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Getting Started with OpenForum

Welcome to OpenForum! This comprehensive guide will help you get your forum up and running quickly, whether you're setting up a development environment or deploying to production.

🎯 What You'll Learn​

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

  • ✅ A fully functional OpenForum installation
  • ✅ User registration and authentication working
  • ✅ Categories and discussions set up
  • ✅ Admin panel access configured
  • ✅ Email notifications enabled
  • ✅ OAuth providers connected (optional)

📋 Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed and ready:

Required​

  • Resend Account - For email notifications Sign up
  • Google/GitHub OAuth Apps - For social login
  • Code Editor - VS Code recommended with TypeScript support

🚀 Quick Setup Path​

Choose your setup approach:

🔥 Express Setup (5 minutes)​

Perfect for trying OpenForum quickly:

  1. Clone repository
  2. Install dependencies
  3. Set up environment variables
  4. Run with SQLite (development only)

🏗️ Full Setup (15 minutes)​

Recommended for development and production:

  1. Clone repository
  2. Install dependencies
  3. Set up PostgreSQL database
  4. Configure environment variables
  5. Run database migrations
  6. Configure email service
  7. Set up OAuth providers (optional)

☁️ Cloud Deployment (10 minutes)​

Deploy directly to production:

  1. Fork repository
  2. Deploy to Vercel/Railway
  3. Connect cloud database
  4. Configure environment variables
  5. Set up domain

🛤️ Setup Steps Overview​

Step 1: Installation​

  • Clone the OpenForum repository
  • Install all project dependencies
  • Verify your development environment

Step 2: Environment Configuration​

  • Set up your .env.local file
  • Configure database connection
  • Set authentication secrets
  • Configure email service

Step 3: Database Setup​

  • Create your PostgreSQL database
  • Run database migrations
  • Understand the schema structure

Step 4: First Steps​

  • Start the development server
  • Create your first admin account
  • Set up initial categories
  • Test core functionality

🎯 Success Checklist​

After completing the setup, verify these features work:

  • Homepage loads - Forum homepage displays correctly
  • User registration - New users can create accounts
  • Email verification - Verification emails are sent and received
  • User login - Authentication works with email/password
  • OAuth login - Social login works (if configured)
  • Category creation - Admin can create forum categories
  • Thread creation - Users can create new discussion threads
  • Posting replies - Users can reply to threads
  • Admin panel access - Admin panel is accessible and functional
  • Email notifications - Users receive notification emails

🆘 Need Help?​

If you encounter issues during setup:

  1. Check the FAQ - Common setup issues and solutions
  2. Review Troubleshooting - Detailed problem-solving guide
  3. Search GitHub Issues - See if others have faced similar issues
  4. Ask in Discussions - Get help from the community

🔗 What's Next?​

Choose your next step based on your goals:

For Development​

For Production​

For Customization​

Ready to dive in? Let's start with the Installation Guide 🚀