-----------------
phpbb3 for Debian
-----------------

Upgrading, converting old posts
===============================

See UPGRADING.Debian. (Spoiler: not possible between major versions)

First use after a new installation
==================================

- Go to the URL of your board, usually http://yourserver.example.com/phpbb.
  If this doesn't work, see the next paragraph.
- Click 'Login' and login with user 'admin' and password defined during install
  (it can be configured by running `dpkg-reconfigure phpbb3' as root).
- Click 'Administration Control Panel' at the bottom of the screen and login
  again using the above credentials.
- Review all settings, especially 'Board Configuration'.
- To enable the board, set 'Disable board' to 'No' and submit.
- Go to your own profile, and fill in your email address, and change your login
  name and password.

You now should have a functional phpbb board with yourself as admin!

For information on setting up multiple boards with this package, see
README.multiboard.

Troubleshooting a new installation
==================================

- There should be a symlink from your webserver's configuration snippets
  directory to /etc/phpbb3/<webserver>.conf. phpbb3 should have asked you for
  the webserver to configure during installation (it can be set by running
  `dpkg-reconfigure phpbb3' as root).
- Make sure the webserver was restarted.
- Watch for errors or warnings during the restart of your webserver and consult
  the webserver documentation if that still doesn't resolve the issue.

Security
========

Register Globals: Debian does not provide security support for installations
with the PHP register_globals setting turned On. It's also not required for
phpBB to operate. Make sure it's off. It's trivial to turn it on just for
specific legacy sites that may need it.

Custom templates
================

Please install your custom templates in /etc/phpbb3/styles - you can
then add those to your installation using the Administration Control
Panel.

See also README.templates.

Setup database
==============

If you don't want to use the dbconfig-common database configuration, for example
if you want to have full control yourself or want to use a different database
system, you need to setup the database yourself.

- Login to your database server (running MySQL or PostgreSQL) as the database
  administrator (root and postgres, respectively).
- Create a database 'phpbb3'.
- Create a user 'phpbb3' with random password, and give it
  SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE rights for the phpbb3 database (rights to
  alter the tables is not needed).
- Execute the create table commands and the starting table content from
  /usr/share/doc/phpbb3/schemas/$dbms_schema.sql.
- Add the correct server-details and user-credentials into
  /etc/phpbb3/config.php (see /usr/share/doc/phpbb3/examples/config.php for an
  example).  
- Make sure to have PHP read this configuration file e.g. by using
  auto_prepend_file. For examples see README.multiboard, even if you
  use only one board.

Original document by:
 -- Jeroen van Wolffelaar <jeroen@wolffelaar.nl>, Thu,  8 Jan 2004 00:02:43 +0100

Overhaul for version 3.0.7-PL1-1 by:
 -- J.M. Roth <jmroth@iip.lu>, Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:30:00 +0100