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>>>> INSTALLATION INSTRUCTION <<<<<
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IMPORTANT :
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Before you start, read this with caution.
=> For a smooth install :
1) Backup all your files;
2) Apply the mod code changes on copies of your files;
3) Upload all files;
4) CHMOD the phpbb_seo/cache/ folder to 0777;
5) Empty the phpBB/cache/ folder : just delete all files EXCEPTS the .htaccess.
6) Go to
www.yoursite.com/phpBB/phpbb_seo/phpbb_seo_install.php and follow the install instruction
7) Go to phpBB ACP : It's now time to play with settings described bellow;
8) Generate your personalized .htaccess and upload or move it following the instructions;
9) Test a rewritten URL, such as
www.yoursite.com/phpBB/post1.html, if you end up with a 404 (not a phpBB message), go back to step 8;
10) Activate URL rewriting in phpBB ACP and allow yourself some auto-congratulation
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Settings :
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The settings must be done before step 7 above for the generated .htaccess to be up to date.
Later modification will most likey require a new .htaccess as well as personalized redirections.
=> By Default, this mod will get rid of index.php for phpBB's index.
You can change this in phpbb_seo/phpbb_seo_class.php if you prefer.
Look for :
'index' => ($this->seo_opt['virtual_root'] ? 'forum' : '')
And replace with :
'index' => 'forum'
or whatever you prefer.
This is mostly useful if you're running a portal in the folder where phpBB is installed.
=> The first setting to do is to select which static part to use in your URLs.
To do so, you can modify this in phpbb_seo/phpbb_seo_class.php :
=> the-team :
'leaders' => 'the-team'
=> announces :
'global_announce' => 'announces'
=> As well as forum ('forum' => 'forum'), topic ('topic' => 'topic'), post ('post' => 'post') and member ('user' = 'member')
=> And the suffixes, if you don not like .html :
$this->seo_ext = array( 'forum' => '.html', 'topic' => '.html', 'post' => '.html', 'user' => '.html', 'index' => (!empty($this->seo_static['index']) ? '.html' : ''), 'global_announce' => '/', 'leaders' => '.html', 'gz_ext' => '');
This settings will be taken into account while generating the .htaccess.
=> Other options are configurable on the setting page (step 7 of the above list).
Go to the "phpBB SEO Class Settings" page, and take your time to set up the class as you whish.
=> It is now time to play with your forum URLs.
To do so, go to the "Forum URL management" page and start selecting good keywords for your forum URLs.
Take your time to do it, and remember that using the remove IDs option in the settings makes it a bit harder to build appropriate redirection, in case you edit the forum URLs later.
If you later create more forums, you'll just have to go to this page again an eventually update the
new forum URL.
If not, the new forum URL will not be cached and the default one will be used (forum-title-fxx).
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NOTE: Cache
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The cache files are in the phpbb_seo_/cache/ folder.
phpbb_cache.php is the cached file containing both your settings and forum URLs.
The mod always creates a backups of the current cached file :
=> phpbb_cache.php.current is a copy of the phpbb_cache.php file.
It will automatically be used in case phpbb_cache.php is deleted or corrupted (which should not occur but).
=> phpbb_cache.php.old is a copy of the previous settings you had set, before the last update you performed.
You should backup these file when you update them, they are as crucial as you data base for your forum
since they are required for your forum URL to work properly.
So relax, this is just a basic precaution, you should not have trouble with these,
but never is better, hence the backup.
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.htaccess :
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On the phpBB SEO ACP module, go to the ".htaccess" page.
A personalised .htaccess will be generated. It's the first one to consider trying.
If the default suggestion does not work, you will be to try more options, and generate several alternative.
You'll find an empty .htaccess file in this mod's archive contrib/ folder, you can use it to paste the .htaccess content generated on the htaccess page or save it directly on the server.
Please take a look at :
SEO Techniques : Locking the www in urls
to find out how to lock the use (or un use) of the www prefix in your domain's url.
This is a major Search Engine Optimisation issue to take care of the www prefix issue.