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Not that easy

Started by Buzzliteyear, August 24, 2020, 09:26:26 AM

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Buzzliteyear

I know installing 2.0 is easy because it says so in the readme file,
but it needs other files to run that do not install without some drama in w7

How do I know if I installed myqls? what does it do is it a old Dos way of talking to smf ?
I dont want or have web hosting but most of the install instruction refer to hosting settings
Im abit struck,
.... just booked a domain name.

so far,
install .net
microsoft visual c++
think i install mysql is it meant to be a full install of just server install or one of the other choices that were listed.

cheers




Arantor

No, it's nothing to do with any of those things.

In a web environment you have a web server that actually does the work of listening for users connecting over HTTP and finding a response for them, and sending it back. This is usually Apache, Nginx or even IIS.

These on their own just serve files - user requests, it serves. Anything dynamic would be handled by attaching a handler - in this case PHP, so when Apache/IIS/whatever sees a request for a .php file, it hands it off to PHP.exe to deal with.

MySQL is a service that lives on the server and stores all the data for the forum. PHP does the processing and it stores the data with the MySQL service which can do various manipulations needed.

You don't need .NET, you don't need Visual C++, you will need a web server, plus PHP plus MySQL. While these can run on Windows, they are vastly less efficient on Windows than they are on Linux.

Note that the read me assumes a typical hosting environment such as you get from a typical hosting company for a few bucks a month where this stuff is already set up for you and you just need to do a little more config.

SpacePhoenix

Is this for the live site or just a local copy for testing?

Buzzliteyear

thanks Arantor......so php when its running has a black screen waiting for trafic ? , I did edit the php.ini file but like you say those instruction are for hosting,

are there any instruction for the way Im looking at doing with no hosting,

@spacephoenix if live means having  my computer at home/work with installed SMF on and no hosting then yes, set up as a public forum for English trucks (bedfords.kiwi)  ;)

cheers
Brett

Arantor

You wouldn't normally run PHP directly, you'd normally configure it as a handler for Apache or IIS and they would have whatever they would have.

As for instructions for 'no hosting', no, because it's presumed that anyone setting up a server from scratch would already know how to do that for typical Apache/PHP/MySQL hosting because setting up a fully fledged webserver isn't exactly for the faint of heart. Doubly so if you're doing it on Windows that almost no-one here runs as a hosted environment (most of us might develop on a test server for Windows, but doing PHP on Windows in production is really not advisable).

And this is nothing to say about having the server actually connected to the internet, reconfiguring your own network to allow inbound traffic to it (not typical home router configuration), without allowing your regular systems full access inbound from the internet.

There is really a lot to this and why it's *always* discouraged.

Buzzliteyear

I guess thats why people use FB.......which i dont like......

im to old to learn another OS hence w7 still...........

is this going to be the same learning curve with all none hosting forum setups ? or is there a magic all in one platform...

did I mention its for English trucks ........haha

Arantor

I'd note that Windows 7 is already end of life unless you paid for an extended licence with Microsoft so I'd argue it's already insecure by default.

It doesn't really matter whether you even use Windows (10) or Linux at this point, you still have the same basic setups if you're going from *scratch* of hardening the server, installing a webserver, installing PHP, installing MySQL, connecting it all up and having it run.

It's a *bit* easier on Linux because for the most part you can automate the stack of what needs installing down to a few commands in the package manager (whether it's the RedHat/CentOS one or the Debian/Ubuntu one) and that will get you a working webserver with less pain.

At least for Linux there are hosts willing to explain the steps - https://www.linode.com/docs/websites/set-up-web-server-host-website/ for example - when it comes to the 'LAMP' stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) and most of those instructions will apply to most Linux hosting where you're hosting the server yourself.

I am seriously beginning to wonder though if you wouldn't actually be better paying a few bucks a month to a provider to host it where this is taken care of for you - because the learning curve for setting up a bare metal server is a bit steep... I haven't done a Windows server with PHP in a few years and I still wouldn't recommend it even though it used to be my day job.

shadav

um...I just want to make sure that you understand, or I'm not understanding...

this isn't a script, apt or program that you can just install onto your laptop or pc and run it...

it needs a server to upload it to, whether that be your own server or one that you rent from a hosting company....and on that server you will need specific programs installed onto it for this (or any website) to run....not the pc that you are currently using to browse the internet with....

and if it's your own, then you have to allow public access to it, which is why you want a seperate machine just in case someone decides to be malicious....
and if you don't have a REALLY good internet speed, then you're going to be looking at a lot of lag
you'll have to leave it running 24/7 and not in sleep mode

https://www.top10-websitehosting.co.uk/how-to-host-your-own-website

it sounds like a good idea but.....then you gotta keep it up to date, make sure the php is up to date, make sure the mysql is up to date...make sure there's some good security on it so it doesn't get hacked while at the same time allowing the public access...make sure that it is constantly running without any errors...make sure it isn't overheating....make sure that your internet provider even allows for you to host a server and if they do will it handle it? and are you willing to pay for it if you don't have unlimited data? And getting a static IP address

just a handful of things to think about....
and then...then there's do you want something like cpanel installed to host multiple sites (though there are ways around that but not as user friendly, point and click) and what other things will you need installed....ffmpeg, imagick, memcache, so on and so on....

I'm not saying, don't go for it...I've often thought about it myself but....I don't want to deal with the security issues nor internet issues as I'm on a 300mbps plan and it lags enough with just me and my kids....opening it up to the public would bring it to a halt!

Buzzliteyear

its normal for me to take the hard way....just so i can be in control and I didnt want to ask for money
from the users plus i have no job myself atm. (but i guess the 180 bucks i just spent on SSD/HDD could have given me 1 years subs).

Cheers
Brett

@Shadav  yes I had a spare i7 pc and just purchased 2x500gb drives as the plan was to setup at my partners work in town in there server room.
I did not know my idea was tricky for guys like Arantor who had done this before and not recommend it..... user pays i guess even in 2020 not easy....

Brett







shadav

I've never done it but...well I've been a webmaster for *cough* a long while...used to be an admin for 2 different hosting companies....I didn't do tech stuff, just minor support and setting up accounts and whatnots

and well, I can tell you just from what I've heard....

windows servers are a pita....
which is why most people use linux

not a great idea, but you do know that there are free hosting providers around ;) just saying...less headache  :laugh:

erm...setting it up in your partners work.....do they allow outside access to their servers? And if so, how long before they shut it down  :P
back in the day when I was in my pc networking and repair class, they allowed us to access the servers remotely, until people abused it  :laugh: ... I mean common we were teenagers of course we were going to run amuck and set up websites and gaming servers  :laugh:

Buzzliteyear

haha yes running amuck when your young was normal wasnt it ......?  :)

my second option was my parents place, they live close to fibre .....but still falls back to the tricky setup and on going maintenance like you say........

side note, I did run my own web site 10 years ago ( https://web.archive.org/web/20100518233855/http:/ [nofollow]/www.pocketdyno.co.nz/index.htm )

cheers
Brett


Buzzliteyear

I have a idea,

Can I choose some cheap hosting with small webspace But get the files/images/documents re-directed to my pc hdd ?

Brett

Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen

Quote from: Buzzliteyear on August 26, 2020, 01:18:22 AM
I have a idea,

Can I choose some cheap hosting with small webspace But get the files/images/documents re-directed to my pc hdd ?

Brett

That wouldn't really be a good idea. It would most likely slow down your whole site at best, break it completely at worst because you probably don't have a static IP address to use at home.
Slava
Ukraini!


"Before you allow people access to your forum, especially in an administrative position, you must be aware that that person can seriously damage your forum. Therefore, you should only allow people that you trust, implicitly, to have such access." -Douglas

How you can help SMF

Arantor

Not really, no, it would take a partial rewrite of the attachments system plus you'd still have to have the server connected to the internet in a way that opens your network.

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