Looking to move from PHPBB to Vbulletin

[kfc]

1) Is there a way to edit my forum colors in the admin panel without downloading a templete? If not and I have to create or install a downloaded templete, do I need to update the templete to every new release, or at least every now and then?

With PHPBB, it seemed as if I needed to update my templete after every release. Which was a pain in the butt.

2) Once I buy VB will I then have access to mods, templetes and other stuff?

3) Can I download a 30-90 day trial so that I cn move my board over to VB during that time?

4) Google and other spiders are currently spidering my PHPBB. When I move to VB will my google rank drop like a brick? Or will the old links still some how work? My guess is that spiders will just get redirected to the index with my custom error page.

5) What is a good shoutbox add on to VB? I'd like to display it on the main forum page, below all the threads.

Thanks

[Symen_4ab]

1 : Yes, you can modify almost whatever you want, from background colors to fonts, thanks to the CSS editor page.

2 : Yes, too. vbulletin.org is the sister-site to vbulletin.com, and contains tons of hacks. As soon as you validate your license on vbulletin.com, you can download whatever you want on vbulletin.org

3 : That will be a no, if I remember correctly, there was a "lite" version of vbulletin available for download, but it's gone now. Make the step, you won't regret it ;)

4 : Don't know, sorry

5 : There are 3-4 shoutboxes available on vbulletin.org site, the best one IMHO is this (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=93097) one.

[KingSpade]

1). Yes, you can edit all the colors and templates from the Admin CP. As for updates to the templates, vBulletin does update the templates, though you won't generally need to edit or revert them all unless it is a major upgrade (i.e. 3.0 -> 4.0). Minor upgrades such as 3.5.2. -> 3.5.3 won't be but maybe a handful of templates.

2). Yes, you will be able to access additional forums here at vBulletin.com and you will be able to download modifications, styles and so forth from vBulletin.org.

3). vBulletin does not offer a trial of the software other than a trial of the admin cp on their servers. You cannot physically download the software before purchasing it.

4). vBulletin uses a different file structure than phpBB, however, Google should be able to pick up the new posts rather easily. I've never used the conversion tool, so I am not sure how much of an impact on your PR it would have.

5). There is a shoutbox solution at vBulletin.org you can download once your purchase the software. As it stands, I believe there is only one solution available.

[kfc]

Thanks!

BTW I would like to tweak the board before I let it go live. So could I install it to www.mysite.com/forums2, but once I'm done rename the current forums directory to forums_old and then to rename forums2 to forums?

Like would there just be a few lines of code to edit, or is their an easier way or doing this?

Thanks

[Symen_4ab]

I'm not really sure about that, but I think you can do that (the rename thing) and then just edit one setting in your admincp (called "URL to your vbulletin forum" or something like that)

Or you could make a .htaccess file (google will help you for that) to protect the directory where you install your forum to test, so you would be the only one allowed to access it.

[Zachery]

Thanks!

BTW I would like to tweak the board before I let it go live. So could I install it to www.mysite.com/forums2, but once I'm done rename the current forums directory to forums_old and then to rename forums2 to forums?

Like would there just be a few lines of code to edit, or is their an easier way or doing this?

Thanks
Yes, its easy, you'd just update the folder names and ensure that the vBulletin settings reflect the new name as well.