Installing SMF on Localhost

[Ahr Aitch]

First, I'm 83 yo and haven't installed or run a forum in more than a decade.  I'm diving back in for a new purpose.  I need to know 1) if I'm posting in the right place, and 2) if I can install an SMF forum on my localhost.

I'm running Windows 11, Xampp with Apache and MSSQL.  I want to install the forum on my localhost to learn how to manage it and do a little testing before adding it to my website hosted on the web.

I read the requirements.  If I read them correctly and understood them, I should be OK hardware and host wise.  The bigger question is do I have the skills to do it.

Before I just dive in and try to follow the instruction in the User Manual, I thought I'd ask first if there is a specific guide for localhost installs.

TIA

[Sesquipedalian]

You need MySQL or PostgreSQL, not MSSQL. You also need PHP.

Once you have those installed and configured on your local host, yes, you will be able to install SMF on it.

[Kindred]

that being said --   installing SMF (or any web accessible script) on a local machine is a definite security risk unless you are a full server admin with networking and security knowledge.

If you are installing to do tests and stuff - all local - then you're OK.

[Ahr Aitch]

Thank you for the responses.

Kindred, the forum will only be available to me, not hosted on the web, for learning and testing.  When I'm comfortable with administering it, I will upload it to my web host, install it and attach it to my website.  It will not be public until then.  Even then, my plan is to require Admin approval for all user registrations.  I do not plan to make it available beyond a select group of family and family friends.

After struggling with my localhost setup for a day, I now am attempting to install SMF to my localhost.  I stumbled on the first screen.  I don't know what values to use for the following:
Server name:        localhost
Database port:        80
Username:        I don't know what to use
Password:        I don't know what to use
Database name:        Same as defined in MySQL
Table prefix:        smf_

Can anyone help me?  My AI friend didn't propose anything I could recognize

[Kindred]

DId you read the installing SMF documentation?
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Installing

you need to create a mySQL database first -- this will define the database name as well as the database username and database password

[Ahr Aitch]

DId you read the installing SMF documentation?
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Installing

you need to create a mySQL database first -- this will define the database name as well as the database username and database password

Yes, but I will read them again.

I have a database created and it has the name of my forum.  Because I intend to keep it private, I didn't include the name of the database.  I tried using the username and password I use for MySQL server but that didn't work.  I think the port number is 80; I know that is the Apache port number.

What values does the installation expect?  The installation instructions seem to presume that the forum will be installed on a web host not on a localhost.  That confuses me.

[Ahr Aitch]

I got all this initial confusion sorted.  I'm now past the first set of information the SMF install wizard needs and have gone on to choosing options.

DId you read the installing SMF documentation?
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Installing

you need to create a mySQL database first -- this will define the database name as well as the database username and database password

Yes, but I will read them again.

I have a database created and it has the name of my forum.  Because I intend to keep it private, I didn't include the name of the database.  I tried using the username and password I use for MySQL server but that didn't work.  I think the port number is 80; I know that is the Apache port number.

What values does the installation expect?  The installation instructions seem to presume that the forum will be installed on a web host not on a localhost.  That confuses me.

Database type
    The database schema can be selected here from a list of database schemas supported by the server being used. Newer schemas (for SMF 2.0) such as PostgreSQL and SQLite may be listed here if available. MySQL and PostgreSQL are recommended.

I don't see a place to enter this on the page.  I'd post a ss of the page if I knew how.

Server name
    The location of the database is specified here. 99% of the time this will be localhost.

I'm pretty sure that my value, localhost, is acceptable but if it should be something else, I don't know what that is.

Username
    The username for the database user should be placed here. If help is required for this, the hosting service provider should be contacted.

Here's an example of the presumption of installation on a webhost.  This explanation would be improved if hints were given for localhost installations.  I've tried using credentials for my database, but I don't know if that is correct and the error doesn't specify which input field is unacceptable.

Password
    The password for the database user is entered here.

Again, I used my database credentials but don't know if that is what the installation wizard is looking for.

Database name
    The name used for the database should be placed here. If you created a database in advance, enter that. Otherwise, you can use the database name suggested by the installer to create a new database. If help is required for this, the hosting service provider should be contacted.

I provided the name of my database and checked that it was correctly spelled without typos.

Table prefix
The prefix for all tables associated with this install is specified here. Prefixing tables with unique prefixes enables more than one application, or SMF install, to use the same database safely. The installer will suggest a prefix for you automatically, but you can customize it to whatever you prefer.

I like smf for the prefix.

Does this help to explain my confusion?  . . .   what I need help with?  I have to get past this page to follow the rest of the installation instructions.

To clarify:  I have a localhost server installed and functioning for my website development.  It runs on Windows, XAMPP, Apache, MySQL, and phpMyAdmin.  I verified that all of that is set up correctly.  I also downloaded the SMF installation zip.  I extracted the files from it and put them in the correct folder in XAMPP. I verified them.  I can use this URL, http://localhost/forum/install.php [nofollow]?, to load the SMF Install pages.  I'm stuck on knowing what values the install wizard is expecting in the cases cited above.

[shawnb61]

There's no real difference between a web host & and local install, really, other than locally you name these things yourself. 

Those initial prompts are all about finding the database server & database.

For server name, that comes from your apache config & is normally "localhost" on a local install.  Your local IP can be used also, usually 127.0.0.1. 

The id & password are for your db credentials.  If you haven't created a db user, and have just been using root, that can work.  Some tools don't like you to use root, though, it's generally better to setup a db user. 

You may need to specify a port if it's non-standard.  The port is needed to find the db service.  Sometimes it needs that with the server name, e.g., "localhost:3308".

[shawnb61]

More info on server config & requirements here:
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.1:Requirements_and_recommendations

[Kindred]

If you are running WAMP or Microsoft IIS -- then you are running a webhost, even if it's only running locally

[Ahr Aitch]

Thanks to all who responded.

I was able to get my forum installed on the localhost server.  I used both ChatGPT and Perplexity to get it done.  There were a lot of Apache and PHP settings that I had to tweak. 

Those AIs were AMAZING!!!!  I had not used AI before and decided on a whim to try ChatGPT.  I was able to get the most specific answers and guided help without delays.  AMAZING ! ! ! !

If you have not tried using AI, I suggest you jump in.