQL ODBC driver" by running the executable MyODBC-3.51.x.exe accepting all defaults.
2. Click the Start Menu then Programs --> Administrative Tools --> Data Sources (ODBC) (this can also be done by opening Control Panel, double-clicking on "Administrative Tools" and then on "Data Sources (ODBC)" ... a dialog called "ODBC Data Source Administrator"
3. Click "Add", select "MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver" from the list of drivers available and click "Finish"
4. At the "MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver – DSN Configuration, Version 3.51.x" dialog enter the following data:
| Quote: | Data Source Name: phpbb
Host/Server Name (or IP): localhost
Database Name: phpbb
User: user
Password: password |
5. Click the "Test Data Source" and confirm functionality from a message similar to "Data Source 'phpbb' Connected Successfully to 'mysqld-4.0.xx-nt' !!!"
6. Click "OK" and close the "Administrative Tools" and "Control Panel" windows.
phpBB2
Note
On one machine the second "Welcome to phpBB 2 Installation" page (step 5) was noted not to appear however in that case the forum software was found to have installed correctly.
1. Create the folder forum in your website (normally "c:\inetpub\wwwroot") and extract & copy the phpBB2 files to it.
2. Run Internet Explorer and type in http://<Server Name>/forum/index.php and you should be presented with the phpBB2 installation page. This step can potentially present problems and you may need to substitute either "localhost" or the server's IP address for the "<Server Name>".
3. At the "Welcome to phpBB 2 Installation" web page enter the following settings:
| Quote: | Default board language: English
Database Type: MySQL 4.x
Choose your installation method: Install
Database Server Hostname / DSN: localhost
Your Database Name: database
Database Username: user
Database Password: password
Prefix for tables in database: phpbb_
Admin Email Address: email@yourdomain.com
Domain Name: IPAddress (or a valid DNS name visible to the forum's target audience).
Server Port: 80
Script path: /forum/
Administrator Username: Admin
Administrator Password: AdminPW
Administrator Password [ Confirm ]: AdminPW |
4. Click (once only) the "Start Install" button ... this should a second "Welcome to phpBB 2 Installation" web page.
5. Select "Just send the file to me and I'll FTP it manually" and click "Download config" ... when offered the opportunity to save install.php elect to save the file to your forum folder (you will get a "replace Yes/No" style message).
6. Close Internet Explorer.
7. In Windows 2000 Explorer (not Internet Explorer) go to your forum folder, create a new folder called "backup" and move the "contrib" and "install" folders to it. Alternatively the "contrib" and "install" folders can simply be deleted.
8. Close Windows 2000 explorer.
Running phpBB2 For The first time
Finally run up Internet Explorer and enter the URL http://<Server Name>/forum and you should be presented with your very own forum. Again this step can potentially present problems and you may need to substitute either "localhost" or the server's IP address for the "<Server Name>".
References
* "How To setup a full IIS web server with everything you need to run phpBB", DanielT |
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