phpBB installation

This is yet another case where my mileage hasn't actually varied. But I had to write about the phpBB installation as it is just so damn slick.

It must be roughly 6 or7 years ago when I first installed and configured a phpBB site on a Solaris 8 server with MySQL v3.23.42, Apache v1.3.26 and php v4.0.6. Even then the install was pretty good, although it left enough techie stuff to be done that you felt you'd undertaken a "real man's job"! Afterall, I had to compile the Apache, MySQL and PHP distributions.

In this case, I created:

• a new VM on my development ESX server,
• loaded up CentOS v5.2 configured as a Web & MySQL server
• loaded up some additional php libraries
• started the httpd & mysqld services
• download and installed the latest phpMyAdmin
• created a DB
• created a DB User with appropriate priviledges
• started and finished the phpBB configuration very quickly

The phpBB configuration is performed via a web page. It recognises the current state of the installation and just steps you through it. When it has acquired all the relevant configuration details, it creates the tables in the database and sets up the initial admin account. And then you are in a position to start using the system.

Bob's your parental sibling, usually of the male variety!


This does slightly simplify the process, but only in terms of creating/deploying a new machine. I had to add a new server into the company QIP (now called VitalQIP) system and push that out to DNS.

After deploying a server, there's also planning that has to be undertaken for administration, usage policies, backup and restoration for the system.