How to Install Vanilla Forums on Alpine Linux Latest

Step 1: Update System

Before installing any package on Alpine Linux, it is essential to ensure that your system is up to date. To do so, run the following command in the terminal:

apk update && apk upgrade

Step 2: Install the Required Packages

To install Vanilla Forums on Alpine Linux, you need to install some essential packages that the application depends on. These packages include Apache, PHP, and MariaDB. Run the following command to install them:

apk add apache2 php8 php8-common php8-apache2 php8-pdo php8-pdo_mysql php8-mbstring php8-json mariadb mariadb-client

Step 3: Start Apache and MariaDB

After installing all the required packages, start Apache and MariaDB services using the following commands:

rc-update add apache2 
rc-service apache2 start

rc-update add mariadb 
rc-service mariadb start

Step 4: Configure the Database

Create a new database and a user for Vanilla Forums using the following commands:

mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE vanilla_database;
CREATE USER 'vanilla_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL ON vanilla_database.* TO 'vanilla_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 5: Install Vanilla Forums

Download the latest version of the Vanilla Forums application into your server using the following command:

wget https://open.vanillaforums.com/get/vanilla-core.zip

Extract the downloaded file and move it to the Apache web directory /var/www/localhost/htdocs/ using the following commands:

unzip vanilla-core.zip
mv vanilla /var/www/localhost/htdocs/vanilla

Step 6: Configure Apache

To configure Apache web server, create a new configuration file /etc/apache2/conf.d/vanilla.conf using the following command:

nano /etc/apache2/conf.d/vanilla.conf 

Add the following lines to the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
   ServerName your_domain.com
   DocumentRoot /var/www/localhost/htdocs/vanilla
   <Directory /var/www/localhost/htdocs/vanilla/>
      Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
      AllowOverride All
      Order allow,deny
      allow from all
   </Directory>
   ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/vanilla_error.log
   CustomLog /var/log/apache2/vanilla_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save and close the file.

Step 7: Restart Apache

Restart Apache to apply the changes made in the configuration files:

rc-service apache2 restart

Step 8: Finish Installation

Open your browser and go to http://your_domain.com/vanilla to commence the installation procedure. Follow the instructions in the Vanilla Forums installation wizard to complete the installation process.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the Vanilla Forums on your Alpine Linux server, and it is ready for use.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!