How to add this Open Source VF to my Website? i am a complete beginner in such stuff.

Missive

So, i own a hosted domain name and have wordpress on it. I want to make my whole side a forum using Vanilla Forum. However when i downloaded the open source Vanilla Forum, it downloaded a File in my computer... how do i use it? How can i add this to my website to make my whole site a forum.

vrijvlinder

You need to learn at least the basics. Try reading the docs, and the tutorial category first.

K17

Hello
You will need a... TUTORIAL
Who explain some basics of website management ^^
First, Vanilla Forums as some requirements to work completly.
Vanilla Forums is a forum software written in a language called PHP.
You need to use a PHP based server to run.
You are already running wordpress, written in PHP too, so Vanilla will work too ^^
Another requirement is for data saving. On internet we use that is called a database.
Vanilla use, like WordPress, a program called MySQL.
So, because you have WordPress running (in the latest version I think), Vanilla should work too.
To make Vanilla working beside your WordPress site, it's simple !

1. Go to the Wordpress root folder
2. Create a folder named "forum" (without upper case letter, it's better for some reasons)
3. Extract the Vanilla 2.3 archive in this folder
4. Check for the following MySQL info: Host, User, Database, and password. If you don't know where you can find it, contact your host, or you can find it by openning wp-config.php in your wordpress install, see below for details)
5. Go to "yourwordpresssite"/forum throught your favorite browser and fill the informations on the "Vanilla 2.3 installer" screen.
6. If it works, you will be redirected into your Dashboard. This is the place to configure your Vanilla Forum install. For more options, you can install plugins on Vanilla, and to integrate your forum in your wordpress site, install the Vanilla plugin for wordpress (https://wordpress.org/plugins/vanilla-forums/)

Find your MySQL details
/!\ This solution is a bit tricky, so prefer to check your Hosting details /!\
If you do not find your MySQL details (Host, username, database and password) you can look into your Wordpress folder. Open a file called "wp-config.php". Warning: Don't edit the content of this file, just pick info from it.
You will find the following lines:

// ** MySQL settings - You can get this info from your web host ** //
/** The name of the database for WordPress */
define('DB_NAME', '##DATABASE##');

/** MySQL database username */
define('DB_USER', '##USER##');

/** MySQL database password */
define('DB_PASSWORD', '##PASSWORD##');

/** MySQL hostname */
define('DB_HOST', '##HOST##');

They will contain your MySQL info (instead of ##DATABASE## ##USER## ##PASSWORD## and ##HOST##).
Take the info replaced by this sample, without the quotes, and put it into your Vanilla install screen.
Close this file (if it ask to save changes, say no, you should not save it).

And now,
7. You have Vanilla ;D

I think you should read those discussions in the Tutorials section:
https://open.vanillaforums.com/discussion/25933/how-to-start-a-forum-part-a
https://open.vanillaforums.com/discussion/25951/how-to-start-a-forum-part-b
https://open.vanillaforums.com/discussion/25952/how-to-start-a-forum-part-c
https://open.vanillaforums.com/discussion/25954/how-to-start-a-forum-part-d