Tiny PHP Forum Manual
Author: Ralph Capper
Email: stuff@ralpharama.co.uk
Web: http://ralpharama.co.uk/tpf
License: GNU (GPL) Open Source - Please retain the link to http://ralpharama.co.uk/tpf
Last Revision Date: 5th August 2004
Other Developers:
Laurent Baumann - labaumann@wanadoo.fr
Contents:
1. Installation
2. Customisation
3. Skins
4. Language
3. Troubleshooting
1. Installation
Extract the zip file contents into a clean directory.
Open the file 'config.php' in a text editor.
Change these lines at the start of the file:
$siteName = "TPF Forum"; // Used in page title
$siteURL = "http://ralpharama.co.uk/tpf"; // Link used for main logo
$title = $siteName; // Displayed in headings, etc
$skin = "tpf"; // Skin to use
$email = "stuff@ralpharama.co.uk";
$version = "3.5";
$openForum = TRUE; // Guests can view this forum?
$lang = "en"; // Default language code
$hitcounter = TRUE; // Index hit counter?
$cookietm = 10800; // Time for cookie expiry
The site name will be displayed in numerous locations, and the url
used for navigation when someone clicks the image at the top of the
forum.
(You should perhaps delete everything in the 'forums' folder now,
as it contains only some dummy entries for viewing - leave only an
empty folder called 'forums')
Now copy the entire directory contents, including subfolders, into
your webspace, in the correct location.
Changing Permissions on some Folders:
You must allow write access to certain folders on your server to avoid
errors when users post, upload images, create profiles etc.
Set permissions to '777' on these folders (and all files and folders within them):
forums
users
image/avatars
Now open the page 'index.php' in your web browser and take a look, if
you have problems at this point, refer to the troubleshooting section.
2. Customisation
General gfx:
Take a look in the 'image/skin/' folder. Each folder contains a skin theme,
and images in each of them can be changed for your own gfx.
The size of each image is relatively unimportant, but
you must save your work as gif files with identical filenames.
Avatars:
Users can upload their own avatars, but you can give them a gallery to
choose from too. Any images you place in 'image/avatars' will be
shown as avatar options for users. All gfx file types are useable here.
Emoticons:
In the 'emoticons' folder you will find 6 different images that can
be changed for your own. These are inserted to replace the usual
emoticon text codes, such as :) ;) :( :D etc.
(At some point we may make this easily skinnable)
Icon:
Some browsers allow you to show your own page icon. Change the file
called 'favicon.ico' to your own icon if you desire.
Css:
The layout and look generally of the forum is controlled by the css
sheet 'eim.css'. You can change this as you wish, but may need some
css knowledge to do so. Even a novice can alter colours though.
Open it with a text editor:
html: General settings for the pages/
body: General background, fonts, colour.
img: By default, no border for images is selected.
input.search: The text box for searching on the right hand side menu.
input.username: The text box for username on the right hand side menu.
input.password: The text box for password on the right hand side menu.
a,hover,link,visited:Hyperlinks look.
.topicLink: Main heading links on listing pages
a.topicLink:link: "
a.topicLink:visited: "
a.topicLink:hover: "
.barreLien: The bar under the logo with navigation
a.barreLien:link: The links on said bar
a.barreLien:visited: The links on said bar
a.barreLien:hover: The links on said bar
.barre: The bar under the logo with navigation
.tp: Used to size the fist column of the table used to hold
the page in place.
.date: Used to display dates and some other text.
.filler: The bar used to separate entries in the forum.
.big: Used for various large headings.
.foruml: For displaying the poster in topic listings, and member
statements.
.col1tp: Column heading 1
.col2tp: Column heading 2
.col3tp: Column heading 3
.col4tp: Column heading 4
.col1bt: Column entry 1
.col2bt: Column entry 2
.col3bt: Column entry 3
.col4bt: Column entry 4
.coltxt: Text entry in tables
.mainlogo: If you wish to apply background behind the main logo, do
it here.
.menu: Right hand side menu column
.menupic: What goes around the main menu listings
.menutop: What goes above the menu listings at the top right.
.little: Small text, e.g time of last post on topic list screen
.quote: Used for highlighting text, and when user uses [q] [/q] in
posts
.altquote: Another quote used for member statements on posts (on left) etc
.editionLight: One of the stripes seen on profile pages etc
.editionDark: The other of the stripes seen on profile pages etc
.courant: Used for description text on page listings
.footer: The bottom of the page - 'Powered by' text
Create an admin account:
First, create your own account using the [new user] option. Then, log out.
There is a default account with admin rights, login with it:
username: admin
password: admin
Now, go to memberlist and select your new account. Check the box marked
'admin' and save the changes. Now your new account has admin rights.
Important:
Now, change the password on the 'admin' account to something secure, or,
better still, delete the admin entries from the 'users' directory:
(admin.email, admin.hash, admin.info, admin.pic, admin.stat, etc)
If you get errors trying to do this, check permissions on the admin.* files -
they should be set to 777.
3. Skins
You'll find links on the website to download skins. These should be unzipped
into your 'image/skin' folder.
Each skin will contain a folder with several gfx files and a stylesheet inside.
Check the readme.txt file in the folder for more information.
The name of the skin is the same as the folder.
Now change your config.php file's line:
$skin = "tpf"; // Skin to use
To reflect the change.
3. Language
You'll find links on the website to download different languages. These
should be unzipped into your 'lang' folder.
The name of the language is the same as the code after the 'lang_'
Eg.
'lang_en' is English, and the name of the language is 'en'
'lang_fr' is French, and the name of the language is 'fr'
...etc...
Now change your config.php file's line:
$lang = "en"; // Skin to use
To reflect the change.
3. Troubleshooting
q) I get an error something like:
Warning: move_uploaded_file(image/avatars/avatar.png): failed to
open stream: Permission denied in /home/ralph/public_html/tpf/updatepf.php
on line 54
ans) Check the permissions are set to '777' on the following folders:
forums
users
image/avatars
q) I get some other permission error when trying to edit, post, reply, etc:
ans) If you created users, forums, etc when running the forum locally,
then copied it all up to your webserver, you may have permission errors
trying to modify anything that was copied over.
Example: You copy the example forums and topics over to your webserver
and then try and edit them. You will get an error. You should create
your forums, topics etc, whilst running your forum on your webserver.
ans) Change the permission of any user files, forum folders, topic
folders, post entries to '777' and then try again.
q) It doesn't work - The browser just says that it doesn't now the format
of the file index.php or it displays something like:
0) echo "
"; // We're posting or editing? if ($action=="edit") { newPost(); } // No, just
viewing... else { // Display a particular topic? if ($f0 & $t0) { showPosts($f, $t);
} // Else, show list of topics in this forum else if ($f0) { showTopics($f); } //
Show list of forums (main page) else { showForums(); } } ?
Or it says that it is a binary executable.
ans) I'm guessing that you unzipping the forum onto your computer and trying
to run it from there in a browser?
You need to upload the forum onto some webspace that can handle PHP files,
or install a server on your computer that you can run, which will interpret
PHP for you locally.
A good idea is Apache, which is Open Source, and works well:
http://www.apache.org/
Or, I found this package easy to install and use Xampp:
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html
There is a Linux version there.
If your webserver handles PHP though, it can be easier to just upload it
there, but of course, it's best to be able to debug locally.
Check the home website for more troubleshooting and help (see link at top).