How to Install Discourse on FreeBSD

Discourse is a modern and powerful community discussion platform that can help you create engaging forums, discussion boards, and online communities. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of installing Discourse on FreeBSD.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following components:

• FreeBSD latest version
• Root access or an account with sudo privileges
• Minimum 2GB RAM

Step 1: Install Docker and Docker Compose

To install Docker on FreeBSD, you can use the following command:

pkg install -y docker docker-compose

Once installed, start and enable Docker to run automatically at reboot:

sysrc docker_enable="YES"
service docker start

Step 2: Create a Discourse Directory and Clone the Repository

Create a directory where you will install Discourse:

mkdir /var/discourse
cd /var/discourse

Clone the Discourse repository:

git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse_docker.git /var/discourse

Step 3: Configure Discourse

Open the app.yml file and configure the settings according to your preferences:

cd /var/discourse
cp samples/standalone.yml containers/app.yml
nano containers/app.yml

Make sure to update the following settings:

• DISCOURSE_HOSTNAME - Set this to your domain name or IP address
• DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS - Set your SMTP server address
• DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME - Set your SMTP username
• DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD - Set your SMTP password

Step 4: Install and Launch Discourse

Build and launch the Discourse container:

cd /var/discourse
./launcher bootstrap app
./launcher start app

Step 5: Access and Configure Discourse

Once you have launched Discourse, visit your domain or IP address in a web browser to access the Discourse installation wizard. Follow the prompts to configure Discourse and create your admin account.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Discourse on FreeBSD.

Conclusion

Discourse is an excellent platform for creating online communities and discussion boards. With this tutorial, you can quickly set up a Discourse installation on your FreeBSD server. If you encounter any issues during the installation process, refer to the Discourse documentation or seek support from the online community.

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!