Before Installing
Codex Home → User → Before Installing
Test Drive BuddyPress
You can check out the default BuddyPress installation via our demo at http://testbp.org. Create a new account or log in using your BuddyPress.org username and password. The front-end interface will give you an overview of the basic BuddyPress features like site activity, groups, members, messaging and forums.
The differences between the demo installation and your own:
- You are the Administrator (single site) or Super Admin (multisite) of your installation
- You can enable multisite so your members can create their own blogs (blog creation is disabled at testbp.org)
- You can enable or disable the basic BuddyPress components
- You can upload and activate plugins to extend BuddyPress
- You can upload or modify and enable themes for your user blogs
- You have FTP or cPanel access to your installation
System and Server Requirements
Minumum Requirements for WordPress 3.5.1 and BuddyPress 1.6.5
- PHP 5.2.4 or better
- MySQL 5.0 or better
- Apache Module mod_rewrite enabled for “pretty permalinks”
- WordPress should be installed manually i.e. via FTP, cpanel, etc. and NOT via webhost scripts (fantastico, softalicious, etc.)which bring about numerous issues when BuddyPress is activated.
- BuddyPress does not work on installations where you give WordPress its own directory.
- Folder name for any subdirectory WordPress/BuddyPress installation must be in lowercase.
WordPress Configuration
Following are some checks you should make on your WordPress install before activating BuddyPress:
- Make sure that you can set up “Pretty Permalinks” via Settings > Pemalinks – with any configuration other than the default configuration. You’ll need mod_rewrite enabled in your server for this to work. If pretty permalinks won’t work in your WordPress installation, BuddyPress component links will not function and will lead to “404 or Page Not Found” errors.
- If you are going to allow your members to create blogs in your site, enable Multisite (for WP 3.0 above only) in your WordPress installation before installing BuddyPress. Check: http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network. Make sure that you can create a new subblog with your new configuration.
- Make sure that you can upload and post Media in Posts or Pages. Go to Dashboard > Media > Add New and try uploading any image.
- If media upload is not working, then check:
- file permissions in your server – 755 (ideal) or 777 for folders
- if GD library installed in server for the dynamic creation of images; or
- that your htaccess file has been updated with the necessary change/s required for multisite setup or for upgrade to WP 3.0 from MU setup has been made:
- If media upload works correctly, check that original image has been uploaded and that WP is creating thumbnails are generated like so - original.jpg, original-150×150.jpg, original-300×300.jpg in your uploads folder.
- for new WP 3.0 installs and for single WP upgraded to WP 3.0 single or multisite, go to wp-content/uploads/ – your upload path
- for WPMU 2.9.2 installs upgraded to WP 3.0 multisite, go to wp-content/blogs.dir/ – your upload path e.g. blogs.dir/the_blog_id_number/files/2010/03/
- If media upload is not working, then check:
- Make sure that you can register and activate a new user account. If your system didn’t send user registration / password emails, please follow these instructions to fix: e-mailed passwords are not being received
- Make sure that you can post and leave comments on blog/s – assuming commenting is allowed in settings.
- Make sure that you are familiar with the WordPress dashboard.
If you hit a glitch with any of the items above, please find resolution at WordPress.org forums. It is important that your WordPress installation is working correctly before installing and activating BuddyPress. Otherwise, it’s going to be bumpy ride.
BuddyPress Installations
| WordPress 3.0+ Installation | BuddyPress Activated | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single site – domain root | http://www.example.com | Main WP site | http://www.example.com | Check |
| Single site in physical subdomain | http://wordpress.example.com | Main WP site | http://wordpress.example.com | Check |
| Single site in subdirectory folder | http://www.example.com/wordpress | Main WP site | http://www.example.com/wordpress | *Check – HTML site in root |
| Multisite – domain root | http://www.example.com/ | Main WP site | http://www.example.com/ | Check |
| secondary blog in subdirectory structure | http://www.example.com/site2 | Check | ||
| secondary blog – in subdomain structure | http://site2.example.com | Check | ||
| Multisite – physical subdomain | http://wordpress.example.com/ | Main WP site | http://wordpress.example.com | Check |
| Secondary blog in Subdirectory structure | http://wordpress.example.com/site2 | Check | ||
| Secondary blog – in Subdomain structure | http://site2.wordpress.example.com | Unknown | ||
| Multisite – subdirectory folder | http://www.example.com/wordpress | Main WP site | http://www.example.com/wordpress | *Check – HTML site in root |
| Secondary blog in Subdirectory structure | http://www.example.com/wordpress/site2 | Unknown | ||
| Secondary blog – in Subdomain structure | No Way | No Way | ||
Different types of hosting:
- Free Shared Hosting – very rare to see any host offer a free database along with free hosting, therefore this hosting may not even be viable for a WordPress installation, much less a BuddyPress-enabled site.
- Paid Shared Hosting – Depends on plan and provider. Works on WP 3.0 single site with BuddyPress. Some hosts require upgrade to more expensive plans in order to enable WP 3.0 multisite should you want to allow blog creation by members.
- VDS/VPS – Virtual Dedicated Server/Virtual Private Server
- Dedicated hosting/ server, Co-location
