phpBB is an open-source forum platform that empowers communities to communicate effectively online. Written in PHP with a MariaDB backend, phpBB boasts features like sub-forums, user groups, full-text search, plugins, and email notifications. It is highly scalable and customizable with an intuitive interface and easy-to-use management options.
This guide will walk you through the installation of phpBB using Apache and Let’s Encrypt SSL on Ubuntu 22.04.
Prerequisites
- An Ubuntu 22.04 server.
- A domain name linked to your server’s IP address.
- Root access configured on the server.
Installing Apache, MariaDB, and PHP
Begin by installing the Apache web server, MariaDB database, PHP, and additional packages on your server using the command:
apt install apache2 mariadb-server php libapache2-mod-php php-gd php-curl openssl php-imagick php-intl php-json php-ldap php-common php-mbstring php-mysql php-imap php-sqlite3 php-net-ftp php-zip unzip php-pgsql php-ssh2 php-xml wget unzip -y
Start and enable the Apache service using the following commands:
systemctl start apache2 systemctl enable apache2
Creating a Database for phpBB
phpBB requires a database to function. Log in to the MariaDB shell:
mysql
Create the database and user for phpBB with the following commands:
MariaDB [(none)]> CREATE DATABASE phpdb; MariaDB [(none)]> GRANT ALL ON phpdb.* to 'phpuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
Flush the privileges and exit:
MariaDB [(none)]> FLUSH PRIVILEGES; MariaDB [(none)]> EXIT;
Downloading phpBB
Download the latest phpBB version using:
wget https://download.phpbb.com/pub/release/3.3/3.3.7/phpBB-3.3.7.zip
Unzip and move the extracted files to Apache’s web root:
unzip phpBB-3.3.7.zip mv phpBB3 /var/www/html/phpbb
Set appropriate ownership and permissions:
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/phpbb chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/phpbb
Configuring Apache for phpBB
Create an Apache virtual host file with:
nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/phpbb.conf
Add the following configuration:
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin admin@example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/phpbb
ServerName phpbb.example.com
<Directory /var/www/html/phpbb>
Options FollowSymlinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/phpbb_error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/phpbb_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Enable the site and Apache modules, then restart Apache:
a2ensite phpbb a2enmod rewrite systemctl restart apache2
Accessing the phpBB Web Interface
Open your browser and navigate to http://phpbb.example.com to launch the installation process:
Securing phpBB with Let’s Encrypt SSL
Ensure your site’s security with Let’s Encrypt SSL. Install Certbot:
apt-get install python3-certbot-apache -y
Obtain and install your SSL certificate:
certbot --apache -d phpbb.example.com
Follow the prompts to complete the SSL setup:
Saving debug log to /var/log/letsencrypt/letsencrypt.log Plugins selected: Authenticator standalone, Installer None Enter email address (used for urgent renewal and security notices): youremail@example.com (A)gree/(C)ancel: A Would you be willing to share your email address (Y)es/(N)o: Y Obtaining a new certificate Performing the following challenges: http-01 challenge for phpbb.example.com Enabled Apache rewrite module Waiting for verification... Cleaning up challenges Created an SSL vhost at /etc/apache2/sites-available/phpbb-le-ssl.conf Enabled Apache socache_shmcb module Enabled Apache ssl module Deploying Certificate to VirtualHost /etc/apache2/sites-available/phpbb-le-ssl.conf Enabling available site: /etc/apache2/sites-available/phpbb-le-ssl.conf
Choose to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS:
Please choose whether to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS 1: No redirect - Make no further changes 2: Redirect - Make all requests redirect to HTTPS Select [1-2]: 2
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed phpBB with Apache and secured it with Let’s Encrypt SSL on Ubuntu 22.04. Begin exploring the control panel and creating your community board today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is phpBB?
phpBB is an open-source forum software that offers robust features for creating and managing online community discussions.
Can phpBB be customized?
Yes, phpBB is highly customizable with numerous plugins and style options to create a tailored user experience.
Why is Let’s Encrypt SSL important?
Let’s Encrypt SSL helps secure data transferred between your server and users, increasing trust and improving website ranking.
How often should I renew my SSL certificate?
Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates are valid for 90 days. Renewal can be automated with Certbot’s “renew” command.