I just installed myBB for the first time today. Everything was a lot less smooth than SMF or phpBB, though.
Step #3 in the Documentation (inside the .zip file) is as follows:
CHMOD the following files to 666 (ie, make sure that PHP can write to them).
./inc/settings.php
./inc/config.php (you must rename config.default.php to config.php first)
./inc/languages/*your_language*/*all files* (optional)
./inc/languages/*your_language*/admin/*all files* (optional)
After accomplishing all of these steps (and the rest of the instructions without flaw), I went to load my board and immediately got this error:
Language english (.../myBB/inc/languages/english) is not installed
Trying to load the Admin CP got a similar error - it was complaining about "global.lang.php".
Thankfully, though I'm no master at this, I'm also not a complete noob. I decided to change the permissions of /languages/english to 766 and it worked like a charm.
I recommend you alter your documentation unless you only prefer experienced web wackers.
umm, hundreds if not thousands of people have followed those instructions without problems(including myself). So I think it's more likely how your server is configured.
umm, then it should be documented that this problem is a possibility.
That way, people with servers like mine know how to fix it, rather than get discouraged and turn to a different forum with a sour outspoken word for myBB. I wonder how many have been lost already.
If my desire to offer feedback for a successful free forum isn't wanted, just say the word and I'll disappear. Otherwise, if you have any specific questions for me that might actually help troubleshoot this cause, I'm more than happy to answer them.
It does say all files, not folders. Perhaps that should be clarified. The permissions of the actual folders shouldn't need to be touched.
Folders need their "execute" bit set in order for the content to be available to the webserver; this should be common knowledge to anyone hosting on a *nix server.
Because of languages (not all webmasters using MyBB are native English speakers), and varying *nix proficiencies the wording probably should be clarified.
So you're referring to ./inc/languages/*your_language*/*all files*, it should basically say 'not folders' as well??
(2010-02-22, 07:36 AM)laie_techie Wrote: [ -> ]Folders need their "execute" bit set in order for the content to be available to the webserver; this should be common knowledge to anyone hosting on a *nix server.
With all due respect, "should be" is very different from "is". Your opinion of what people should know does not make it a reality.
The instructions should encompass the most basic level of knowledge without ANY assumptions in order for them to be helpful to the largest number of people.
This approach to build easy-to-use documentation
should be common knowledge. Unfortunately, it's not.
(2010-02-22, 12:46 PM)MattRogowski Wrote: [ -> ]So you're referring to ./inc/languages/*your_language*/*all files*, it should basically say 'not folders' as well??
I'm sorry I can't be completely sure about my answer, but I believe the last two "Optional Changes" permissions
on this page should be changed from 666 to 766. This is how I was able to get it to work. You might want to verify this, though. Maybe there's a better way.
No... you change the files inside ./inc/languages/english/ and ./inc/languages/englsih/admin/ to 666, so you can edit them in the ACP, and that is exactly what the instructions say. The permissions of the folders here do not need changing at all, it does not say anywhere to change the permissions of the actual folders. These files should not need to be 766 unless you've got a CHMOD wrong somewhere else.
I think I see the confusion.
This page says the directory "./inc/languages/english/*all files*" should be 666. I thought *all files* meant ALL files, so I just right-clicked on the "english" folder and changed the permissions to 666. I didn't think to realize that "all files" means NOT folders.
I think this is what Yumi and laie_techie were agreeing with. Beginners won't complain about this because they won't even set up the forum themselves, and experts already know that the folder needs to be executable (766 or higher) for it to work, which explains why no one has complained about this until.. me
but those of us in between with a building knowledge of hosting forums will look at those instructions and take them very literally.
So my questions, then: is it feasible to change the 666 in the documentation to 766 and solve the confusion once and for all, or will this cause security issues? If it does cause issues, can the doc at least be slightly modified to say "NOT folders"?
I think this might help a few people who come across this and have a similar, newbie problem!
The folder will be fine at 755. On my forum I have the folders at 755, the files inside 666, and it is fine. 766 is not needed for anything. A file is a file and a folder is a folder, I'm sure there are many other places where this file/folder differentiation would have to be made if it was going to be changed here.