Server Help

[Matzke]

how are forums made? are they html? or do u just download the template you want and edit from there? sorry i'm not webmaster
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z0rz

[Solo Ace]

Forums are made using scripting languages, this one was made using PHP.
These scripts output HTML and CSS to let the browsers know what to show to the user.

You extract the files to your webspace (a directory shared using a webserver, like Apache), then browse to the main page, it'll guide you through the setup.

Most forum systems use database systems, a free and popular one is MySQL, or - as an alternative - PostgreSQL.

SQL is a query language (it stands for "Structured Query Language") which allows users and applications to access, modify and get information from databases/tables.
It is used by the forum systems to store and get information from these databases.

Some popular forum systems:

• Invision Power Board (a very crappy one, but free)
  
• PHPBB (this one, free)
  
• vBulletin (not free)

I think these 3 support MySQL and a few other database systems.

[Matzke]

thanks

[wEaViL]

or you can skip going threw all that hell of setting up the webserver and sql system and just use a pre-bundled server. I've used these 2... EasyPHP - Best for win 95/98/ME or Apache2triad - Best for 2000 and up Both have apache webserver and mysql and easy setup... Apache2Triad also has webstats, email, and a bunch of other items for websites.

[Solo Ace]

Oh yeah encourage them to stay at the same newbie "experience level".

[Blindmonkey21]

what is wrong with that?

[Solo Ace]

Aren't we here to learn?

Come on, if you want to run a webserver then at least learn how to set it up, if you're too lazy to learn how to set it up then you shouldn't be trying to run one.

[Blindmonkey21]

Well if there is an easier way to do it I would rather do it the easier way. Why not? Too many people make things complicated on thenselves just cause they know more when you can do things so much simpler.

[D1st0rt]

I like ASP.NET myself
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[Guest]

lol solo i'm gonna go with weavil's because he and i are friends and he's helped me out a bunch before, nothing wrong with you though i've seen ur posts and u seem smart but i know weavil better

[wEaViL]

Apache is one of the best (free) webservers around but with there new one apache 2 its a pain in the but to set it up to run php... the old one is easy... and I agree with them... why waste your time trying to configure the webserver yourself? The time you save on setting that up can be spent on web design and other important things that are not easy to do...

[Solo Ace]

Well, sure, it might not be easy and you can get something else to do it.
The documentation of this software was made for people with common sense to set a server up, no matter how many people disagree with me, I think it's smarter to follow the setup guide and at least try to get it to work without some other newbie-friendly setup stuff.

What you learn from letting some other thing do it is nothing, setting it up with a guide would teach you where settings are located and how to use them.
Then when something goes wrong, you could find the problem easier and maybe even fix it without starting to scream for help.

I just think it's wrong to not even try to set it up using the software's documentation just because it's "pretty complicated", if you've set it up before and the only reason you use some installer to save time wouldn't be that bad.

[wEaViL]

I've tried with apache 2 and nothing helped with it... I'd rather spend my time working on the site itself instead of the server.