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This VM is created for 2 reasons: 1. Very little initial setup work required to make a Forum live, within minutes. 2. This system should keep running for Years, without requiring Updates / Breakages.
If you are new to Virtual Machines, then please watch the Video below ( taken from my other project. just replace td with fm wherever mentioned )
After starting this VM, please login to its administration panel with:
Website Address: https://fm.local/public/
( Accept Any Warnings )
Admin Username: admin
Admin Password: change_this
from any PC on your Local Network.
Then setup your "SMTP Server" details from the Email option. This will help in flow of all emails from the system.
Then setup up your Users Accounts.
All other features can be explored at your leisure.
Once setup & running, please ensure that a Backup of the system, is taken regularly, to avoid any issues.
These are covered in the video. Google Search helps in finding more about flarum.
Features
- Flarum is a delightfully simple forum software
- It’s simple, fast and friendly, with all the features you need to build a great and successful community.
- Streamlined, elegant UI featuring two-pane interface, infinite scrolling and a floating composer
- Touch-optimized, with swipe gestures and smooth animations
- Fast and lightweight
- Themeable
- Smart notifications
- Intuitive tags
- Replies and mentions
- Fine-grained permissions
- Convenient search
- Moderation tools
- Powerful formatting
- As this system is meant for local network usage, it uses a self-signed https certificate. Hence, browsers will throw a warning for the first time. Please accept the same and proceed ahead.
- If you do not have a "SMTP Server" already, then it is very easy, to get a new one, by searching on Google for "Cloud Email Solution for Business" in your area/country. This Email solution must support "SMTP Connectivity" from a PHP Based Email Client, that the HESK Software uses. Optionally, these solutions also give you storage facilities for sent emails, as well. The cost for all this, including a new business email domain name, may come up to 10 $ per year. Also, note that the free email providers like Gmail do not support SMTP Connectivity from a PHP Based Email Client, by default.
- If you like FLARUM ( as i did ), you can support its development efforts, by contributing at : https://github.com/flarum/flarum
- A small correction in the Video below: Choose a LAN Card Network Adapter Connection in Virtualbox ( Not Wifi ), after connecting your PC to your Router / Switch, with a LAN Cable. If the Router / Switch has a DHCP Server enabled inside, then the Virtual Machine, will be able to obtain an IP Address from it, quickly.
- Please save this webpage completely, for future references.
- Increase CPU Count and Memory in the VM's Settings, as required, for better performance
Project Samples
