2009-06-22, 02:03 PM
If you are using Nginx instead of Apache web server, this tutorial explains how you can enable MyBB's Search Engine Friendly SEF URLs. Apache users do not need to read this tutorial.
This tutorial does not explain how to install and set up Nginx with PHP from scratch; it is expected that you already have everything up and running, and now all that's left are the SEF URLs.
nginx.conf
First you should make a backup copy of your nginx.conf, so you can go back to your working config in case anything goes wrong.
In the server / location section, add these rewrite rules. Replace /MyBB/ with the directory you have MyBB installed. If your MyBB is installed in a top level domain, replace it with /, if it's in /forum replace it with /forum/ and so on.
Please note that every rewrite statement goes in a single line even if it wraps in your browser here.
Restart Nginx so the changes can take effect.
MyBB settings
In Admin CP, go to 'Configuration' -> 'Server and Optimization options' and set 'Enable search engine friendly URLs?' to 'Enabled'.
(The auto detect option will not work with Nginx.)
Go back into your forum and test if the MyBB SEF URLs work.
Troubleshooting
This tutorial does not explain how to install and set up Nginx with PHP from scratch; it is expected that you already have everything up and running, and now all that's left are the SEF URLs.
nginx.conf
First you should make a backup copy of your nginx.conf, so you can go back to your working config in case anything goes wrong.
In the server / location section, add these rewrite rules. Replace /MyBB/ with the directory you have MyBB installed. If your MyBB is installed in a top level domain, replace it with /, if it's in /forum replace it with /forum/ and so on.
Please note that every rewrite statement goes in a single line even if it wraps in your browser here.
location / {
# ...your location settings are here...
rewrite ^/MyBB/forum-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/forumdisplay.php?fid=$1;
rewrite ^/MyBB/forum-([0-9]+)-page-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/forumdisplay.php?fid=$1&page=$2;
rewrite ^/MyBB/thread-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?tid=$1;
rewrite ^/MyBB/thread-([0-9]+)-page-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?tid=$1&page=$2;
rewrite ^/MyBB/thread-([0-9]+)-lastpost\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?tid=$1&action=lastpost;
rewrite ^/MyBB/thread-([0-9]+)-nextnewest\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?tid=$1&action=nextnewest;
rewrite ^/MyBB/thread-([0-9]+)-nextoldest\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?tid=$1&action=nextoldest;
rewrite ^/MyBB/thread-([0-9]+)-newpost\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?tid=$1&action=newpost;
rewrite ^/MyBB/thread-([0-9]+)-post-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?tid=$1&pid=$2;
rewrite ^/MyBB/post-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/showthread.php?pid=$1;
rewrite ^/MyBB/announcement-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/announcements.php?aid=$1;
rewrite ^/MyBB/user-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/member.php?action=profile&uid=$1;
rewrite ^/MyBB/calendar-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/calendar.php?calendar=$1;
rewrite ^/MyBB/calendar-([0-9]+)-year-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/calendar.php?action=yearview&calendar=$1&year=$2;
rewrite ^/MyBB/calendar-([0-9]+)-year-([0-9]+)-month-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/calendar.php?calendar=$1&year=$2&month=$3;
rewrite ^/MyBB/calendar-([0-9]+)-year-([0-9]+)-month-([0-9]+)-day-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/calendar.php?action=dayview&calendar=$1&year=$2&month=$3&day=$4;
rewrite ^/MyBB/calendar-([0-9]+)-week-(n?[0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/calendar.php?action=weekview&calendar=$1&week=$2;
rewrite ^/MyBB/event-([0-9]+)\.html$ /MyBB/calendar.php?action=event&eid=$1;
}
Restart Nginx so the changes can take effect.
MyBB settings
In Admin CP, go to 'Configuration' -> 'Server and Optimization options' and set 'Enable search engine friendly URLs?' to 'Enabled'.
(The auto detect option will not work with Nginx.)
Go back into your forum and test if the MyBB SEF URLs work.
Troubleshooting
- Nginx refuses to start
You probably made an error when editing the config file; Nginx should tell you where the error is, correct it.
- I get 404 errors when clicking on thread / forum links
Your rewrite rules are not working. Maybe you used the wrong path (in the example /MyBB/). Replace it with the correct path, for example / or /forum/. Also check if you installed Nginx with PCRE and HttpRewriteModule support.
