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What You Need to Know

Before you can start YaBB, there are a few basic things you must know, such as chmod'ing, using an ftp client, and so on. If you think you already know these things, you can skip right to the next section. Otherwise, let's start.

The first thing you need is a host that supports Perl. Hosts like Tripod, AngelFire, and Geocities do not. For a list of hosts that do, check the Official YaBB Support Forums. Most hosts' FAQ pages will say if they do or do not.

So now that you've got a host, you'll need to get an FTP client. FTP clients allow you to connect to the ftp server that your host provides. Through the ftp server, you will install YaBB. For Windows users, we recommend SmartFTP or WS_FTP. For others, go to Download.com or similar sites to download a client for your system.

Now that you have an FTP client, the only thing left to learn about is chmod'ing. Chmod'ing is a process that only Unix, Linux, and other *nix web hosts support- if you host doesn't say it's a Windows host, then it's probably one of those- and what it does is set permissions on files. These permissions include reading, writing, and executing. You use your ftp client to chmod, and how you do so in every client is different. In many of them, all you have to do is right-click on a file, select "Chmod" or "Set Permissions," and then input the chmod number. Simple.

It's time for fun! =)

Fresh Installation Instructions

Upgrade Instructions