How to install Simple Machines Forum with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

To install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu 24.04 for your forum, open your terminal and run the command sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install apache2. This sets up the web server software needed to host Simple Machines Forum.

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

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

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

sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

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

http://localhost

When you see the Apache2 Default Page, it means the Apache HTTP server is successfully installed.

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

How to install Apache on Ubuntu

Install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu

To install the MariaDB database server on Ubuntu 24.04, open your terminal and run the command sudo apt install mariadb-server. This provides the database backend required to store all your forum posts, user accounts, and settings.

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 an SMF database

To create an SMF database, log into the MariaDB prompt by running sudo mysql and execute SQL commands to create a dedicated database named smfdb along with a new database user. You must then grant this user full permissions to the new database so the forum can save data.

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

Finally, we'll grant the smfdbuser full access to the smfdb 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 smfdb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER smfdbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON smfdb.* TO smfdbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Ensure to replace 'type_your_password_here 'with your password.

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

To install PHP on Ubuntu Linux for your forum, run sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-intl in your terminal. This installs the PHP programming language and the specific modules required for Simple Machines Forum to run properly on your server.

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

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php 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

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download SMF files

To download SMF files, go to the official Simple Machines Forum download page, copy the link for the latest tar.gz archive, and use the wget command in your Ubuntu terminal to download the package directly into your server directory.

To always install the latest version, check the download page for SMF. If a new version is available, replace the version number in the link below.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download SMF files. After unzipping the file, move the content into the SMF folder in the Apache root directory.

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

cd /tmp/
wget https://download.simplemachines.org/index.php/smf_2-1-4_install.zip
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/smf/
sudo unzip smf*_install.zip -d /var/www/smf/
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/smf/

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

Run the commands below to create an Apache virtual host file for SMF.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/smf.conf

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

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName smf.example.com
  ServerAlias www.smf.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/smf
    
  <Directory /var/www/smf/>
       Options FollowSymlinks
       AllowOverride All
       Require all granted
  </Directory>

       ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
       CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save the file.

You must enable the virtual host for Simple Machines Forum and restart the Apache web server. Run the command `sudo a2ensite smf.conf` to activate the forum's configuration file and then `sudo systemctl restart apache2` to make Apache recognize the new settings.

sudo a2ensite smf.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS for SMF

To setup Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for SMF, install the Certbot tool on your Ubuntu server using Snap and run the apache plugin command. This generates a free security certificate and automatically configures your Apache web server to force secure HTTPS connections for your forum.

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

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

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

http://smf.example.com/

An SMF installation wizard page should appear. Click the continue button to proceed.

Type in the database connection details created above and continue.

Confirm the forum settings and continue.

Create an admin account and continue.

Your new forum should be ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

Installing Simple Machines Forum (SMF) with Apache on Ubuntu is straightforward and offers numerous benefits for creating an online community. Here are the key takeaways from the installation process:

• User-Friendly: SMF's interface encourages participation from both admins and regular members.
• Components Overview: Successful installation requires Apache, MariaDB, and PHP.
• Database Setup: Creating a dedicated database and user enhances security and management.
• Permissions: Proper file permissions ensure a secure environment for your forum.
• Virtual Host Configuration: Setting up a virtual host provides a dedicated space for your SMF instance.
• SSL Security: Using Let’s Encrypt for SSL certificates enhances data security through HTTPS.
• Completion: Finalizing the installation via the SMF wizard allows customization of forum features.

A fully functional Simple Machines Forum (SMF) installation, tailored to foster your community, becomes available after completing the preceding setup steps.