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phpBB facts for kids
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A default installation of phpBB 3.2
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| Developer(s) | phpBB Limited |
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| Initial release | December 16, 2000 |
| Stable release | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). (Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1571: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).; Error: first parameter cannot be parsed as a date or time.) |
| Written in | PHP |
| Size | 7.54 MB (compressed) |
| Available in | 54 languages |
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List of languages
American English, Arabic, Argentinian Spanish, Basque, Belarusian, Brazilian Portuguese, British English, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Chinese, Mexican Spanish, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tatar, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese
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| Type | Internet forum |
| License | GNU General Public License version 2 |
phpBB is a special computer program that helps people create and run online discussion forums. It's written in a computer language called PHP. The name "phpBB" stands for "PHP Bulletin Board." It's free to use and change, like open-source software, thanks to its special license.
phpBB has many cool features. It can work with different database types, like MySQL and PostgreSQL. It lets you organize discussions into sub-forums and manage topics by splitting, merging, or locking them. Users can join groups, add multiple files to their posts, and search through all the messages. You can also get notifications by email or other ways.
Contents
The Story of phpBB
phpBB started on June 17, 2000. A person named James Atkinson wanted a simple online forum for his website. Soon, other developers like Nathan Codding and John Abela joined the team. They started working on the first big version of phpBB.
Early Versions: phpBB 1.0 and 2.0
The very first version, phpBB 1.0.0, came out on December 16, 2000. Over the next year, they made a few more updates to this version. However, phpBB 1.x is very old now and almost no websites use it anymore.
In 2001, the developers decided to start fresh and build phpBB 2.0.x from the ground up. This new version, called "Super Furry," was released on April 4, 2002. phpBB2 became very popular. It was designed to work with older versions of PHP.
phpBB2 was known for its simple design, called "subSilver." This design was new and exciting for online forums at the time. Many other forum designs copied ideas from subSilver. phpBB2 also allowed users to add "MODs" (modifications) to change how the forum looked and worked. Official support for phpBB2 ended on January 1, 2009.
phpBB 3.0: Olympus
Work on phpBB 3.0.x began in late 2002. This version was a big step forward. It was first called phpBB 2.2, but the developers realized it was so different that they changed the name to 3.0.0. This version was code-named "Olympus."
In March 2007, the phpBB team launched their new website using phpBB3 and a new design called "prosilver." phpBB 3.0.0 "Olympus" was officially released on December 13, 2007.
In July 2007, phpBB won an award for "Best Project for Communications" from SourceForge.net. This was a big achievement for the team.
phpBB 3.0.6, released on November 17, 2009, added new features like a quick reply box and better ways to stop spam, including a new CAPTCHA system. The final stable release of phpBB 3.0 was 3.0.14, which came out on May 4, 2015. Support for phpBB 3.0.x ended in November 2015.
phpBB 3.1: Ascraeus
Development for phpBB 3.1, code-named "Ascraeus," started in 2009. This version brought many improvements, including a completely new way to manage the forum for moderators. It also made the forum work better on different devices, like phones and tablets, with a "responsive design."
phpBB 3.1.0 "Ascraeus" was released on October 28, 2014. The last stable version of "Ascraeus" was 3.1.10, released on October 12, 2016. Support for phpBB 3.1 ended in December 2017.
phpBB 3.2: Rhea
phpBB 3.2.0, code-named "Rhea," was officially launched on January 7, 2017. This version brought big changes and new features. It had an improved installer, a new system for BBCode (which lets you format text in posts), and full support for PHP 7.1, a newer version of the PHP programming language.
phpBB 3.3: Proteus
The latest major version, phpBB 3.3.0, code-named "Proteus," was launched on January 6, 2020. It built upon the changes from 3.2 "Rhea." Starting with version 3.3.3, phpBB began supporting installations using PHP 8 and MySQL 8, which are even newer technologies. The updates for this version focus on making the forum more stable and improving how it looks and feels for users.
MODs and Extensions
"MODs" are code changes made by the phpBB community. They help add new features or change how phpBB looks. The word "MOD" is capitalized to avoid confusion with "mods," which are forum moderators. These MODs are not made by the official phpBB developers.
For phpBB 3.1.x and newer versions, "Extensions" have replaced MODs. Extensions are a more modern and safer way to add new features to your forum.
MODX
MODX is a special file format that describes how to install a MOD. It's like a set of instructions for changing the forum's code. This format helps tools install MODs automatically.
AutoMOD
AutoMOD is a tool that automatically installs phpBB3 MODs that use the MODX format. You just upload the MOD files, run AutoMOD, and it makes the necessary changes to your forum. This makes it much easier to add new features without having to manually edit code.
Unified MOD Installation Library (UMIL)
UMIL is a tool that helps MOD creators easily add or remove things from the forum's database when their MOD is installed or uninstalled. It helps make sure the MOD works correctly with the forum's data.
Keeping phpBB Safe
The phpBB team works hard to keep the software secure. In the past, there were some issues, like the "Santy" worm in 2004, which used weaknesses in older phpBB versions to mess up websites. The team learned from these experiences.
Before releasing new versions, like phpBB3, they have experts check the code for security problems. They also added features to phpBB to make it safer, such as requiring you to log in again when you go to the administration panel.
To fight against spam, phpBB3 has much better options. It includes an improved CAPTCHA system (those puzzles you solve to prove you're not a robot), ways to suspend users, and tools to track user activity. The best way to stop spam now is often to use a "Question & Answer" challenge, where users have to answer a simple question to register.
phpBB 3 also tells the administrator when new updates are available, which helps keep forums secure by making sure they are always running the latest version.
The phpBB Community
phpBB has a large community of users who help make the project better. They create Extensions, MODs, and Styles. They also help other users with support questions. The community is encouraged to help each other and contribute to improving phpBB itself.
See also
In Spanish: PhpBB para niños
- Comparison of Internet forum software