Themes, plugins and extensions: customising your forum safely

The words each package uses

Choosing add-ons worth installing

Every add-on is code someone else wrote, running on your forum, which you’ll need to keep updated. So the first question is always: do I need this yet? A new forum needs almost nothing beyond the defaults. Good early candidates are anti-spam tools, a responsive theme (essential on MyBB 1.8) and perhaps an SEO-friendly URL option.

Before installing anything, check:

• Version support: it lists your exact major version (phpBB 3.3, MyBB 1.8, SMF 2.1).
• Maintenance: a recent release or recent replies from the author. Abandoned add-ons break on the next update.
• Source: the official directory or the author’s own site. Never “nulled” or cracked copies of paid add-ons.
• What it changes: SMF’s Package Manager shows which files a package edits; phpBB extensions don’t edit core files at all, which is a big reason they’re easy to update and remove.

Choosing a theme

• It must work on phones. Check the theme’s demo on your own phone before installing.
• Readable beats striking. Forums are for reading. Good contrast, a comfortable text size and clear unread markers matter more than a dramatic header.
• Fewer customisations, easier upgrades. A theme that heavily rewrites templates may need updating every time the forum software does.
• Brand it lightly. Your logo and one accent colour usually do the job.

Installing safely: the routine

1. Back up files and database first. How to back up your forum.
2. Install one thing at a time, so you know what caused any problem.
3. Upload the files exactly where the instructions say, using FTP, SFTP or the DirectAdmin file manager. Folder structure matters, especially for phpBB extensions.
4. Enable it from the admin panel: phpBB Customise › Manage extensions; MyBB Configuration › Plugins; SMF Package Manager. Themes are installed from each package’s theme or style settings.
5. Test as a normal member as well as an admin: posting, registration and viewing on a phone.
6. Write it down. Keep a simple list of what you installed and when. You’ll need it when you update the forum software.

If something breaks

• Disable the last thing you installed from the admin panel. That fixes most problems.
• If you can’t reach the admin panel, removing or renaming the add-on’s folder by FTP disables it in phpBB and MyBB. SMF packages edit files, so uninstalling through the Package Manager or restoring your backup is safer.
• A blank page usually means a PHP error. DirectAdmin’s error log for the domain shows the message, which you can search for or give to the add-on’s author.
• Restore your backup if all else fails. That’s what step one was for.

Keeping add-ons updated

Add-ons need updating like the forum itself, and they’re the usual reason an owner delays a security update. Before updating the forum software, check each add-on supports the new version. If one doesn’t and never will, look for an alternative or decide whether you need it at all. Keeping forum software updated covers the order to do things in.