How to install a MOD

[Post Bot]

How to install a MOD
Written by Stoker

This guide will tell you how to install a modification, also called MOD, for your phpBB3 board.
If you are installing a mod for the first time it can be confusing. I hope this guide will clarify everything for you.

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Backup

It is very important that you backup up your files and database before installing a MOD.
If anything goes wrong you can restore backed up files.

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Opening the installation instructions

You have downloaded a mod and placed it on your desktop.
Unzip the file, find the install file and open it in your browser.
Rightclick on the install file and choose: Open with
Open it with your browser.

install.PNG (10.92 KiB) Viewed 7334 times

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Additional MODX Files

Most mods come with extra instruction files for the templates (prosilver, subsilver2)
To complete the installation of the mod you will need to follow these instructions too.

modx.png (6.29 KiB) Viewed 7334 times

Most of the times there will be this info if extra install instructions are included.

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Copying files to their right location

If extra files is included in the mod, you need to upload them to their right location:

install6.png (5.65 KiB) Viewed 7334 times

The instructions tells you where to find the file and where you should place it.

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Doing SQL changes

Some mods acquires database changes. They can be done either by running some SQL in phpMyAdmin or by running an installer.
This part will be about running SQL in phpMyAdmin.

You will see this in the MOD instruction:

install2.png (6.96 KiB) Viewed 7334 times

Go to your phpMyAdmin controlpanel. Choose the database you are going to modify.
Click on the SQL tab:

Copy the SQL from the instruction. In this case it was this:

Code: Select all

INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('link_days', '5');
INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('link_posts', '5');
INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('sig_link_days', '10');
INSERT INTO phpbb_config (config_name, config_value) VALUES ('sig_link_posts', '10');

Insert it in the phpMyAdmin textarea and click Go:

If everything is done correct, you will get a confirmation screen that looks like this:

If you get any errors it is important to write these errors down and ask for help in the MOD topic.

Note that INSERT INTO phpbb_config could be different in your database.
If your tables is named something else than phpbb you will need to edit this before running the SQL.

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Doing the file edits

A modification can have few or many file edits. Its important that you do them all.
In the example you are instructed to open posting.php, find a piece of code and add some code AFTER.
But in other examples it could be BEFORE or INLINE.
Obviously BEFORE means that you should add the code before.
INLINE means that the code should be added on the same line after a specific word/sign.

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Doing the DIY instructions

The DIY instructions is the last thing you need to do before the mod is working.
It can be several different things, but the most common is this:

install8.png (5.78 KiB) Viewed 7334 times

Save and upload changed files, purge cache in ACP.

Another example is this:

install9.png (8.98 KiB) Viewed 7334 times

In this case there is four things that we need to pay attention to.

Next make sure to follow the template edits inside the /templates folder.

This means that there are some extra install files that we need to open and follow.

Run the included installer at http://yoursite.com/phpBB/install/index.php

This means that there is an installer included that needs to be run. It will make sure that the database changes are made.

Make sure the following directories are CHMOD to 0755: arcade/, arcade/gamedata/, arcade/games/, arcade/install/ (Some servers require 0777 not 0755)

This means that there are some directories/folders that needs some speciel permission/CHMOD settings. Do them with your FTP program or in your CPanel.

Once done make sure to remove install folder from your server.

This means that you need to remove/delete the installer.

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I hope this guide is usefull to you. I will update it with more info if necessary.
Enjoy :winky:

[kevinviet]

Hello there
I'm not very clear with this instruction so I would like to ask if anyone know and clear it for me.
When i install a mod it said on Included files
root/umil/*.*
1) Is it i have to copy ( upload ) the whole folder umil to umil folder on my server ?
2) what about other mod also have root/umil/*.* on the instruction and i have to do the same above and do i lost my code on previous mod ?

Thanks

[Stoker]

Yes, it means that you must upload the entire folder (umil) to your webspace.
You only need to do this once, but make sure to allways use the newest version. So you dont have to upload it again if its allready there.

[Steve]

yes upload the all the content with in the umil folder ,and over writing the umil folder from another mod will not make you loose your code changes from a previous mod,umil is desighned to:
http://www.phpbb.com/mods/umil/

1. Add, update, or remove configs
2. Add or remove modules
3. Add or remove permissions
4. Set or unset permission options from roles and groups
5. Add or remove database tables
6. Add, update, or remove table columns
7. Add or remove table keys/indexes
8. Purge / Refresh Caches

not install the mod or save any changes to your files.

[kevinviet]

Thank you stoker and steve, all cleared now.