This is how to install BBPress on Godaddy!
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It took way too long to find the necessary instructions on how to install on Godaddy. The instructions listed with the download of this software was not sufficient. When people asked questions, it had an issue resolved there, one resolved here, but nothing complete. Finally I got it to run so I thought I would share a complete instruction manual on how to do this.
First, I would like to point out that I installed it on their free hosting service if you buy a domain name through them. However you can install it on their paid hosting service the same way I am pretty sure. In fact, I installed it on their free service for now while I test things and will install it on their paid hosting service in a bit so I can edit this if it turns out to be different.
1) download BBPress. Unzip it.
2) Log in to Godaddy services. Click on the Home tab at the top left -> the sub-tab hosting -> then click on hosting under the “my products section” on the left. If you have already bought hosting or had the free version set up, you should see a list of your domain names that are set up for hosting.
3) Click on manage account next to the domain name you wish to install this bad boy on.
4) The first thing you need to do is create a database. So click on databases at the top and then mysql.
5) The click on create database on the upper center right.
6) Type in a description name (maybe forum or blah or whatever)
7) Type in the same thing in mysql database user name box
Type in a password that you can remember and then retype it in in the next box. Skip the last three boxes and click ok.9) It will take forever and a day for the database to set up. Not really but maybe 20 minutes. In the meantime, lets go ahead and load the files onto your godaddy server. So click on the content tab at the top next to the databases tab you just selected and then click on FTP client.
10) Scroll down a bit and you will see two side by side panels. On the left is your desktop. On the right is the files on your domain name. Even if you just set up the hosting service, there will be files already on there.
11) Now you have two options. Do you want to install it at http://www.yourdomain.com/bbpress or do you want to install it directly on your main domain name http://www.yourdomain.com? If you want it directly on your domain name, then you need to transfer all the files within the downloaded folder from BBPress and not the actual folder with all the files in it. So in the left panel, you will navigate to your BBPress folder and double click it to view the contents. When you see all the files within that folder, hold the control key down and select all the files and folders within that folder. Then hit the little arrow in the center that points to the right which should move those files to the right panel and onto your domain name. If you wanted it at the http://www.yourdomain.com/bbpress, then just upload the actual folder with all the files in it versus opening up that folder and moving each file over individually. Also, you can rename the folder BBPress to something different and it will give it a different extension on your domain. For example if you renamed it Forums and loaded the entire folder onto the server, then you would have http://www.yourdomain.com/Forums.
12) Now we need to change some information in there. But first we need some information from the database you set up early. Probably it is still not set up yet and is pending setup. To check, click on databases tab at the top and then mysql. It will be listed as “setup” or “pending setup” under the status column. If it is pending setup, then grab some popcorn. Once it is ready, click on the pencil icon under the action column and you will then see the host name. It will likely start with yourdomain and then some numbers and dots and other stuff. Copy it.
13) Now click the home tab at the top.
14) Then click on the big button called “your files” under the tabs at the top.
15) Now locate the file that is called bb-config-sample.php. Check the box next to it. Then click edit at the top. A new window should pop up.
16) Scroll down and change BBDB NAME to the name you gave your database earlier. Change BBDB user to the same thing. Change mysql password to the password you set up earlier (if you used caps, you must use it here too). Then change mysql hostname (which is probably currently listed as local host) to the name you copied just a bit ago from the database pencil menu that had numbers and dots and other stuff. Then hit the save button at the top left.
17) Now this step, I forgot to do and it still works. I was just building a test site anyways so I will fix it when I attempt to load it to my real site. But you need to change the name of the file you were just editing. You should still have bb-config-sample.php still checked. Up at the top, click rename. Rename the file to bb-config.php. Essentially you are just dropping the -sample part.
18) Now navigate to your domain name where you installed the BBPress.
19) It will prompt you with the installation (or should). It will tell you that it recognizes that it is the first time and needs to be installed and then ask you to proceed. You will then enter all your information including database name, mysql user name (which was the same as the database name), and the password (with the necessary caps if you used them). But ONE PART THAT IS HIDDEN AND NEEDS to be adjusted is in the advanced section. So click the little check box. Now paste that host name you copied earlier with numbers and dots and other stuff. Now proceed onwards.
One thing I noticed is that I would proceed through the installation process at that last part and it would revert to the beginning again. I think this was because I was hosting it on Godaddy’s free server and they put ads at the top which was causing it to loop. After several times (probably 5) of clicking the buttons over and over again and retyping the information, it finally worked. Also the login screen is very basic on the free server. I don’t know if this is normal but I will let you know when I try on my paid server. But it was my understanding that the dashboard of the forum should be similar to wordpress. Maybe that is after integration between the two. Not sure.
Anyways, hope that helped. Thanks
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those are great instructions! i tried to reinstall and got the login page, but still the error that it can’t connect with the database. i’ll have to wait and see if it is a problem just because of the preview dns. hopefully by the morning the site will actually be up so i can see!
thanks for your help by the way!!
Nevermind that last message! I figured out what I did wrong.
thanks a heap….this finally got me started…
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