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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
Step-by-step deployment guide

Deploy MyBB on a VPS with Server Compass

Use the MyBB template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted open-source forum software with persistent MyBB application and MySQL volumes on your VPS, then verify the MyBB web UI in a browser.

About 7 minutesBrowser verified
1
Step 1

Open the server Apps tab

Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.

Server Compass Apps tab before creating a MyBB app
2
Step 2

Choose an app template

Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.

Choosing to deploy an app from a Server Compass template
3
Step 3

Search for MyBB

Use the template picker search to find MyBB in the Server Compass template catalog.

Searching for MyBB in the Server Compass template picker
4
Step 4

Select the MyBB template

Choose the MyBB template. Server Compass fills the MyBB image, host port, published server URL, and persistent MyBB application and MySQL volumes.

MyBB template selected in Server Compass
5
Step 5

Review the MyBB settings

Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named mybb-demo and used host port 8080.

Reviewing MyBB project settings and compose services
6
Step 6

Deploy MyBB

Review the generated environment values, confirm the port is available, and click Deploy Now.

Reviewing MyBB environment variables and port before deployment
7
Step 7

Watch the deployment progress

Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the MyBB image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.

Server Compass deploying the MyBB template on the VPS
8
Step 8

Confirm MyBB is running

After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the MyBB app is marked Running with its application URL available.

MyBB template running in the Server Compass Apps tab
9
Step 9

Open MyBB in the browser

Open the application URL in a browser. The MyBB web UI confirms the site is reachable.

The deployed MyBB web UI loaded in a browser

After MyBB Opens

  • Complete the MyBB installer, create the administrator account, then remove or protect the installer before production use.
  • Configure board settings, permissions, email, HTTPS, and user registration before inviting users.
  • Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing the forum to users.
  • Back up the MyBB and MySQL volumes before relying on the forum for production communities.

Verified Result

The MyBB web UI loaded successfully in a browser.

MyBB deployment questions

What does the MyBB template deploy?

It deploys MyBB with MySQL plus persistent application and database volumes.

Which port did the tutorial use?

The tutorial used host port 8080, which maps to the MyBB web server on container port 80.

Why does the guide stop at the first-run web UI?

The tutorial verifies the clean first-run web UI because real library paths, users, metadata providers, and remote access settings depend on the production server.

Should this become a blog post?

No. The deployment guide should live on the MyBB template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.

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.

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