How to install Simple Machines Forum with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu

Install the Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu 24.04 to host your Simple Machines Forum. This step sets up the basic web server needed for your forum. You can install Apache by opening your terminal and running commands to update your system’s package list and then install the web server software.

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

Your Simple Machines Forum needs a database to store information, and MariaDB is a good choice for Ubuntu 24.04. To install the MariaDB database server, open your Ubuntu terminal. You’ll run commands to update your system and install the MariaDB server package, setting up the database for your forum.

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

After installing MariaDB, create a dedicated database for your Simple Machines Forum named ‘smfdb’ and set up a user, ‘smfdbuser’. This involves logging into MariaDB and using commands to create the database and user. You will then give this user all necessary permissions for the ‘smfdb’ database.

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

Simple Machines Forum needs PHP to work, so you must install it on your Ubuntu system. Open your terminal to get the latest PHP version and the extensions SMF requires, like php-mysql and php-xml. Then, run the command to install PHP and these essential extensions.

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

Download the latest Simple Machines Forum software files to begin the installation. You can find the most recent version on the SMF download page. After getting the download link, go to a temporary directory on your Ubuntu server, like /tmp/, to download and extract the SMF files.

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

Secure your Simple Machines Forum with HTTPS using free SSL/TLS certificates from Let’s Encrypt. To set this up for your forum on Apache, you’ll use a tool called Certbot. This involves installing Certbot and running commands to get and configure the certificate for your website’s domain.

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.