Forums, I need help

[Quintox]

Now that I started my own website (just to see how things work), I'm interested in creating a new website that is solely a forum. Now, this sounds easy, but of course, I am having trouble.

I have Cpanel for my current website, so to test out what a forum is like, I created a sub domain. Now, I've gotten the CP plugin of "yaab" forum to work (Perl), but it's not really what I was looking for (I couldn't figure out how to change the generic look).

Anyway, so I downloaded e107, couldn't get that to work, and same for PHPBB. I uploaded them via FTP to my folder, and I sucked at e107, but somehow got PHPBB to get to the install screen, but I don't know what my database or whatever is.

Now, all I'm asking is, what do I need to do to get a forum going? I will eventually buy a seperate domain once I understand what to do. I want to be able to change the look from the generic stage, and also have some Google ads or something in the margins.

What should I download to do this? I know vbulliten is good but I don't have $150 to spend right now.

 

[turtile]

PHPBB is easy to install. There is file with all the directions. All you have to do is change the properties (writable) of one file in the FTP browser - edit it - and change it back.

If you have Fantastico, it will do everything for you.

Another forum to try is SMF:
SMF Downloads

 

[Yek]

Do you have a MySQL database setup ?
This is what holds all the forum data , and is probberly what it is asking from you
Im not familiar with C Panel but im sure there is an option to create a MySQL database, if not you will have to contact your host
Then simply wack in all of you MySQL data and your away