What does it take to run a forum with vbulletin?

[TwoFistedJustice]

I'm thinking of setting up a forum and using self-hosted vbulletin.

What are the basic skill sets necessary for getting it set up and keeping it running?

What are the technical challenges that arise in administering it?

[claydoh]

Installing a LAMP stack
https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/lamp-applications
https://www.digitalocean.com/communi...n-ubuntu-22-04
The second link actually shows the install process, and though involved, can be done by a noob (having done so myself in decades past)
money for the license fee
There are crap tons of free/open-source options as well.


OR let someone do that part, as well as the hosting for you
https://www.vbulletin.com/en/purchases

if you do it yourself, you will want to know some of the basics of running a web server (apache), as well as a database (MariahDB/MySQL -- but only a little tiny bit of a sliver, usually).
Editing php (for the pages and layout) can be handy, but not necessary if you don't want to 'fix' or modify things. But you will get your hands dirty with all of these {PLUS installing the forum software of choice, if going DIY. You will at least get your hands a bit greasy doing a hosted option, but mainly on the forum software.

Then there is hosting, and domain names and setting that up with nameservers, and SSL certificates, and some sort of security hardening, and other odds and ends.



if you do the smarter thing, and have it hosted, it basically is just a web admin panel for most things. A GREAT way to get your feet wet with the simpler stuff - the forum itself.

[Schwarzer Kater]

A LAMP solution two friends of mine who work in webdesign have been using for years (on Linux) is https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html.
Perhaps this is also suitable for your purpose.

[acheron]

A LAMP solution two friends of mine who work in webdesign have been using for years (on Linux) is https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html.
Perhaps this is also suitable for your purpose.

I've used that in the past when I have wanted to set up local test vbulletin and phpbb boards. Was always very easy to get going.

[claydoh]

I skipped over using Docker containers, lol, but that is another option as well as another layer of stuff to learn. There are gobs of docker images for various forum platforms.

Then I was reminded of hosting a Nextcloud instance, as I run one on my NAS (docker), and the fact that the Snap for this is actually pretty good and easy to set up. So I looked for similar things for forum software, and didn't find any.
Seems like a perfect thing for Snap/Flatpak usage, if you ask me.

[TwoFistedJustice]

Can anyone make a good guess about bandwidth requirements?

Let's assume 50 users posting several paragraphs of text several times per week each with infrequent images with a size limit of 2mb per image.

Would 25 gb bandwidth limit be sufficient?