- Unzip the UBB
Files on Your Computer
Use your unzipping
software to unzip the ubb file into a folder on your desktop
or in a location you can find again easily. If you are unzipping
on your own Linux or Unix machine, use the -a switch [i.e. unzip
-a ubb550.zip].
When you have
finished you should have a folder containing 4 sub-folders called
cgi-bin, Members, NonCGI and variable_files
- Log onto Your
Web Server
Open your FTP
client and log into your web server with the hostname, username
and password your Internet provider has given you. Look at the
list of files or directories your find there.
Look for the
directory where your web pages are stored. You may already be
in this directory if you find files called index.html or home.html.
You *may* have to look in directories call www, htdocs or public_html
to find where the web pages are stored. If in doubt ask your
ISP Customer Support service.
If there is a
directory called cgi-bin or cgi-local remember where it is because
you will come back to it later. If your web provider CGI FAQ
requires you to use a certain directory for your scripts, find
it and note the location. You will come back to it later.
- Upload the
cgi-bin Scripts
Use your FTP
program to find the cgi-bin, cgi-local or the directory your
web host requires for CGI scripts. Click to open this directory.
If there is no
such directory anywhere, create one called cgi-bin now in the
main web directory. Use the FTP client to CHMOD this CGI directory
755 [owner rwx, group r-x, others r-x] now.
Click to open
it the CGI directory and set your FTP client to ASCII mode.
Upload the contents of the unzipped cgi-bin folder on your computer.
Select all the files you have uploaded and chmod them 755 with
your FTP Client.
- Upload the
Variables Files
Upload the contents
of the variables files to the same cgi directory as above. You
must set your FTP client to upload the files in ASCII mode.
Select all 4
of the variables files you have uploaded [UltBB.setup, Styles.file,
forums.cgi, mods.file] and chmod them 777 with your FTP Client
[owner rwx, group rwx, others rwx]
- Create a Members
Directory and Upload Files
Inside the CGI
directory create a directory called Members [spelled exactly].
Click to select it and right click to find the option to chmod
it 777 [owner rwx, group rwx, others rwx]. This directory can
also be located above your web root for greater security.
Open this directory.
Upload the contents of the unzipped Members folder on your computer
in ASCII mode.
Click to select
the file called Admin5.cgi and right click on it to find the
option to chmod it 777 [owner rwx, group rwx, others rwx].
- Create a Directory
for Your Forum Files
Change directories
to your main web directory [see step 2] Create a directory there
called ubb. Click to select the directory and right click to
find the option to chmod it 777 [owner rwx group rwx others
rwx]
Open the directory
and upload the contents of your unzipped NonCGI folder to it.
You may set your FTP client to upload in automatic. Or you may
choose to upload all .html files in ASCII and all the .gif and
jpg files in Binary.
- Edit Your cplinks.html
File
On your own computer
open up the file called cplinks.html in a text editor like Notepad.
You will see basic html code.
You must edit
only one link: Look for <BASE HREF = " ">. Edit
in the full URL to your CGI directory between the quotation
marks.
For example: <BASE HREF="http://www.mydomain/cgi-bin/">
Check
that the URL goes between the two quotes and be sure the URL
ends with a slash "/".
Save the cplinks.html
file and upload it again to the ubb directory.
- Open the Control
Panel in Your Web Browser
Open your web
browser and go to the URL http://www.mydomain.com/ubb/cp.html
[you will substitute in your domain name and directories to
match the names you have chosen in the steps above]
You will see
a UBB control panel with links down the left side. Click the
top link called General Settings.
Look on the right for a new page
saying 'Your absolute paths need to be configured ...'. Click the link to open up a page of blank general settings.
The first section
is called 'Absolute Paths'. There may be paths entered there
automatically by UBB. Leave them for now.
- Set the General
Settings Absolute Paths
A quick explanation:
The path is the full path from your server root, for example
/home/usr/htdocs/yourname [the exact path will be different
in each server]
You can often
find this path exactly if you click on the environmental variables
link at the top of your page. Within the list look for one variable
called Script_Filename. This will be the path to your script.
Cut off the "/cpanel.cgi" from the end and you will
have the absolute path to your CGI directory.
Use this path
as a reference
There are 4 absolute
paths to fill in
Absolute path
to your CGI directory [i.e. /home/usr/docs/yourname/cgi-bin
Absolute Path to your UBB directory [i.e. /home/usr/docs/yourname/ubb
Absolute Path to your Members directory [usually the CGI path
with /Members added on the end]
Absolute path to your Variables files [usually identical to
the CGI path]
There are no
trailing slashes in an absolute path.
- Set the General
Settings URLS
The second section
is called URLS.
These will all
begin with http:// ... If UBB has already filled in an URL,
leave it.
But check that
each URL ends with a directory name corresponding to the directory
names on your web server. For example the CGI URL in a common
installation will end with /cgi-bin or /cgi-local
The NonCGI URL
will also end with a directory name i.e. /ubb
There are no
trailing slashes on any of these URLS.
The web site
URL should be the main URL for your web site.
- Choose Your
Options
Below the absolute
paths and the urls are many choices about the names, addresses
and functions of your UBB.
Fill them in
accurately or leave the defaults. Choose the 'sendmail' email
option in the Licensed version.
- Submit Your
'General Settings'
At the bottom
of the general settings page fill in the default username Admin5
and the password 4tugboat. Spelling and case must be exact.
Click submit.
If your paths and permissions are correct, your will receive
a message saying the settings gave been updated.
If your get a
blank screen or an error message see the troubleshooting suggestions.
- Submit your
Styles Settings [licensed version only]
Click 'Styles'
on the left hand side of your control panel. You may change
any of the options listed or leave the defaults until your installation
is tested completely. Check that your Admin5 name and password
are filled in at the bottom and click submit.
- Submit your
Forums Settings
Click 'Forums'
on the left hand side of your control panel. You may change
any of the names and options there or leave them to change later.
Check that your Admin5 name and password are filled in at the
bottom and click submit.
- Submit your
Moderators Settings
Click 'Moderators'
on the left hand side of your control panel. You may add only
Admin5 as a moderator until other users are registered [only
a valid registered user can be a moderator]. Check that your
Admin5 name and password are filled in at the top and click
submit.
- Open your Bulletin
Board for the First Time
Click 'Your UBB'
on the left hand side of your control panel. A new window will
open with a list of forums. Click the first forum name to open
it. Looking for a link to 'post new topic'. Click it and use
the Admin5/4tugboat login to post a new message.
Click Register
at the top right of your UBB page. Register yourself and make
sure you can post and reply to messages.
- Secure Your
Bulletin Board Admin Name
After you have
registered your own name successfully, go back to the control
panel and click on 'User Info and Permissions' on the left hand
side. Login with Admin5/4tugboat
and search for your own name. Use the option check box to make
yourself an administrator. Test that your own name is accepted
for administrative functions.
Use the 'User
Info and Permissions' link to to delete the Admin5 user for
security reasons. If you wish to keep the Admin5 user, you must
change the password by clicking the 'profile' link on any regular
UBB Page.
- Bookmark the
UBB Technical Manual for 'How to' Questions
A technical manual
is available from your Control Panel main page or at http://www.ultimatebb.com/manual/index.shtml
There are also support forums at http://www.scriptkeeper.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi
where most questions have been answered before. Be sure to use
the appropriate forum and the search function for greater speed.