How to Install Discourse Forum on SurferCloud VPS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Discourse is a modern, open-source forum software designed to create a robust online community with rich features and an easy-to-use interface. If you're looking to set up a Discourse forum for your community, you can easily do so with a SurferCloud VPS. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of installing Discourse on your SurferCloud server, covering everything from server setup to the final installation.

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📘 What You Need to Get Started

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

1. A SurferCloud VPS – You need a VPS to install Discourse. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can choose a plan that fits your needs.
2. Root Access to your VPS – You need root (administrator) access to install the necessary software and configure the server.
3. A Domain Name – Discourse requires a domain name to set up the forum.
4. SSL Certificate – SSL is crucial for secure connections, and Discourse supports HTTPS by default.
5. A Reliable Internet Connection – Make sure you have a stable internet connection for the download and installation process.

If you don’t have a SurferCloud VPS yet, consider choosing ULightHost or UHost for optimal performance and flexibility.

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📘 Step 1: Create a SurferCloud VPS Instance

1. Log into your SurferCloud account and navigate to the VPS Management section.
2. Select a Linux distribution – Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is recommended for Discourse.
3. Choose the instance size that fits your expected traffic. For a small community, a 1 CPU, 2GB RAM instance is sufficient.
4. Once your VPS is set up, note down the IP address and root login credentials.

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📘 Step 2: Install Prerequisites

1. Connect to Your VPS: Use SSH to connect to your server: ssh root@your_server_ip
2. Update your server packages: apt update && apt upgrade -y
3. Install Docker: Discourse uses Docker to simplify installation and maintenance. Install Docker with the following commands: apt install -y docker.io systemctl enable --now docker
4. Install Git (if it’s not installed): apt install -y git
5. Install additional dependencies: apt install -y curl wget sudo lsb-release

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📘 Step 3: Install Discourse

1. Clone the Discourse Repository: Discourse is hosted on GitHub. Clone the repository by running the following: git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse_docker.git /var/discourse
2. Navigate to the Discourse directory: cd /var/discourse
3. Run the Discourse Setup Script: The setup script will guide you through the installation process. Run the following command to begin: ./discourse-setup
4. Configure Discourse Settings: The setup script will prompt you to enter a few details, including:
   • Your domain name (e.g., forum.yourdomain.com).
   • Email address for the admin account.
   • SMTP settings to send emails from your forum (You can use services like Mailgun or SendGrid).
   If you don’t have an SSL certificate yet, the script will automatically set up Let’s Encrypt for free SSL certification.

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📘 Step 4: Configure Your Domain Name

If you haven’t configured your domain name yet, you’ll need to point it to your SurferCloud VPS IP address.

1. Log into your domain registrar’s control panel (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap).
2. Update the DNS records to point your domain to your VPS. Set an A record for your domain to the VPS IP address.

For example, if your domain is forum.yourdomain.com, add an A record:

forum  A   your_vps_ip

It might take a few minutes for the DNS changes to propagate.

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📘 Step 5: Launch Discourse

Once everything is set up, you can access your Discourse forum by visiting your domain in a web browser (e.g., forum.yourdomain.com).

1. Log in as an admin using the email you provided during setup.
2. Complete the configuration:
   • Set up categories and forums for your community.
   • Customize the appearance of your forum.
   • Install plugins and themes to extend the functionality.

Discourse provides extensive customization options, including user roles, themes, and email notifications.

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📘 Step 6: Secure Your Forum

1. Enable SSL: Discourse automatically configures SSL with Let’s Encrypt, ensuring your forum is secured with HTTPS.
2. Set Up Backups: Regularly back up your Discourse database and uploads to ensure you don’t lose any important data. You can automate backups using the built-in Discourse backup system.

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📘 Why Choose SurferCloud for Discourse Hosting?

SurferCloud provides reliable and high-performance VPS hosting solutions that are perfect for running Discourse forums. Their ULightHost and UHost plans are designed for optimal performance, with fast network speeds, solid state drives (SSDs), and multiple data centers worldwide, including in Singapore, London, and Los Angeles.

With SurferCloud, you’ll enjoy:

• Root access to manage your server environment.
• Full control over your forum and server configurations.
• Scalability to grow with your community as traffic increases.
• 24/7 customer support to assist you with any technical issues.

🔗 Start your Discourse Forum with SurferCloud

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📘 Conclusion

Installing Discourse on your own server gives you full control over your community platform. With a SurferCloud VPS, the installation process is smooth and straightforward, ensuring a fast, scalable forum for your users. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily set up a Discourse forum and start building your online community today.