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What's the best and easiest open source online forum to host and maintain?
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What's the best and easiest open source online forum to host and maintain?

Hi all -- what's the best and easiest open source online forum to host and maintain?

Something simple to set up and maintain for a small group under 100 people. Something like Vanilla, phpBB, etc... but I don't know if there's something even better out there that might be easier to set up and maintain -- Vanilla, phpBB might be overkill.

Maximum simplicity for admin and maintenance, low server requirements that can run on a small-medium VPS, lowest level of headaches, low dependencies.

Also needs to be solid for security too.

Doesn't need to be fancy or pretty.

Suggestions? Best practices?

BTW, reliable email notifications to the users are super important... any tips on this? Should I use something like MXRoute for the outbound emails?

Thank you for your help!

Comments

  • ArkasArkas Moderator

    SMF.
    Although If you think phpbb is hard to maintain, maybe not.
    Yes, use a good service for outbound emails, mxroute is perfect.

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • There is Flarum that looks promising. Can even run on shared hosting if you have SSH access.

    Thanked by 2jlet88 greentea
  • phpBB is not hard, but quite easy. I recommend it due to it's history and simplicity.

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • @Arkas said:
    SMF.
    Although If you think phpbb is hard to maintain, maybe not.
    Yes, use a good service for outbound emails, mxroute is perfect.

    I don't think phpBB is hard to maintain, I just think it may be overkill for what I want to do, and I'm looking for the easiest one to maintain... I figured I should ask... after all these years there has to be some great options since the last time I set up something like this.

    It's been a while since I set up phpBB and I'm perfectly happy trying another (hopefully better, simpler, even easier) option if it exists. But maybe phpBB has progressed significantly and the old way is still the best way?

    I have not tried SMF and Flarum before, thank you guys for the recommendations! Will look at them.

    Basically I just want the easiest (in every way), safest, simplest, lowest stress, option out there. It's just under 100 people, nothing fancy needed.

  • ArkasArkas Moderator

    SMF and FluxBB :smile:

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • @jlet88 said: solid for security

    Discourse imo.

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • Flarum anytime.

    Thanked by 2chakraxzz jlet88
  • Flarum or Discourse :)

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • FluxBB or AsmBB

    Thanked by 3seenu jlet88 raindog308
  • @loay said:
    FluxBB or AsmBB

    not sure how someone can run assembly in shared hosting environment,
    infact i donno how to use it in vps aswell and seems they don't have docker support too.

  • what's the best and easiest open source online forum to host and maintain?
    => Which fit you is the best ;)

    But I recommend a new (old) forum : AsmBB (https://board.asm32.info/)

    => Why? It's super fast! Written in Assembly, bare metal B)

    Something simple to set up and maintain for a small group under 100 people. Something like Vanilla, phpBB, etc... but I don't know if there's something even better out there that might be easier to set up and maintain -- Vanilla, phpBB might be overkill.

    Maximum simplicity for admin and maintenance, low server requirements that can run on a small-medium VPS, lowest level of headaches, low dependencies.

    => All fit, AsmBB has very low footprint, low resources, click and run, no outer dependencies

    Also needs to be solid for security too.

    => Support database encryption, never been hacked (yet)!

    Doesn't need to be fancy or pretty.

    => no fancy nor pretty, but if you need modern theme, check out https://asmbb.org/theme/asmbb-tailwind-css-theme.2/

    Suggestions? Best practices?

    I grab the image from their forum:
    asmBB page speed

    Thanked by 2loay jlet88
  • @seenu said:

    @loay said:
    FluxBB or AsmBB

    not sure how someone can run assembly in shared hosting environment,
    infact i donno how to use it in vps aswell and seems they don't have docker support too.

    They had a tutorial to install with nginx, and even had docker to test (just search their forum), but docker itself is many times bigger than AsmBB, why not just click and run?

    Thanked by 3loay jlet88 seenu
  • Great suggestions, thanks to all! I have some homework to do! :)

  • Flarum has a more modern interface, it hasn't been around as long as the other known classics. MIT License.

    While I prefer a classic look for my activities, I also understand users who don't like a dated look.

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • raindog308raindog308 Administrator, Veteran

    @loay said: AsmBB

    That is hilarious.

    I'm inspired to write one in COBOL.

    Thanked by 3jlet88 farsighter loay
  • bbPress, if you familiar with Wordpress.

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • i'll go for mybb all day.

    Thanked by 1jlet88
  • LeviLevi Member
    edited February 2023

    Another one for asmBB paired with bash http server https://dev.to/leandronsp/building-a-web-server-in-bash-part-i-sockets-2n8b . This way you will learn to the level required for junior to mid of system administrator. And finaly you will get a job and forget this "forum" non-sense. Just post your crap here.

    Thanked by 1jlet88
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