phpBB 3 released

Posted by multippt

phpBB 3 has been released and can be downloaded from the phpBB official site. Finally something can be said about free software being just as good as paid ones. For years now phpBB has been considered lower than other forum systems (particularly paid ones) in terms of quality. phpBB 3 marks an important upgrade to a freely available system, similar to going from Wordpress 1.0 to Wordpress 2.0. You may be wondering why I’m harping about this particular release unlike other stuff like SMF - it’s because phpBB 3 is certainly something that has changed significantly from it’s older self.

For a start

phpBB does have an appealing interface, probably to match up with the others. So, you get all that lovely web 2.0 look that takes it to the professional level (hey, the theme is called “prosilver”). Of course, because phpBB is upgrading its interface to a sleeker one, expect others to do the same. Nicer templates which don simple colors are likely to be the norm soon.phpBB not only has its outsides changed, but the insides as well. Feature-wise, phpBB has given features to make it seem like the new IPB or VBulletin - except that it is free and open-source. Creating forums take only 2 clicks, and it is all automated. Nesting forums in forums has become easier to do, allowing you to have structures found in some complex forums. There is also a warning system - something that was not present in most free forums, which allows moderators to record problems posed by members.

Upgrading/Installing is a breeze

Moving from phpBB 1 to phpBB 2 might be a lot different from phpBB 2 to 3. The upgrade wizard will import posts as quickly as possible, so migration is quite fast and nice. In addition, the installation wizard also appears to be revamped in terms of looks, taking on the same theme as the administration panel. A fresh installation takes only 2 minutes, provided you have the right environment.

Though, there are still problems

Don’t forget that phpBB 3 is still new out of the box - it can’t support all modifications unless their authors make them to. Fortunately, there are some modifications that are already available even while phpBB is in release candidate status. While phpBB 3 has gone gold, don’t forget that it is just hours away from pre-release status.