What is "Shell access" ?

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 07:15

Okay, so I have some brain damage, but I can do things if the instructions are clear.

I've had great help from Sitepoint members on FTP.

I need to configure my database at Yahoo so I can do a phpBB forum.

the instructions say that Yahoo does not support "Shell access"

but when I ask what that is, it tells me that it thinks I'm asking about user IDs and do I want to look at a directory.

So, do you know if phpBB is somehow a "Shell access" and if that could be why phpBB isn't working for me?

**sweatje** · Jul 4, 2005, 07:30

If you do not have access to setup the database, you will have to contact tech support at your host to have them help you get it setup. Mostly programs either:
a) run sql scripts to create and populate tables
b) set directory permissions (caching or compiled templates perhaps)

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 07:33

I have access to set up the database.

I have set up the database. No problem.

hte problem is with getting the phpBB2 to work.

So, what is "Shell access"?

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 07:39

Shell Access is the ability to login into a remote system using telnet or more probably SSH. It allows you to administer the remote system using a command line as if you were working on your local machine.

**sweatje** · Jul 4, 2005, 07:52

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/s/shell.html

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 07:53

Oh, I thought it was something like that.

I'm a little unclear, though.

I think that phpBB2 requires that you access control of it through your web hosting reality (whatever that is)

I'm wondering if somehow the phpBB2 and Yahoo are incompatible

?

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 07:56

Originally Posted by sweatje

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/s/shell.html

That's pretty clear.

I can understand that.

I think that "Shell access" must be something like that, but different.

I'm still not entirely sure that the phpBB2 is not shell access...
I don't think it is, but I can't say why exactly.

**DA Master** · Jul 4, 2005, 08:01

phpBB2 doesn't need shell access, afraid I don't follow you.

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 08:04

Yes, I understand that phpBB2 doesn't need shell access.

What I'm unclear on is whether phpBB2 IS shell access -- ???

and is that why so far I can't make it work?

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 08:15

Acording to the install instructions for phpBB2 you do not need to have Shell access to install the software.

It should be web based installed if your host (yahoo?) have the basic requirements. Which hosting account do you have with Yahoo? perhaps you do not have access to the requirements of phpBB2 on your account.

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 08:25

Oh, okay.

Yes, I wanted phpBB2 about two months ago, and I learned what you are saying.

I have paid the extra money and I now have the right capability for a phpBB2 forum.

My problem seems to be with the database.

are all the phpBB2 files supposed to be in the database?

I used FileZilla to upload them all before I created the database.

(I think I'm really close if I could just grasp the basics)

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:18

According to the install instructions (http://www.phpbb.com/support/documents.php?mode=install) once you have unziped the files onto your local system, then uploaded the files to your hosting account all you need to do is go to http://www.mydomain.com/phpBB2/install/install.php and that should take care of creating the databases etc.

If it doesnt work perhaps you could post any error messages you see.

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:22

okay, I'll go do that again now, because yesterday it was saying it coudln't find the data base.

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:25

Okay, so this is the error message I just got:

phpBB : Critical Error

Could not connect to the database

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:38

hmmmm, did you make the changes to the config.php file to point it to your particular installation before ftp'ing the file to your host?

Its been a long time since I installed phpBB on any account, but I remember that you may have to make a few changes to that file before you upload it to make sure it can find your database on the host.

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:38

w00t 100 posts!

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:42

Originally Posted by Wythrol

w00t 100 posts!

Celebrations are in order!!!

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:43

ta , I would just like to thank my mother, and my father, and my little sister and all those people that made this possible for me ... I love you all

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:47

Let me see...

I think what happens is that you can't do anything like that, change the config thing, until after it's at your site.

so all I did was make a directory for it, and then FTP it to that directory, which worked.

Someone here helped me do that.

Then I set up the database, but I had all the trouble with the phpMyAdmin thing.

I think, now that I've tried so many different things, it could be a problem with the fact that I don't know for sure that the answers to the questions on the Config are, about the data base. There are three questions: name (I know that) database user (???) and password (I know that.)

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:51

the database user name should be the same as your account name unless Yahoo emailed you a specific name.

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:52

Originally Posted by Wythrol

ta , I would just like to thank my mother, and my father, and my little sister and all those people that made this possible for me ... I love you all

And for the after awards party, there will be interviews from ET and the like.

**Consider-This** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:53

I think I tried that yesterday...

account name... like the name of my domain?

or my ID type name...

**Wythrol** · Jul 4, 2005, 09:58

the config.php file you can edit before you ftp the file to your host. It needs to be edited to point to your particular installation.

Normally in any config file that needs a database there will be 3 questions,
1. path to host ... ie your domain name
2. user name for database ... normally your host account username unless your host has given you a separate name.
3. your password.

You should edit the config.php file on your local machine before uploading the file to your new host account. If you have already uploaded your file, then change the file on your local system and upload that file only onto your host, then you should run your web install script.