[CMS] VBulletin in root or forum folder ?

[goxy63]

Installing VBulletin in root has its advantages, shorter urls which is great...but installing it in a root will not look that good with main page, or... ?

I have VBulletin4 suite, if installed in a root can CMS be www.mysite.com without any problems or there will be something like www.mysite.com/forums... if installed in root?

If it will be shown as www.mysite.com/content that is more or less ok, but if it will be shown like www.mysite.com/forums/than something else ...than its no can do for me, I dont like it

One more reason I have for this and that is "mod rewrite urls" and if my forums are in folder subforums they will be shown as www.mysite.com/forums/forums/my_subforum

that forums/forums is just ugly if you ask me

Please have in mind that I am more or less noob with all vbulletin options and I am probably miss something here, please do suggest me what to do

To recap, I want my CMS as www.mysite.com and my VBulletin isnatlled in a root

Forgot to mention that I have VB already installed in forums folder, but I think its better ever than never to move it in a root cause better urls.

Thank you

ps
I must say, this VB5 is very confusing, vb.org looks way better than vb.com but its probably just me

[Wayne Luke]

In your do_not_upload folder you will find a CMS directory. Upload these files to your site root.

Then in your vBulletin AdminCP go to Settings -> Options -> Site Name / URL / Contact Details.

In that page, you'll find an option for CMS Component URL. Put the root URL of your site in here..

[goxy63]

I will move all existing files from my /forums folder one step back that is in my public_html [root]

Than when moved there to overwrite with those from do not upload folder [CMS] ?

Its that simple?

I understand that many things I will have to correct, bb codes, some modifications...that is not a problem as I will do it step by step...

With these files from CMS [do not upload] folder I will have what, CMS as a home page without any extensions or...?

Thank you for helping
Cheers

[goxy63]

Aditional question:

In order to redirect all pages from /forums folder to root I will use this code, placing it in /forums folder which will be empty, in new .htaccess file

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.mysite.com/$1 [R=301,L]

But after this moving to a root I will probably do "mod rewrite urls" , will this redirect help at all?

Thanks

[donald1234]

It is not advisable to move your forum from /forums/ to root if the forum is established with a lot of indexed url's, you can not redirect them as they will no longer exist, you will in effect be starting from scratch.

[Wayne Luke]

You don't have to move any files if all you want is the CMS is in the root. Just upload the files specified and update the setting.

If you do move all the files, then don't upload the files in the do not upload folder. That will just break your site.

[goxy63]

Now I got just +3000indexed pages and thats not much...
I will probably move everything in root, as I just want to start all from scratch but properly, as better as I can...so please few more answers and I am good to go, thank you all.

Have in mind that whats obvious for you its not for all of us, so few extra details wont hurt anyone except 1min of your time

If you do move all the files, then don't upload the files in the do not upload folder. That will just break your site.

Was thinking like that Mr.Wayne, I already got CMS in a root, that is my CMS home page shows as www.mysite.com, fixed that...thing is that I want to have new start with less /forums/ link in my urls, URLs as short as possible

***
So what I want to know is, implementing "mod rewrite urls" now with VB in /forums folder, that will give me shorter urls, but for subforums it wil give me www.mysite.com/forums/forums/my_subforum

When moving VB to root, that will give me [with mod rewrite] www.mysite.com/forums/my_subforum which is fine for subforums

Mr. Wayne when I move to a root, my CMS as my home page can have clear url for ex www.mysite.com or there must be some extension, think that something must be there no ?
***

Of course I would like to save as much as possible, but this much I know tells me that with these two changes I just cant do that, +3000indexed pages now is not that bad damage like +30000 and I am planing to add more content and to work much more on my small site in future cause just now I know what people want and what I can expect from them....

Thank you for help

[Wayne Luke]

Okay...

If you install vBulletin in /public_html/ your URLS will look like this:

Forums -
domain/forums/forumname/XX-forumname
domain/threads/XX-threadname
Blogs -
domain/blogs/XX-blogname
domain/entries/XX-blogentryname
Articles -
domain/XX-sectionname
domain/XX-articlename


If you just have the CMS in the root, then your URLS would be:
Forums -
domain/forums/forums/forumname/XX-forumname
domain/forums/threads/XX-threadname
Blogs -
domain/forums/blogs/XX-blogname
domain/forums/entries/XX-blogentryname
Articles -
domain/XX-sectionname
domain/XX-articlename

As long as index.php is configured as a default page on your server (most already do this), then going to domain/ should load the site.

[goxy63]

From your example we can all see that installing VB in a root is better, small head start for new forum owners, I think
I regret cause I did not do that few years ago

Thank you

[dknelson99]

I'm having a problem with this on my new install. I have the forums in http://www.example/fforums/ I have all the files in the CMS directory uploaded to http://www.exmaple.com in the root. I have added http://www.example.com as the component URL for the CMS in the admin panel. I am getting this error when I go to my home page.

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/touringh/content.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/touringh/public_html/index.php on line 4

Basically all I want to do is that when people go to http://www.example.com It takes them to my CMS. Forums are in http://www.exaomple.com/forums

[donald1234]

[QUOTEFrom your example we can all see that installing VB in a root is better, small head start for new forum owners, I think
I regret cause I did not do that few years ago

Thank you ][/QUOTE]


Some people have no choice, if eg you have a website in the root then you are forced to put the forum in a folder or subdomain (forum.yourdomain.com) It also has the advantage of adding a keyword to the domain, in this case forum, handy if your domain doesn't have your forums keyword.

[dknelson99]

I'm having a problem with this on my new install. I have the forums in http://www.example/fforums/ I have all the files in the CMS directory uploaded to http://www.exmaple.com in the root. I have added http://www.example.com as the component URL for the CMS in the admin panel. I am getting this error when I go to my home page.

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/touringh/content.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/touringh/public_html/index.php on line 4

Basically all I want to do is that when people go to http://www.example.com It takes them to my CMS. Forums are in http://www.exaomple.com/forums

Oh well...never mind. Hadn't gotten a reply so I just deleted everything and re-installed the forum in the root. Now it works the way I want it to.

[goxy63]

Oh well...never mind. Hadn't gotten a reply so I just deleted everything and re-installed the forum in the root. Now it works the way I want it to.

Just wanted to reply on your first post here, than I saw this last one... one more reason why you should place VB in a root :]
I had same trouble like you before...think about "mod rewrite" now, not later as you do fresh install now :]

Some people have no choice, if eg you have a website in the root then you are forced to put the forum in a folder or subdomain (forum.yourdomain.com) It also has the advantage of adding a keyword to the domain, in this case forum, handy if your domain doesn't have your forums keyword.

Not that many people have problem like you when it comes to VB and installing it in a root

[goxy63]

In this whole process which is pretty much simple nobody mentioned that includes/config.php should be changed
in FULL PATH TO FORUMS DIRECTORY "forums" there must be removed

In adminCP===Site Name / URL / Contact Details===Always use Forum URL as Base Path===NO

and of course as mentioned in this thread
In adminCP====options====Site Name / URL / Contact Details====Forum url====http://www.yoursite.com

Do not move any files from folder to a root before you do these above changes first, you will not be able to access adminCP

Also make one .htaccess file and put this code in it:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.yourdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Place .htacces file in your now empty /forums folder

*************
Now I got two more small issues, first one is weird for me, maybe its something obvious but its late here where I am so...
POST ICONS, post icons in edit manager have link for exapmle : "images/icons/icon1.png"
And that should be working fine even without changes but its not.... in forums post images are still pointing to a /fourums.... so this must be some template edit, but where?
Even when in editor I change link to image as: http://www,mysite.com/images/icons/icon1.png its still pointing to /forums folder within forums but in menager after this change it points correctly
WEIRD


Second thing is, my CMS is still showing up like http://www.mysite.com/content.php Not a big problem but I would like to have it without "content.php" if possible


>>>

[goxy63]

Also "who is online" is not showing correctly now, I saw few members after midnight online and now after 1-2hrs only one of them was displayed as online, hope this is just some temporary issue