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MyBB

Application256MB+ RAM

Free and open-source forum software

forumphpcommunitybulletin-board

Deploy MyBB in 3 Steps

1

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

2

Select MyBB

Choose from our template library

3

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required
Terminal Deployment

MyBB CLI Deployment

Deploy MyBB the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.

1

Start a Secure Shell Session

Open your terminal and connect to your server. Replace the IP address with your VPS IP.

terminal
# SSH into your server
ssh root@your-server-ip

# Using a custom SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@your-server-ip

First time? Need Docker? Install it: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

2

Prepare Your Workspace

Set up a clean directory for your application.

terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/mybb
cd ~/apps/mybb
3

Set Up Container Configuration

Set up the container stack using this Docker Compose configuration:

docker-compose.yml
services:
  mybb:
    image: php:8.2-apache
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      - MYBB_DB_HOST=db
      - MYBB_DB_NAME=mybb
      - MYBB_DB_USER=mybb
      - MYBB_DB_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - mybb_data:/var/www/html
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
    command: >
      bash -c "
        docker-php-ext-install mysqli pdo pdo_mysql > /dev/null 2>&1;
        if [ ! -f /var/www/html/index.php ]; then
          curl -sL https://github.com/mybb/mybb/releases/download/mybb_1836/mybb_1836.zip -o /tmp/mybb.zip &&
          apt-get update -qq && apt-get install -y -qq unzip > /dev/null 2>&1 &&
          unzip -q /tmp/mybb.zip -d /tmp/mybb &&
          cp -r /tmp/mybb/Upload/* /var/www/html/ &&
          chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html &&
          chmod -R 755 /var/www/html &&
          rm -rf /tmp/mybb /tmp/mybb.zip;
        fi;
        apache2-foreground
      "

  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=<your-db-root-password>
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=mybb
      - MYSQL_USER=mybb
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "mysqladmin ping -h localhost -u root -p$$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD || exit 1"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
      start_period: 30s

volumes:
  mybb_data:
  db_data:
Deployment Settings
PORTHost port to expose(default: 8080)
DB_NAMEDatabase name(default: mybb)
DB_USERDatabase user(default: mybb)
DB_PASSWORDDatabase password
DB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password
4

Bring Up the Application

Launch your application stack in the background.

terminal
# Start the containers in detached mode
docker compose up -d

# Check if containers are running
docker compose ps

# View logs
docker compose logs -f
5

Configure Firewall

Configure your firewall to permit external connections.

terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8080
Skip the Terminal

Prefer a visual interface? Use Server Compass.

Server Compass makes deploying MyBB effortless. Visual setup, one-click deploy, done.

  • Visual configuration UI
  • One-click deployment
  • Automatic SSL setup
  • Zero-downtime updates
  • Built-in monitoring
  • One-click rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

After deploying MyBB with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

1

Run the installation wizard

2

Configure database connection

3

Create admin account

4

Customize your forum theme

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

MyBB FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting MyBB

How do I deploy MyBB with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select MyBB from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

What are the system requirements for MyBB?

MyBB requires a minimum of 256MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing MyBB data?

Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard MyBB backup and restore procedures.

How do I update MyBB to the latest version?

Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest MyBB image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.

Is MyBB free to self-host?

MyBB is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.

Ready to Self-Host MyBB?

Download Server Compass and deploy MyBB to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.

Download Server Compass