Create first category and forum, Resolved

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bkelly13
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Create first category and forum, Resolved

Post by bkelly13 »

Installed phpbb via instructions provided by Blue Host, where my web site is hosted. Acquired the pdf: phpBB 3.3 Proteus Documentation
In case it matters, the forum is here: https://ca23rd.org/community/

This is my first BB creation. In the ACP, group Board Settings, I captured the name of several settings, search the documentation and found no better explanations. Is there a better place to walk me through these setups?

I am trying to create my first category. Go to the ACP and select Manage forums. It opens with text titled Forum Administration and a first category link. I cannot figure out how to create a category. There is no place to enter a category name. The only text box has a button labeled: Create new forum. I want to create a category, not a new forum. What have I missed?

When I try to create a new forum, a warning is displayed: The specified forum image does not exist. With on exception I stayed with the defaults.
What did I miss?

Edit:
Tried to add first user, returned to the admin account, from ACP, click "Users and Groups", get the message "This page isn't working right now."
A clear indicator I omitted something in the setup.

Edit again: some progress was made in that I can activate a user, but when trying the create a forum it displays the message:
The specified forum image does not exist.

Resolved: This user was not fully paying attention to the problem and the presented instructions. In short, I was not using the image field properly when trying to create a forum or category.
Last edited by bkelly13 on Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:20 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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warmweer
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by warmweer »

bkelly13 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:08 pm Installed phpbb via instructions provided by Blue Host, where my web site is hosted. Acquired the pdf: phpBB 3.3 Proteus Documentation
In case it matters, the forum is here: https://ca23rd.org/community/
Is this a self installed board or an automatic install using your host's Installicious (or Installatron, Softalicious whatever).

if that's the case, support should be sought from the host as those files may have been changed + that the user is most cases has no idea about the settings used.
I suggest you start all over using files downloaded from phpBB.
bkelly13 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:08 pm I am trying to create my first category. Go to the ACP and select Manage forums. It opens with text titled Forum Administration and a first category link. I cannot figure out how to create a category. There is no place to enter a category name. The only text box has a button labeled: Create new forum. I want to create a category, not a new forum. What have I missed?
A category is a special kind of forum (without a parent forum)
bkelly13 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:08 pm Edit:
Tried to add first user, returned to the admin account, from ACP, click "Users and Groups", get the message "This page isn't working right now."
A clear indicator I omitted something in the setup.
Remove that forum and install a new one following the instructions from the guides available on phpBB.com: see https://www.phpbb.com/support/docs/ug/
Spelling is freeware, which means you can use it for free.
On the other hand, it is not open source, which means you cannot change it or publish it in a modified form.


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Mick
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by Mick »

As Warmeer (above) then once you have that sorted out:

ACP> FORUMS> Manage forums make a new forum.

Forum type: Category
Parent forum: No parent

Set permissions for category.

Then make another forum.
Forum type: Forum
Parent forum: the category you just made.

Set permissions for forum.

To set permissions, either use the option to copy permissions from an existing category/forum that has the desired permissions as in the “YOUR FIRST CATEGORY” supplied with the install (it’s best not to delete that category so you can copy it’s permissions - you can rename and use it if you wish)

or:

ACP> Permissions> Group forum permissions
Set the registered users to be able to see and post in it: Registered users> Standard access
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bkelly13
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by bkelly13 »

My site is hosted via Blue Host dot com. They have a single button install process. It opens a dialog to enter an admin user name, password, and email. Other than that, I did not exert much control. When I solicited help, the person that chatted with me was not phpbb versed. I will look into removing it and trying again before I press for more assistance.
Is it correct to presume that deleting the directory where phpbb was installed will completely delete it?

Thank you for your time.
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by stevemaury »

You also need to empty the database. You can use that empty database for your new installation with phpBB files. Save your current config.php file because it has the server name, database name, user and password for the database.
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bkelly13
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by bkelly13 »

Being rather disappointed about this, let it sit for a few days then returned to the problem. The intent was to delete and start over.
But, just in case, I opened the control panel and the tab for Users and Groups worked. I was able to authorize the new user then log on with it.
I don't know why it had to sit for a couple of days.

Oops, updated to quickly. I am now able to activate a user, but when trying to create a forum, get the message:

The specified forum image does not exist.

There have been no modifications, no add-ons or plug-ins installed.

Thank you for taking the time to read and post.
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KevC
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by KevC »

Is your browser autofilling the forum image field when you're making it?
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Mick
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by Mick »

What sort of access do you have to your domain? Do you have FTP capability and cPanel etc?
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bkelly13
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by bkelly13 »

Re: Is your browser autofilling the forum image field when you're making it?
Yes, but it looks wrong. I will try a few images.
Open ACP, select Forums, a partial screen capture:
Cannot insert image. So Attach.

For image 1: Note that while the upper left states: Your first category, and the drop down has the same, the button is labeled: Create new forum. Which is it?
Presume this creates a category. Click the button Create new forum to open a dialog.
The dialog is titled Create new forum, but the drop down allows category. Select Category. Complete the form to look like this.
Image 2 here
In image 2: Nothing in the areas below what is shown in the form were changed. Note that in the group Forum Image the text field has the user name. It changes after clicking Submit. Has this been noted as a defect?
So try again, before Submit:
Image 3 is after the Submit button.
The message does not specify what image is it trying to access and cannot.
This is a defect. Be specific as to exactly what is proclaimed to be incorrect.
I copied the text from the forum image field, then within MS Word, go to insert image, paste in that text, and the image is displayed. So the image is verified as good.

What must be done differently to get this working?
As displayed on my computer, I messed up a bit. The middle image should be first, the other two seem to be in order but should be obvious.
Attachments
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KevC
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by KevC »

Do you WANT a forum image?

If not, you need to make sure that image field and the password one underneath it are both empty before you create the forum.

If you do want an image, you have to upload it to the server, somewhere sensible like the forum /images folder. And then in that image field you have to enter the location relative to the forum.

So, for example.

I have a picture called car.jpg which I upload to www.mysite.com/forum/images

In that forum field I would need to put
images/car.jpg
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Mick
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by Mick »

The path for the image is wrong, read the explanation “Location, relative to the phpBB root directory, of an additional image to associate with this forum.”

Add your image to the domain/images folder then the correct path will be images/saraun_eye.jpg

Edit: Kev was quicker :x
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  • "The good news is hell is just the product of a morbid human imagination.
    The bad news is, whatever humans can imagine, they can usually create.
    " - Harmony Cobel
bkelly13
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Re: Create first category and forum

Post by bkelly13 »

You have guided me to the answer. Now that I know what I was doing wrong, it is clear to me. I was looking right at the problem and not seeing it for what it is/was. Unfortunately, this a an all to often behavior of mine.

And the answer, I don't really want an image so that field is to be cleared out.
Still, why is that field populated with text that is completely inappropriate for the field. I see that as a defect needing correction.

Again, thank you for your time and thank you for your patience.
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Mick
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Re: Create first category and forum, Resolved

Post by Mick »

Turn off autofill in your browser is probably the best answer :)

Glad you got it sorted.
  • "The more connected we get the more alone we become" - Kyle Broflovski©
  • "The good news is hell is just the product of a morbid human imagination.
    The bad news is, whatever humans can imagine, they can usually create.
    " - Harmony Cobel
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