1.1 Requirements

The requirements are those that most CGI scripts in general will require. What is required to run SiteNet BBS?

• Your own standard cgi-bin directory.
  This is the directory where the cgi scripts are executed from. An example of a standard cgi-bin directory:
  http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin

• Perl Ver 5+

• FTP access to transfer files and to set permissions of files and directories.    

• Linux/Unix

1.2 Unix/Linux Installation Instructions

The installation of SiteNet BBS should be painless. Every measure has been taken to ensure that you get it right the first time. The installation instructions looks like a lot of text, but the reason that it has so much text is to make things as clear and easy as possible.

Follow the steps below exactly as described and you should have SiteNet BBS serving you in a couple of minutes. Do the steps as you read through them.

Note that all example paths used in these installation instructions is fictional and only for example purposes. It may not apply to you.

 

Step 1. (Extract the .zip archive)

Extract the files with their directories that came in the .zip archive.

 

Step 2. (Create a 'data' directory on your host/server)

Create a directory called 'data' or anything else you would like to call it. This directory should be in a place where you cannot load the contents of it inside a web browser.

A good place to place this directory would be for example:
/home/yourdomain.com/data
where your cgi-bin directory will reside in something like
/home/yourdomain.com/www/cgi-bin
and your public HTML directory in something like
/home/yourdomain.com/www

Watch Video on how to do Step 2 using CuteFTP FTP client. You can also download all the videos of these steps here. Requires: MacroMedia Flash Player (If not installed then please install) File Size: 700 KB Video Length: 36 seconds

 

Step 3. (Transfer files to the 'data' directory)

The .zip archive will contain directories inside it. These directories are 'cgi', 'data' and 'html'

Now transfer the files inside the 'data' directory of the .zip archive to the 'data' directory you have just created.

Watch Video on how to do Step 3 using CuteFTP FTP client. You can also download all the videos of these steps here. Requires: MacroMedia Flash Player (If not installed then please install) File Size: 1.5 MB Video Length: 34 seconds

 

Step 4. (Set permissions of the 'data' directory and files within it to 777)

Assign the permission setting of 777 to the data directory and all the files residing in it.

Watch Video on how to do Step 4 using CuteFTP FTP client. You can also download all the videos of these steps here. Requires: MacroMedia Flash Player (If not installed then please install) File Size: 2.1 MB Video Length: 44 seconds

 

Step 5. (Transfer the .cgi and .pm script files)

The .zip archive will contain directories inside it. These directories are 'cgi', 'data' and 'html'

Transfer the files in the 'cgi' directory to your 'cgi-bin' directory.

In the cgi directory that came with the .zip archive there will be a subdirectory called 'admin'. You need to transfer this directory and it's contents as well. Note that the 'admin' directory always has to be a sub directory of the directory where the main program scripts resides.

For example:
You could place the files that came in the 'cgi' directory from the .zip archive in:
/home/yourdomain.com/www/cgi-bin/sitenetbbs
and the admin cgi script files in
/home/yourdomain.com/www/cgi-bin/sitenetbbs/admin

Watch Video on how to do Step 5 using CuteFTP FTP client. You can also download all the videos of these steps here. Requires: MacroMedia Flash Player (If not installed then please install) File Size: 1.3 MB Video Length: 29 seconds

 

Step 6. (Set permissions of the .cgi and .pm script files)

Set the permissions settings of the .cgi and .pm files that you transferred to the permission setting of 755. Set the permission setting of config.cgi to 777

Watch Video on how to do Step 6 using CuteFTP FTP client. You can also download all the videos of these steps here. Requires: MacroMedia Flash Player (If not installed then please install) File Size: 2.9 MB Video Length: 55 seconds

 

Step 7. (Create the 'html' directory & transfer files to the 'html' directory)

With the files/directories you extracted from the .zip archive there should have been a directory called 'html'.

On your hosting account/server create a directory called 'html' or whatever you want to call it. This directory has to be in your public html document tree. Your public html document tree is where you store the web pages of your web site.

Now you should have created the 'html' directory. Transfer the contents of the 'html' directory you have extracted from the installation .zip archive to the 'html' directory you have created.

In the 'html' directory you have extracted, there should be sub directories. These subdirectories are called icons, user_images and user_imagesc - Transfer these directories with their contents as well.

Watch Video on how to do Step 7 using CuteFTP FTP client. You can also download all the videos of these steps here. Requires: MacroMedia Flash Player (If not installed then please install) File Size: 1.5 MB Video Length: 38 seconds

 

Step 8. (Setting permissions for the 'html/user_imagesc' directory)

Set the permission setting of the directory 'user_imagesc' inside the 'html' directory to 777. Uploaded user images will be placed inside this directory.

Watch Video on how to do Step 8 using CuteFTP FTP client. You can also download all the videos of these steps here. Requires: MacroMedia Flash Player (If not installed then please install) File Size: 1 MB Video Length: 16 seconds

 

Step 9. (The setup interface)

Load setup.cgi in your browser and follow the instructions from there. setup.cgi is in the 'admin' directory you have created under your cgi-bin directory.

It should be located at, for example:
http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/sitenetbbs/admin/setup.cgi

 

Step 10. (Setup Completion)

After you have completed the setup with setup.cgi, SiteNet BBS will be up and running. Load sn_admin.cgi in your browser to start creating forums.

1.3 Unix/Linux Installation Trouble Shooter

Have you set the correct permissions of the .cgi files?
They require permissions of 755 - See step 6 of the installation instructions.

Have you assigned the permissions of 777 to the 'data' directory?
The 'data' directory and it's contents requires the permission setting of 777.

Have you assigned the permissions of 777 to files inside the 'data' directory?
The 'data' directory and it's contents requires the permission setting of 777.

Does the sub directory called 'user_imagesc' in your 'html' directory have the correct permissions?
This directory should have permissions set to 777

1.4 Enabling Search Engine Friendly URL's

SiteNet BBS enables you to make the topic and message URL's of your forum, Search Engine friendly so that the entire contents of your Forums can easily be spidered and indexed by Search Engines.

Requirements

To enable SiteNet BBS to display search engine friendly URL's you will need a host that runs the Apache web server with a module installed for it that is called Mod Rewrite. If your host is a Linux or Unix based host, then the module will very likely already be installed. Your web server or hosting account will also need to be configured to use .htaccess files. (Most will be)

To enable Search Engine Friendly URLs go to the SiteNet BBS Control Panel >> Settings Tab >> Then click on 'Search Engine Friendly URLs' >> Now choose to enable Search Engine Friendly URLs and click the 'Save Setting' button. After that follow the instructions provided to you.

Notes

If your host does not have the module Mod_Rewrite installed and is not configured to use .htaccess then the above won't work. It might be a good idea to contact your host and ask them if they have the Module, Mod_Rewrite installed and if their server is configured for the use of .htaccess files. (Most hosts will normally have support for Mod_Rewrite and .htaccess enabled by default)