phpBB FAQ

by Faith A

WebMatrix supports installing open source community applications from the Web Application Gallery, and publishing to hosting providers, including a set of Beta partner hosting providers. This FAQ contains information about installing and publishing, as well as any issues that may occur after publishing.

Installing and Publishing phpBB

Q: How do I install phpBB?

A: To install phpBB, use the following steps:

  1. Open WebMatrix and select Site from Web Gallery.
  2. Select the Forums category on the left-hand side.
  3. Find phpBB in the list and install it.
  4. In any workspace, on the Home tab, in the Site group, click Run or press F12 to open the site in your default web browser.
  5. Follow the instructions to complete installation.

Q: How do I publish my phpBB website?

A: To publish a phpBB website, use the following steps:

  1. Prior to publishing the application, you should remove the install directory or only the application's administrative console will be available:

    1. Go to the Files workspace.
    2. In the navigation pane, select the directory called install and press the delete key.
  2. In any workspace, on the Home tab, in the Site group, click Publish.

  3. On the Publishing Settings dialog, enter the server info you received from your web host.

  4. Click Validate Connection to ensure that the settings are correct.

  5. Click Publish.

  6. If you have not published your database before, select the Database checkbox.

  7. After previewing the changes, click Continue.

Known Issues

Issue: phpBB gives a "Service is unavailable" error after publishing
Workound: In WebMatrix, click Publish Settings and add a slash "" after the server name. Publish the application again.