How to Install MyBB with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Nginx HTTP server on Ubuntu

You’ll need a web server to run MyBB, and we’ll use Nginx for this guide. Installing Nginx on Ubuntu is straightforward using the apt package manager. Just open your terminal and run the update and install commands to get Nginx ready.

To do that, open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the Nginx web server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

Once Nginx is installed, the commands below can start, stop, and enable the Nginx web server to start automatically when your server boots up.

sudo systemctl stop nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

You can test the Nginx web server by opening your web browser and browsing to the server’s localhost or IP address.

http://localhost

When you see the Welcome to nginx!, it means the Nginx HTTP server is successfully installed.

Additional help on installing Nginx on Ubuntu is in the link below.

How to install Nginx on Ubuntu

Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu

MyBB needs a database to store all its information, and we’ll use MariaDB for this. Installing MariaDB on Ubuntu is simple with the apt command. Open your terminal and run the update and install commands to set up the MariaDB server.

To install and use the MariaDB database server, use the instructions below.

Open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the MariaDB database server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server

Once the MariaDB database server is installed, use the commands below to stop, start, and enable the MariaDB server to start automatically when the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop mariadb
sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Run the following commands to validate and test if the MariaDB database server is installed successfully.

sudo mariadb

Once you run the commands above, it will log you onto the MariaDB console and display a message similar to the one below.

Welcome to the MariaDB monitor.  Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 32
Server version: 10.11.2-MariaDB-1 Ubuntu 23.04

Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.

Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.

MariaDB [(none)]> 

The message tells you that the server is installed successfully.

Additional help on installing MariaDB.

• How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux
• MariaDB without password prompt

Create a MyBB database

After setting up MariaDB, you need to create a dedicated database for MyBB. This involves creating a database named ‘mybbdb’ and a user called ‘mybbuser’ with full permissions. This ensures MyBB has a secure and private place to store its data.

As part of the setup, we will create a mybbdb database and a user account called mybbuser.

Finally, we’ll grant the mybbuser full access to the mybbdb database.

All the database steps above can be done using the commands below:

But first, log on to the MariaDB database server:

sudo mariadb

Then run the commands below to complete the steps:

CREATE DATABASE mybbdb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER mybbdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON mybbdb.* TO mybbdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Ensure to replace ‘type_your_password_here ‘with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

MyBB is built using PHP, so you need to install it on your Ubuntu system. We’ll install PHP along with some essential extensions that MyBB requires to function correctly. Running the provided apt command will install the latest PHP version and necessary modules.

Then, run the commands below to install the latest PHP version.

sudo apt install php-fpm php-intl php-mysql php-curl php-cli php-zip php-xml php-gd php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-bcmath php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-zip php-ldap php-imap

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download MyBB files

Now it’s time to get the MyBB forum software itself and set it up. You can download the latest version from the official MyBB website. We’ll download the files to the /tmp/ directory on your Ubuntu server and then extract them into the correct folder for Nginx.

To always install the latest version, check the download page for mybb. Get the download link and download the archived package to your computer. Then, extract it.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download the MyBB files. Next, extract the content into the MyBB folder in the Nginx root directory.

The final step is to change the permissions. This will allow the Nginx web server to interact safely with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your MyBB installation.

Next, run the commands below to change Nginx root folder permissions so the MyBB app can function correctly.

cd /tmp
wget https://resources.mybb.com/downloads/mybb_1838.zip
sudo unzip mybb_*.zip -d /var/www/mybb
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/mybb/

Once you have completed all the above steps, continue configuring the Nginx web server below to serve the MyBB content.

Run the commands below to create a Nginx virtual host file for MyBB.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/mybb.conf

Then, copy and paste the content block below into the Nginx server block.

server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    root /var/www/mybb/Upload;
    index  index.php;
    server_name  mybb.example.com;

    access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.access.log;
    error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com.error.log;   
    
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    location ~ .php$ {
         include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
         fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
         fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
         include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

Save the file.

Then, run the commands below to enable the virtual host and restart the Nginx server.

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/mybb.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx.service

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for MyBB

To keep your MyBB site secure, you should set up an SSL/TLS certificate using Let’s Encrypt. This will allow your visitors to connect to your forum using HTTPS. We’ll guide you through the process of obtaining and configuring a Let’s Encrypt certificate for Nginx.

Please read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates for Nginx.

How to set up Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate for Nginx on Ubuntu Linux

Once you have restarted the Nginx web server, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address defined in the Nginx server block.

http://mybb.example.com

The MyBB installation wizard should appear.

Click Next to begin the installation.

Type in the database name and password, then click Next.

Next, configure your forum details and continue.

Create an admin account and continue.

MyBB should be ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

In conclusion, setting up MyBB with Nginx on Ubuntu 24.04 involves several key steps:

• Nginx Installation: Successfully installed and configured Nginx to serve the MyBB application.
• MariaDB Database: Established a secure and functional database setup for MyBB with MariaDB.
• PHP Installation: Installed the PHP extensions required for MyBB to function correctly.
• MyBB Configuration: Downloaded and extracted MyBB files into the appropriate directory, adjusting permissions for secure operation.
• Nginx Virtual Host: Created and enabled a virtual host for MyBB, ensuring that web traffic is managed correctly.
• SSL/TLS Security: Setting up an SSL certificate for secure connections to the MyBB site is recommended.
• Installation Wizard: Successfully executed the MyBB installation wizard to finalize the setup.

Following these steps, you can establish a robust forum platform that fosters online discussions and community engagement.