Where to install vBulletin .. root or "forums"?
 

When we first purchase vBulletin, we are approached with the question of where to install vBulletin.

Should we install files in root folder or install vBulletin onto it's own folder--such as "forums"? What is the better option? To me, there is no "better option" but, I will try to lead you into the direction that I believe is the "best option". Hopefully, it will help you in determing where to upload your vBulletin files.

LET'S GET STARTED

Which URL do you prefer?

FORUM

1)__ domain.com/forum.php
2)__ domain.com/forum/index.php

GALLERY

1)__ domain.com/gallery.php
2)__ domain.com/gallery/index.php

BLOG

1)__ domain.com/blog.php
2)__ domain.com/blog/index.php

HELP DESK

1)__ domain.com/helpdesk.php
2)__ domain.com/helpdesk/index.php

If you prefer option 1; I suggest you install vbulletin in root.

MY OPINION AND TIPS TO YOU:

1. Install in root
2. Learn everything about vBulletin...
   even if you are not a programmer learn everything about vBulletin's functions and features; read all available vBulletin articles; learn who the key vBulletin coders and designer are, etc
3. Do not install 3rd party applications that are it's own entity*. eg. PhotoPost, Drupal ...

WORK IS TIME; AND, TIME IS MONEY.
3RD-PARTY APPLICATIONS* INCREASES WORKLOAD

I say this with experience. It may not seem that it adds to your workload at first; but, over time your workload will increase.
Here's something to think about:

• Installation and Updates are required on all applications
• Learning interface application is required to run application optimally.
• You may have to hire more than one coder to help you out on numerous request - therefore, increasing your risk
• To run the applications optimally, it is best to read latest news/threads and/or visit site regarding application at least on a bi-monthly basis -- if you have a few apps installed this can be time-consuming.
• In some cases, complete integration is not available and application must be hacked. Which in turn -- requires more time since you have to "track all your hacks".

* applications that have their own interface; and, different style of coding --not similar to vBulletin

Thanks Princeton, as a long standing newb, with tiny incremental bits of improved understanding, I definitely appreciate tuts such as this. :up:

I'm glad it could help.
Thanks for your feedback--I appreciate it.

Personally i think it all depends on what type of "website" you are trying to become, if you intending on becomming just a forum with a nice introductary homepage then of course the combination of vBadvanced CMPS and an installation into the root directory would suit you well. But if you are intending on becomming much more of a portal resource with additional features such as Galleries, Directories, Blogs etc .. then moreso for organisational and navigational purposes it is probally best to give all these entities a seperate folder.

if the PRODUCT is well integrated with vbulletin they will have their own "folder" while having vbulletin in root

optimally, an end-user should NOT be directed to a "folder" (eg. /gallery/index.php); this should be done as a last resort

here's an example of how a gallery application should be set up:
gallery.php (root)
depends on gallery setup but you can also have..
newgalleryreply.php (root)
newgallery.php (root)

all related functions and config files should be in GALLERY folder

I don't know about you but my goal as a site administrator is to

1. decrease workload
2. increase revenue (done by decreasing workload)
3. make site usable (Usability) - a good start would be to create short urls whenever possbile

Please understand that I'm not saying that it is wrong to create "folders" for each application. What I'm saying is that ultimately it will cost you more money if you do (time is money).

Ideally a site would use identifiable folders:

/gallery - for the gallery
/blogs - for the blogs
/forum - for the forums
/articles - for the articles etc

However, when it comes to vB and its hacking potential, I wondered would it be best to install it in root, and then would the above be possible in relation to how it appears/works to site visitors?

Depends on how the new site and the modifications to vbulletin are configured. The instructions for photopost vb gallery and vbadvanced links, for example, say to put it in the root folder and then the scripts connect to vbulletin in its folder. So I have my root directory with vbulletin in its own directory which I think is the most flexible and leaves me free to put in my own index page or portal and expanding the site to include things not vbulletin related is easy.

I disagree, if you think that vB addons such as a gallery shouldn't have their own folder then they also shouldn't have a folder for their functions and configs, these should also be in the relevant vB default folders.

The advantage to having the entire gallery in its own folder and vB in a non root folder is that the urls are better and you can also point subdomains directly to them. e.g forum.domain.com / gallery.domain.com

Each to his own really, both methods have their advantages and disadvantages.

I have to agree with the other posters here...

Princeton: I see no reason why you should influence new vB owners to a fixed configuration with the forum application set up in the doman root folder ONLY -- simply because that happens to be YOUR personal preference. You already know this approach conflicts with the way most portals/cmps available for vBulletin would require the directory structure to be set.

You may not want to use a portal on your site, which is your choice to make for yourself and it's totally fine for you. But don't impose your preferences (or your prejudices) on new owners who don't know what their options truly are and who lack the technical expertise to change the vB install location by themselves in the future. That's not helping them.

Your rather heavy-handed recommendation here really makes a mess of the site later on if any new/inexperienced user follows your guidance to install vB this way but later decides they ALSO want to use a portal/cmps page or some other application that needs the (more common) "domain/forums" setup instead of a "domain/root" setup. Both the vBadvanced CMPS package and the vBportal package were specifically designed to provide this feature for vBulletin AND they both are beautifully integrated with vB.

yea, ahhhhhh - ok

You can also do that with vbulletin in ROOT.

yep, they mostly have it that way to decrease help desk issues ... is it the "best option"? In my opinion NO. ;) Please read between the spaces ... "In my opinion".

Oh please, now you are imposing your own "preferences (or your prejudices) on new owners". The difference between you and I is that I am sharing my experience(s) with others by making a statement. Yea, I believe people are smart enough to come to their own conclusions.

If everyone thought like you, "don't impose your preferences (or your prejudices)", ... there would be no internet.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ... if you don't do what I SAY ... you will suffer the consequences--and, loose all your hair. :D

you can have any of the above applications running on your site with vbulletin in ROOT ... so, what's the problem?

I don?t see how creating additional folders for navigation, hierarchical and structural purposes can at all conflict with the websites usability. Rather it would do the complete opposite; by logically organizing your website into subject areas you are ensuring that your users are ascertaining a better understanding of the websites layout.

Although I agree that for instance a good example of integration is Wordpress with vBulletin, Wordpress only requires a singular ./index.php page inside the forum root whilst the remaining configuration files can serve elsewhere in a ./blog/ folder for example. But unfortunately not all products are so forthcoming with their integration.

It makes much more sense for a website to be organised as so;
(BTW i am not very good with these virtual diagrams!)

Rather than the following;

1)__ What I mean by "usable" is that the URL is shorter ... therefore, easier to remember.
2)__ You are assuming that everyone wants a "blog", "gallery", and/or "portal".
3)__ All 3rd-party applications that you mentioned can work while vBulletin is in root.

thank you .. I didn't know that about WordPress
However, you just made my point -- if an application is well thought out you should never ever have to choose between "root" or "folder". The bad thing about WordPress is that it will take you time to learn, install, update, etc, etc. To me, all of this is "time" .. and time is money.

4)__ Like I said on my first post

Thank you :)