How do I host multiple forums using one set of source files?

yskywalker

I am setting up a website that needs to have multiple forums. I could just make three copies of the source files and set them up with a different database prefix. That however, just sounds too inefficient to me.

gass3n

**this looks complicated, but yes i think you have to create 3 forum folder with different names and a database with different prefixes for each forum except the user table.

Good luck and keep us updated.**

hbf

Its simple if you just have three separate folders and three different schemas in you mysql instance.

Using the same source install for multiple separate forums would entail either

A) simply using roles and permissions to create two apparently separate forums using the same root path.

B) extensive modification to the core

yskywalker

Thanks for your help. I will check it out and see what comes up.

yskywalker

Oh, I forgot, I am managing the users externally with jsConnect, so I don't even need to worry about merging the users tables. Thanks for your help anyway.

Lincoln

You'll need 3 config files and 3 databases. You could use server config or symlinks to make 3 sites run off the same physical files, they'd just need to each access a different config file.

yskywalker

@lincon Ok, that sounds good. Is there any way that I can set a table prefix for the Vanilla tables so that I can run multiple installations of Vanilla on one database? I am using a free plan so I can only have two databases max.

Lincoln

Yes, you can change the table prefix in the config file. I think you can create a config.php file with the prefix in it before installing and it will respect that. I could, however, be making that up. :D

yskywalker

@lincon I'll see what I can do. Thanks for your help. Vanilla is awesome!

Roben

@yskywalker

If you done, please share with us your experience and we would appreciate if you write a how-to.

hgtonight

@Roben and others, check out this discussion.

kasperisager

Shameless self promotion:

@kasperisager said (clicky):
I can confirm that symlinking everything except conf, cache and uploads works a charm. I'm now running two separate installations off the same codebase. Directory structure is as follows:

multisite
----core
--------[vanilla]
----site1
--------[core]
--------conf
--------cache
--------uploads
----site2
--------[core]
--------conf
--------cache
--------uploads

P.S.: It took 5 minutes setting this up so it's not like it's some kind of black-magic voodoo.