Can SMF do what I am after?

[BlaQQue]

Right after reading around here and other places on SMF V vBulletin.  There appears to be more questions raised than answers!

My needs are simple I think. I am creating a forum and will need the following:

Ability to send PM in between members, mod and Admins. [I know vBulletin offers this service]

Ability to post youtubes, videos and images [SMF and vb offers this]

Ability to monitor IP address so as to prevent duplicate account.

Ability to lock or close down thread if needed - not sure if this is an "add on" on smf or comes as standard.

.....I think those are the basis we need for now.

It may be worth mentioning that I have downloaded the SMF file, however it appears there isn't a way for me to install it. Pardon my ignorance please, can I install the SMF software in my computer and then modify it the way I want, before going "live"?

I would appreciate any inputs and guidelines please. Thanks.

[ApplianceJunk]

Hello and welcome,

Ability to send PM in between members, mod and Admins. [I know vBulletin offers this service]

Yes

Ability to post youtubes, videos and images [SMF and vb offers this]

Yes

Ability to monitor IP address so as to prevent duplicate account.

Yes

Ability to lock or close down thread if needed - not sure if this is an "add on" on smf or comes as standard.

Yes, it comes standard.

Edited to add:

Pardon my ignorance please, can I install the SMF software in my computer and then modify it the way I want, before going "live"?

Yes you can. I don't have time to post the details here, but if you search it has been asked many times before.

Maybe someone can search it for you and post the links.

SMF is free and open so you or someone that knows how can do what ever they want with the code. This opens up many doors so you should be able to have SMF do everything you would ever want.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

And yes, all you mentioned can be done on an unmodified install
To install a copy on your local desktop computer, you'd need some LAMP or WAMP package installed first, to meet the server specs. Searching here and on google will probably help a lot

[BlaQQue]

Thanks guys.

I have installed WAMP on my computer......so what next? Better still is there like a dummy guide around please?

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

Installing SMF

Just follow the steps

[BlaQQue]

  Oh boy. All this lingo php ftp is confusing for a newbie!

So far here is what I have done: I have installed WAMP server on the netbook and also installed a FTP [FileZilla server].

I suppose I am doing the right thing here right?

Now back to the bamboozling instructions......


PS
My aim to set up a SMF forum, running on my net book, before it goes live. I suppose this can be done right?

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

PS
My aim to set up a SMF forum, running on my net book, before it goes live. I suppose this can be done right?

Yes it can be done. It's fairly easy - after all the hard config and setup with the actual server environment.

[BlaQQue]

So far, am I doing the right thing though? I am reading the instruction and it appear to be a lot to take for some one who is never done it before....I know I would get there though.

WAMP and FileZilla installed.

Do I need both or just one of them?

Please over look my newbie approach.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

On a local install you probably wouldn't need Filezilla or any other FTP program separately,
since I believe apache does ftp server as well...

But I have to say I have very little experience in setting up a local install as well...
I've always had test installs and such on a live server... Hopefully someone here has more experience on this and could guide you further

[Trekkie101]

When you have the WAMP server installed and running:

Put SMF into the www directory, and then from http://127.0.0.1/ you will be able to install SMF normally.

Tweak SMF to how you want it, install some mods, themes, etc and then you can upload it to your webspace along with the database. and run "repair_settings.php" and it'll run perfectly

However I feel we can make this MUCH simpler, install SMF on your webspace, install it, and then you can set your forum to "Maintenance Mode" where only you can log into it and work on it. This is a default feature in SMF aswell

[BlaQQue]

Thanks Trekkie! I have tried that and yeah it worked. However, I keep getting this message

Cannot connect to the MySQL database server with the supplied data.

If you are not sure about what to type in, please contact your host.
Access denied for user 'xxxxxx'@'localhost' (using password: YES)

I honestly, have done anything with the MySQL server apart from enter a user name and password on the installer screen.

Where do I go from here? Thanks.

**Off to check installation guide again**

[BlaQQue]

^^^ Anyone please?

[BlaQQue]

Can anyone please guide me in setting up "MySQL server settings" please.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

For a start, you can probably just use the default settings. Then if you want, you can later tweak them further.
All you should really need to do, is to create a a database, and a username for mysql, with all permissions to the database.

[nomnomfish]

Choosinf SMF was a great choice.
Hope it fills all of your needs and wants.
and Good Luck

[BlaQQue]

For a start, you can probably just use the default settings. Then if you want, you can later tweak them further.
All you should really need to do, is to create a a database, and a username for mysql, with all permissions to the database.

I am sticking with the default settings. However, I am not sure of those things I asked earlier on :

MySQL username:     
Fill in the username you need to connect to your MySQL database here.
If you don't know what it is, try the username of your ftp account, most of the time they are the same.

MySQL password:    
Here, put the password you need to connect to your MySQL database.
If you don't know this, you should try the password to your ftp account.

MySQL database name:    
Fill in the name of the database you want to use for SMF to store its data in.
If this database does not exist, this installer will try to create it.

Those are the area am having issues with.