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diff --git a/memos/WM-087.txt b/memos/WM-087.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b79470e --- /dev/null +++ b/memos/WM-087.txt @@ -0,0 +1,248 @@ + + + + + + + +Document: WM-087 P. Webb +Category: Self-Host 2026-03-25 + + Hosting a forum in 2026 + +Abstract + + In a world of platform lock-in, self-hosting communities sounds + real good. + +Body + + For several months I've wanted to setup some sort of community but I + didn't want to use Discord. I have an account of course but I don't + necessarily enjoy it. I pondered using IRC but nicely designed + clients for macOS/iOS are (to me) nonexistent. I host a + Matrix/Element server for a few close friends but every other month + one of them has issues with seeing messages because of a random token + mismatch or something? Telegram and Signal are out of the question + because an endless stream of text is not conducive to meaningful + conversation and we could all spend less time on our phones. + + The solution I kept going back to was **forums**. But what _kind_ of + forum? I was ready to get started with Flarum[1] but I saw they were + in the middle of transitioning to version 2 and I didn't want to need + to upgrade so soon after setup so I waited. Waterhole[2] looks REALLY + good but I didn't feel like paying $300 for something I wasn't sure + about doing in the first place. So that left me looking at the OGs of + the forum game; phpBB and vBulletin. For the latter, it doesn't seem + to be doing too well[3]. The former looks dusty old LOL! + + Somewhere along the way I came across Simple Machines Forum[4] and a + theme that took me back[5]. That cinched it for me and now my forum, + the WorldWideWebb[6], is online. + + πΈ[WWW forum][IMG1] + + I'm an HTML/CSS/JS/TS guy, PHP is not my forte. I can figure things + out though, and I'm gonna need to figure out more because I do NOT + like how the theme I'm customizing is built. Despite some slight + annoyances, I'm pleased with SMF for the time being. + + I did consider building a forum from scratch with BBCode support and + all that, able to be run from a single executable...I have MORE than + enough projects and man, adding this to my plate would've been + annoying (this doesn't mean I'm not gonna do it, just not right now). + + ## Tutorial + + So you wanna setup your own SMF forum? The instructions[7] to do so + assume you have done something like this before. I haven't dealt with + PHP since Wordpress was king in the mid-2000s so I was lost. Here's + an actual tutorial! + + 1. Get a server. I'm using Linode's 2 GB one for mine. + + 2. Run these commands, one line at a time: + ```sh + mkdir -p /var/www/html && cd $_ + curl -O https://download.simplemachines.org/index.php/smf_2-1-7_install.zip + apt install unzip -y + unzip smf_2-1-7_install.zip -d smf + rm smf_2-1-7_install.zip + ``` + You just created a directory on your server to install SMF and + deleted the zip file. As of this writing, `2.1.7` is the latest + version. You should check their site for the current latest. + + 3. Set file permissions so SMF can do what it needs to do: + ```sh + chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/smf + find /var/www/html/smf -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \; + find /var/www/html/smf -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \; + ``` + If you add a new theme, you may need to run these permission + commands again. + + 4. Time to create the database! I'm not sure if you need the former + package but you definitely need the latter...couldn't hurt to + install both though! + ```sh + apt install mysql-server -y + apt install php-mysql -y + ``` + After that, open up mySQL: + ```sql + mysql -u root -p + ``` + DO NOT JUST COPY/PASTE THIS NEXT BLOCK. + + You need to figure some things out first: + + - `your_database` + - `your_admin` + - `your_password` + + You're going to need these values for the web installer as well as + for your database. Plug these into your favorite password manager. + Now that that's set, replace the placeholder values in this next + block with the ones you chose, and then copy/paste the entire + block into the mySQL prompt you just opened: + + ```sql + CREATE DATABASE your_database CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci; + CREATE USER 'your_admin'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password'; + GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON your_database.* TO 'your_admin'@'localhost'; + FLUSH PRIVILEGES; + EXIT; + ``` + + 5. Alright, webserver time! I use Caddy so I had to install a PHP + thingy for it as well. + ```sh + apt install php-fpm -y + ``` + With that done, open up your `Caddyfile`: + ```sh + nano /etc/caddy/Caddyfile + ``` + ...and replace its contents with: + ```caddy + chat.webb.page { + root * /var/www/html/smf + php_fastcgi unix//run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock + file_server + encode gzip + } + ``` + `chat.webb.page` is there for illustrative purposes, replace with + your own domain, obviously. + + Reload Caddy and check on it (press `q` to escape the + status screen): + ```sh + systemctl reload caddy + systemctl status caddy + ``` + You should be able to navigate to the domain you listed in your + `Caddyfile` to finish the installation process. I think you got it + from here. + + For security purposes, you'll want to delete `install.php` if the + system didn't do this automatically. This is so no rando coming + across your forum can grief you. + + This should take care of things: + ```sh + rm /var/www/html/smf/install.php + ``` + Finally, lock down your settings files: + ```sh + chmod 640 /var/www/html/smf/Settings.php + chmod 640 /var/www/html/smf/Settings_bak.php + ``` + + 6. Email time! I don't scambots signing up so I checked whatever + thing in the SMF settings to require email authorization when + signing up. You need an email sender to do this though, and I'm + with Fastmail these days. Surely there's an easy way to get this + working, right? No, but that's why I'm here. You're welcome. + + Head to `Administration Center` β `Mail` β `Settings` and here's + what you put in: + + - Mail type: SMTP + - SMTP server: `ssl://smtp.fastmail.com` + - SMTP port: `465` + - SMTP username: NOT your Fastmail alias, your ACTUAL address + - SMTP password: your Fastmail app password + + Boy, the `SMTP username` thing had me going in a spiral. I assumed + the Fastmail aliases were perfectly fine to put there since the + email is going to my original address anyway but on Fastmail's + end, you're logging in with invalid parameters. + + If it wasn't for Claude I wouldn't have figured this out. LLMs are + great for finding where documentation is lacking (and teaching you + how to troubleshoot things you never knew how to check for). + + Also, when using Linode you need to send a support ticket to + request the opening of email ports. This friction step contributes + to why their reputation is great, unlike DigitalOcean's where my + email on the mail server I'm still hosting gets treated as spam. + The more you know, right? + + Linode is pretty good with unblocking the ports. I requested this + late one night and by the time I woke up I was good to go. + + ## FIN + + And that's it! + + After naming my forum "WorldWideWebb" I suddenly thought, "Why did I + make the url `chat.webb.page` when it should be `www.webb.page`?!" + + Making this change broke my forum for a good 5 minutes as I tried to + figure out where to fix things. + + First, I had to update `$boardurl` in `smf/Settings.php` to match the + new domain name. + + Next, I needed to navigate to `Administration Center` β + `Themes and Layout` β `Theme Settings` and update the URLs of + the theme. + + ## Epilogue + + I guess I should explain my intent with this forum, I didn't fully + touch on it at the jump. + + Most of my creation happens in isolation, which is fine, but my best + ideas come when telling others about my ideas and getting feedback or + opposing views. Selfishly, I want y'all to help make my shit better + haha! On these other platforms, we all look the same and our real + estate is confined to algorithmic boxes with high walls that have + constantly moving peepholes. It's exhausting trying to reach anyone. + + In high-school (2002-2006), I had accounts on several forums, from + REO[8] to music production to DJing and more. Some of the best online + experiences of my life started in that era. WorldWideWebb is my way + of evoking that feeling again. + + Also, with the constellation of projects I have going on and am + working on at any given moment, I just do not feel like blasting my + Mastodon feed with RFC-length posts. That's what my blog and (now) + forum[6] are for! + + As an aside, it's funny that my browser URL just reads `webb.page` + on my forum because browsers these days treat `www.` as invisible. πΈοΈ + +References + + [1] <https://flarum.org> + [2] <https://waterhole.dev> + [3] <https://xenforo.com/community/threads/i-regret-buying-vbulletin-6-0-7-latest-version.226753> + [4] <https://www.simplemachines.org> + [5] <https://custom.simplemachines.org/index.php?theme=3014> + [6] <https://www.webb.page> + [7] <https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Installing> + [8] <https://rockman-exe.com/online> + [IMG1] <https://cdn.webb.page/blog/2026/wm-087-b.jpg> |