Key facts
- phpBB 3.3 needs PHP 7.1.3 or newer; PHP 8 support arrived in 3.3.3 and later 3.3 releases support PHP 8.2
- phpBB 3.0 was written for PHP 5 and will not run on PHP 7 or 8 without patching
- phpBB supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL and SQLite; MySQL or MariaDB is the usual choice
- phpBB can run its periodic tasks from a system cron instead of page views
- Extensions and styles must match your phpBB version; 3.0 MODs do not work on 3.1 or later
- Managed phpBB hosting from dijitul is £1 a day + VAT
Running phpBB 3.3 well
phpBB is the most widely used free forum software, and it is light on resources. Current phpBB 3.3 releases need:
- PHP 7.1.3 or newer, with PHP 8 supported since 3.3.3 and later releases tuned for PHP 8.2
- MySQL or MariaDB (PostgreSQL and SQLite also work)
- The PHP extensions json, mbstring, xml, gd or ImageMagick for avatars and thumbnails, and zlib
- Writable cache, files, store and images/avatars/upload folders
In the Admin Control Panel, under Server settings, you can tell phpBB to run periodic tasks from system cron. We set up the matching cron job so tidy-up tasks and queued emails run on time instead of slowing a visitor's page.
Old phpBB boards: 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1
Plenty of UK clubs and hobby groups are still on phpBB 3.0, released in 2007, and a few on phpBB 2.0. They tend to break when a host removes PHP 5.
- phpBB 3.0 used MODs, which edited core files directly. They do not carry over to 3.1 or later, so the board upgrades cleanly but the MODs are lost.
- phpBB 3.1 and 3.2 introduced extensions. Most popular ones have 3.3 versions.
- phpBB 2.0 needs converting using phpBB's convertor rather than upgrading.
The usual plan is: get the board back online on a suitable PHP version where it is safe, take a full backup, then run the phpBB updater on a copy. Posts, members and private messages all come through. See legacy PHP hosting for how we isolate older sites.
Stopping phpBB spam
Public phpBB boards get endless bot sign-ups. What works best in practice:
- Use a modern CAPTCHA plugin, such as reCAPTCHA v3 or Q&A, instead of the default image CAPTCHA
- Set new members to need admin or email activation
- Put first posts from new users into the moderation queue
- Use the Stop Forum Spam extension to check registrations against known spammers
Our server firewall blocks a lot of bot traffic before it reaches the board, which also keeps the forum faster.
Email and performance
phpBB sends registration, password reset and notification emails. Set it to use SMTP with an authenticated account on your domain, and make sure SPF and DKIM are in place. We handle the DNS side through Cloudflare DNS.
For speed, keep phpBB on the newest supported PHP with OPcache on, enable GZip compression in the ACP, and prune old search index entries on very large boards. phpBB's MySQL full-text search is usually quicker than its native search on big forums.
Moving your phpBB forum to dijitul
We copy the database plus the files, store and images folders, update config.php, purge the cache, and check the server name and cookie settings in the ACP match the new address. Then we test login and posting before switching DNS. It's all included in Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT, with daily backups and UK support.
Frequently asked questions
Who can host a phpBB forum in the UK?
dijitul, a UK hosting company trading since 2006, hosts phpBB forums on managed Plesk hosting for £1 a day + VAT. That includes moving your board with posts and attachments, setting up PHP 8 and a system cron, daily backups, free SSL and UK phone support.
Can I still run phpBB 3.0?
phpBB 3.0 is long out of support and was written for PHP 5, so it fails on PHP 7 and 8. dijitul can host it on an older PHP version where it is safe to do so, as a stop-gap. The better fix is upgrading to phpBB 3.3, which keeps your posts and members.
What PHP version does phpBB 3.3 need?
phpBB 3.3 needs PHP 7.1.3 or newer. PHP 8 support was added in phpBB 3.3.3, and later 3.3 releases support PHP 8.2. Always run the newest phpBB 3.3 release, because each update includes security fixes as well as PHP compatibility work.
How do I upgrade phpBB 3.0 to 3.3?
Back up the database and files, upload the full phpBB 3.3 package over a copy of the board, keeping config.php and your files and images folders, then run the database updater from the install folder. Old MODs won't carry over, so note which features you will need to replace with extensions.
How do I stop spam registrations on phpBB?
Replace the default image CAPTCHA with reCAPTCHA v3 or a question and answer check, require email or admin activation, send new users' first posts to moderation, and install the Stop Forum Spam extension. A server firewall that blocks known bad bots helps too.
Related
Set it up and forget about it
Managed hosting, Plesk, Cloudflare DNS, daily backups and your domain for £1 a day + VAT. We move your site for you.