I want to start a web site like you see at Darkstarbase, or Vulcansforge. I like their sites because they include options for polls, and forums as well. I also like the layouts of them (both much the same).

I got my domain registered, and thought I could figure out how to put up a site, but I'm in way over my head!
I thought I'd host my own site, and downloaded the APACHIE software to do so, but I cant seem to figure it out.
I've got a volunteer to host my site, but need to get it put together.

Anybody interested in helping me design and get a site operational? I'm willing to give credits to anybody that works on it.
Email me at runawayproton@gmail.com or post here if you're interested in helping me. I don't have a timetable in mind, but might like to get it up between Thanksgiving and Christmas if thats resonable. Without any help, it might never happen.

Design? Well... that's kindof up to you. But if you want to get apache and phpBB installed then ICQ me. I've only setup about 3 dozen of them.

I'm assuming that apache is the client software I need on my personal computer to allow others to access a web site I put up on my own box. Is this correct or am I mislead in what apachie does?

Apache is server software for hosting webpages, forum software and ftp transfers. I think most web-hosting servers use this software. You can set it up to run on localhost if you want to design your website off your HDD before uploading to the server hosting the page, but you don't need to up load Apache, just your website html,css,xtml files. If you want to setup Apache, you'll have to setup a mysql database as well.

Here's a good site for setting up Apache, mysql and phpnuke/phpbb:

http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/showthrea ... ht=phpnuke


There is also a pretty comprehensive free video tutorial here: (http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/sv_dl_list.php?c=6), but you have to setup an account and login to the site to download them


edited for content

For phpBB you need Apache, Mysql and PHP. I would not install phpNuke, very insecure. PhpBB is very easy to install and more directly what you want. Apache is simply a web server, that's all.

You need more than just a "personal computer" to run a most websites. But really that's up to you. You need reliable bandwidth. Usually this means a host. That host can be a desktop computer, but it can also be a hosting server. There's a lot less to installing apache than there seems, if you get Xampp you can cut your install time down by an order of magnitude.

Linky:
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html

Most of that is automated. Once setup you need to create a database, a database user, install the php scripts, setup your domain to point to the correct IP (which involves setting up a DNS zone and finding a DNS service prover) and then go thru the software's install process.

Anyway it sounds more complex than it is. I've only done it afew dozen times or more. Hit me up on ICQ, we'll go over your situation and find the most sensible direction.

Yeah Proton. Listen to Sing, he helped me on getting my forum started,and knows how to debug things when the thing goes haywire, he taught me a lot on how to setup the php and database in mysql, they both work great together.phpbb is a good forum software, and is free. My main site is done in html with frontpage, and working on it with dream weaver too now.
I may convert it over to php sometime soon, haven't decided yet.

Yikes! My head doesn't spin this far around! OK, I'll check out these links. Thanks for the info. I already have the bandwith (I think) I got a fast DSL connection, with static ip addresses, registered domain, and a dedicated computer to host. That was my plan anyway. You saying a personal computer isn't powerful enough? I also have someone willing to host my site, that already has a site going. I'm assuming if that were the case I just need to design the HTML site and send it to him? That's the other part of this challenge. I'm not very artistic, so I need some help making a good "looking" site. If my bandwith isn't good (6MB down 3 up) or the personal computer isn't good to host, then maybe I'd best take that offer of letting someone host it for me.

Having someone host it makes it easier for you, but isn't a requirement. As long as your IP is static... that's all that really matters.

Yeah, if someone is going to host the site, you don't really even need Apache, just some good web authoring software, and a graphics/photo-editor. I use Dreamweaver and Photoshop, but there are a few open source programs out there.

Just to throw this out there, a forum called: wowBB I don't know much about this found it by accident a while back while searching for stuff, it looks really interesting and appears to require a license purchase to fully operate it ($55 per year or $99 to purchase), though it seems to offer lots of options and includes the ability to modify it w/o much if any PHP knowledge (you can view the features page for more specifics.)

http://www.wowbb.com/

If you need help wil ur webpage design or coding let me know I would be willing to help, but I don't do php.