MyBB Community Forums - Can I build my forum offline?

I was wondering if it is possible to make loads of forum threads in localhost mode then upload the database or whatever you need to upload??? total noob here... I want my forum to seem popular before I even get a hosting account, so I want to make loads of threads. Is that possible or will I just be wasting my time? Huh

that is possible. see search results --> https://www.google.com/search?q=mybb+localhost

you should have same set of plugins and settings at the live forum and on localhost forum.

if you already have a live forum then copy its files & import its database for the localhost forum.

after making required threads on the local forum you can transfer the database from localhost forum to the live forum

Okay thanks. I'll start typing away now. Big Grin

Personaly i would do it on live site, just block it from viewing with .htaccess

1. create folder 'errors'
2. put there some html or php file like maintenance.html with text "site is undergoing sheduled maintenance. We will come back as soon as possible. Please visit us a little later."
3. then put something like this to .htaccess (change youriphere and canmoreipstoo to your IP)

order deny,allow
deny from all
## ---- IP who is allowed access while maintenance
allow from yo.ur.ip.here can.mor.eip.stoo
## ---- mintenance page
ErrorDocument 403 /errors/maintenance.html
## ---- allow view maintenance page
<Files maintenance.html>
allow from all
</Files>

This way you can freely do anything you want with your site in 'live' mode,
while other visitors see maintenance message at the same time.

When maintenance is over, can put # character in front of these lines to open site for visitors
(or simply delete these lines, but i would rather put # so i can use it in future in next maintenance)

^ Thanks avril Smile

however, .htaccess method works for persons having the static IP address - not easily for dynamic IP address users

In that case, a htaccess with htpasswd would be more sufficient.

For example: users browsing to your forum see a maintenance page, whilst if you as admin browse to www.yoursite.com/htlogin for example you can login with the htaccess login module and browse your site that way.

Haven't tried myself yet, but should be possible. I myself have it configured that it shows an login only.

Why not use the simpliest solution: ACP -> Configuration -> Board Online / Offline -> Yes, instead of .htaccess? I guess that's sufficient for creating threads - nothing can be viewed except header, footer and the specified warning. More userfriendly, in my opinion - no need for passwords or adding dynamic ip over and over again.

(2013-11-04, 11:31 AM)Destroy666 Wrote: [ -> ]Why not use the simpliest solution: ACP -> Configuration -> Board Online / Offline -> Yes, instead of .htaccess?

.htaccess maintenance way gives oportunity to make any edits on live site, including template edits,
testing plugins, php edits, testing with error_reporting(E_ALL) in real, live environment (thats useful),
debugging stuff, broking site ect ect, while visitors still not see any of these, just maintenance page.

Closing site with ACP function is easy and cool, but perhaps would stop from working in most above cases,
and then visitors would see random stuff, errors, broken template, print_r($whatWasInThisObjectAgain?) ect Toungue

Ofcourse can do all these things on localhost, but usualy localhost settings and real server settings are different,
and after moving these updates to live server environment differences coming out and make problems
then some things must be adjusted, while visitors are watching, reading, writing posts, replies, sending PM's.

Any mistake or small bug at that time may broke everything
exacly at moment when some visitors was about to submit his post into which they put a lot of work,
lost all hour to make it... almost finished... submitting... and then ........... .... .......
I rather would suggest ~ .htaccess maintenance mode. Toungue

EDIT --------------

Btw, i just found awesome method of "htaccess maintenance"
even better than my own, not requiring IP, just a cookie, by frostschutz. Really good one.
http://community.mybb.com/thread-100345-...#pid792124

While I agree it can be useful for bigger changes (still, if it's beforehand, I prefer localhost), my point was that SkullandBones only wanted to create threads, which surely wouldn't break his forum. So I think simple switch in ACP is the most optimal solution considering the purpose and difficulty of planned maintenance.

(2013-11-05, 11:42 AM)Destroy666 Wrote: [ -> ](...) only wanted to create threads, (...) So I think simple switch in ACP is the most optimal solution considering the purpose and difficulty of planned maintenance.

Yes, ofcourse. There are always many ways to accomplish the same aim
and all they are great and innovative solutions.

What im happy about now, is that joining this discussion led me to discover frostschutz method with cookie (<- link),
which not only solved dynamic IP problem, that .m. was talking about earlier, (and he was very rite there!)
but also charmed me so much i got cool idea to make some script based on this cookie idea.
And thats exacly whats good about discussing and sharing ideas about something.