This section of the Blahdoc.com Wiki is for new installations of an E-Blah SQL forum. This section will only cover how to install the latest version of E-Blah SQL. We do this because the latest version of E-Blah is always better than the previous version, and almost always contains bug fixes. For those two reasons, you should always install the latest version when performing a new installation.

Before you can begin installation of E-Blah SQL, you will have to have a mySQL or SQLite database installed on your webserver. After you have the database setup, write down the database information. You will need this when you run the Install script in step four below.

There are two directories that you MUST upload to your web server for E-Blah to function. They are:

• The forum directory.
• The blahdocs directory.
  
  

These two directories MUST be uploaded in the right MODE for your forum to fuction properly. These modes are:

• ASCII Mode.
• Binary Mode.
  
  

The forum directory (including sub-directories and files) MUST be uploaded in ANSCII mode to your cgi-bin directory. If you don't have a cgi-bin directory, ask yourself these two questions:

• Does my host support Perl or cgi scripts?
• Does my host allow Perl or cgi scripts to be run outside of the cgi-bin folder?
  
  

If you answer YES to one or both of those questions, then you have two options. If the answer is NO, then you probably won't be abot to run E-Blah on your server.

• You can create a cgi-bin directory and upload the forum directory inside it.
• You can up the forum directory to your web server's root directory.

*** NOTE *** We suggest that you create a cgi-bin directory and put your forum directory inside it. Not doing this could cause the mod_rewrite fuction (if you choose to use it) to not work properly.

The blahdocs directory (including sub-directories and files) MUST be uploaded in Binary mode to your web server's root directory. Your root directory is your web sites home directory. It is sometimes (but not always) named htdocs, or public_html.

*** WARNING *** Many FTP programs have a AUTO transfer mode and a MANUAL transfer mode. AUTO means that the program chooses which files are uploaded in ASCII mode and which files are uploaded in Binary mode. MANUAL means that you tell the program which mode to use while uploading. We stongly suggest that you use the MANUAL mode when uploading the E-Blah files to your server. This will ensure that the forum directory is uloaded in ASCII mode, and the blahdocs directory is uploaded in Binary mode.

Below are two tables. The left table contains a list of the directories and files that you must chmod correctly on UNIX servers. The right table contains the permission settings for a windows server. Not setting these permissions correctly could cause your forum not to function properly. If a directory or file is not included in this list then you do not have to set the permissions!

Now that you have uploaded and set your directory and file permissions, it is time to run the E-Blah SQL Install Script. To do this, type in the web address to the Install.pl file. Typically, this address is like the one below.

The E-Blah SQL Install script will guide you through the remainder of the installation. When setup is complete, follow the link to your forum and login using the username and the password that you chose during the setup process. If you didn't change the default login information, then your username will be Administrator and your password will be admin. If you did leave the password as admin, you should change it when you first log into your forum for security reasons.

This section will guide you through upgrading your current E-Blah SQL forum to the latest version. The latest version of E-Blah is always better than the previous version, and almost always contains bug fixes. For those two reasons, you should always install the latest version when it is realeased. Note that this document does not cover converting your flat file version to the SQL version. That is covered in the Forum Converters document.