Installing and using phpBB3 on your localhost

This tutorial has instructions for installing an apache package and installing and running phpBB3 on your localhost

Using phpBB on your localhost is a very simple process and a much faster way to test it then waiting for FTP to upload everything for you.

When installing a localhost, the first thing you will need is one of the following Apache packages. Although most of these packages contain both PHP4 and PHP5, only the latest version of PHP5 is shown below. All of the following packages are free except for MAMP Pro, which enables you to use it in a live (non-localhost) environment. Other packages require some adjustments (for security purposes) for use within a server (live) environment.

Download LAMP/XAMPP/WAMP/MAMP package

• EasyPHP Apache 2.2.3 - PHP 5.2.0 - MySQL 5.0.27
  for Windows Win9x/Me/NT/2000/XP -- should work on Vista as well
  
  
• WAMP server Apache 2.2.4 - PHP 5.2.1 - MySQL 5.0.27
  For Windows NT/XP and Vista
  
  
• MAMP and MAMP Pro Apache 2.0.59 - PHP 5.2.1 - MySQL 5.0.37
  For Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4+, PPC and Intel
  
  
• XAMP for Linux Apache 2.2.4 - PHP 5.2.1 - MySQL 5.0.37
  For Linux SuSE, RedHat, Mandrake and Debian (other versions untested)
  
  
• XAMPP for Windows Apache 2.2.4 - PHP 5.2.1 - MySQL 5.0.37
  For Windows 98, NT, 2000 and XP (should work on Vista as well)
  
  
• XAMPP for Mac OS X Apache 2.2.4 - PHP 5.2.1 - MySQL 5.0.33
  For Mac OS X (intel ONLY) -- version 0.6.1 (at print time) is still in development
  
  
• XAMPP for Solaris Apache 2.2.0 - PHP 5.1.1 - MySQL 5.0.18
  For Solaris 8 and 9 (other versions untested) -- version 0.8.1 (at print time) is still in development.

Install Apache Package

Once Downloaded, install one of the above packages, making sure to follow the instructions. Be sure to remember what directory it uses for it’s "webroot". Average time needed to install an Apache package: 15 minutes

Be sure to consult the documentation regarding your Apache Package for configuration. Each package (except for MAMP Pro) requires special configuration for use on a live server. Check to make sure the Apache/MySQL ports are set to 80/3306 -- some may be set to 8888/8889 (for example). For Mac OS X: Make sure Web Sharing is turned OFF in System Preferences. The preferences/options allow you to pick which PHP version to run. In This tutorial, we will assume you are running PHP5 Although you can test either version, you should choose the version that your server is using.

Start localhost Apache/MySQL Services/Server

Once installed, start your servers (or "services" on Windows). MAMP -- 10.4+: Use the MAMP Widget or MAMP.app to Start Servers; 10.3+: Use the MAMP.app; WAMP -- XP: Click the services icon in the lower right-hand corner, and select "start all services"
Everytime you start up your computer, you’ll have to start your localhost services/server to run "localhost" on your computer.
Some packages may contain details on how to setup startup files to start the servers/services on computer startup. -- Consult the documentation for details.

Any changes that you manually make to the php.ini or httpd.conf files will require you to restart (stop and start) your Servers/Services.
In MAMP pro, it contains it’s own server config templates located in /Applications/MAMP\ PRO.app/Contents/Resources/ Most other packages they are located within a conf/ directory or within their own php/php.ini and apache2/conf/ directories. In the php.ini file, set error_reporting to error_reporting = E_ALL and display_errors to display_errors = On Be sure to note the location of the error log files... error_log Which you’ll need for debugging any errors you find in phpBB3.

Create new Database for phpBB

Now that you have your Apache package all setup and running, test it by going to http://localhost it should Go to your Database Manager, in this tutorial, we will be using MySQL, as it is the most common database. You can use the pre-installed phpMyAdmin (an alias is located in each package, or try browsing to http://localhost/phpmyadmin or http://localhost/phpMyAdmin depending on your package), it is recommended that you grab a copy of Navicat or another GUI database administration tool. (highly recommended, as it will speed up your development/testing time by 400%-500%)

Create a new Database, in this example, we’ll name it phpBB3. -- Consult the documentation for the database admin tool on how to create a new Database. -- in Navicat, go to menu > Connection > New Database; or in phpMyAdmin just type in the name of the new database.
Now create a new user (and unique password) and give that user permission (privileges) to access all aspects of the database. (Select, Insert, Update, Delete, Create, Drop, References, Index, Alter, etc) -- use full permission as this is your localhost user, and it cannot be accessed through the internet. If you want to test multiple versions of phpBB3, such as a Beta version, an RC version, varius CVS versions, etc... you can give each one it’s own unique database name. e.g.: phpBB2_CVS (CVS), phpBB2 (patch tests), phpBB3 (Beta or RC), forum (live), area51 (MOD testing), etc. You will also be able to use several phpBB installations with just one database if you prefer.
To keep things as simple as possible, use the same user for each of your databases.

Download phpBB3

Download a fresh copy of the development package of phpBB3 by going to phpBB Downloads or go to area51 to download a daily snapshot -- We’ll be using the daily snapshot in this tutorial. If you are not comfortable with or feel frightened by manual database edits, it is recommended that you not install a CVS version -- use the more stable Beta or RC download instead.

Drag your phpBB download package to your webroot directory
Defaults:
WAMP: C:/wamp/www/;
MAMP: /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/;
XAMPP (win): C:\program files\xampp\htdocs
It’s usually www, htdocs or public_html -- If you are unsure where it is located, consult your package documentation.

Unzip/unpack your phpBB package. -- If you have a CVS download, it will be called phpBB2, don’t be alarmed, it really is phpBB3.x.x-dev.
If you download a Beta or RC package, it will be called phpBB3 Keep in mind that if you want to test multiple phpBB installations, you will want to rename them accordingly. e.g.: phpBB3 (Beta or RC), forum (live), area51 (MOD testing), phpBB2_CVS (CVS), phpBB2 (patch tests), etc... This will be important later on when we reach updating your phpBB3 installation using CVS. From here forward, we are going to assume you downloaded the CVS version, and will be calling the package "phpBB2".

Install phpBB

Open your browser (recommended to use Firefox, as it has more testing capabilities and is faster) and browse to http://localhost/phpBB2
Since the config.php file is empty, you will be redirected to the install/ directory. You will be presented with options and instructions to install phpBB3. Keep in mind that while you can test any Database schema available from your Apache package (and we encourage you to test multiple versions), you should primarily test the same version as what you will be using live on your server. Use the database connection information you specified for the user earlier. Make sure to use a simple password for your Founder/Admin login information, you’ll be typing it in a lot. -- and this is localhost, so nobody else will be using it.

Once installation is complete, rename your install directory to _install (for example) so that it does not interfere with your testing.
You have now successfully installed phpBB3 on your localhost.