A fast and lightweight PHP-powered set of forums, PunBB is a script you may not have heard much about but I can promise it is well worth looking into. The goal of this script is to be faster, smaller and less graphically overpowering in comparison with other forum scripts out there. That alone makes it a good option if you are on a shared web hosting account.
The requirements to get PunBB are fairly light too:
- A webserver (preferably Apache).
- PHP 4.1.0 or later (PHP 5 included).
- MySQL 3.23.17 or later, PostgreSQL 7.0 or later or SQLite.
To install, all you need to do is upload the script to the location you want it on your web hosting account, and then run the install.php from the forum’s root directory, then follow the on screen instructions.
One thing I don’t like is the fact that they have various versions of the script to download from the main page. You have PunBB 1.3 and PunBB 1.2. This is an annoyance for me with several scripts out there. Personally I like just having one download link with the latest version right there in front of my face.
PunBB is also extendable. After you install it, you can take your choice of which extensions you want. They can do anything from giving you a CAPTCHA to register and post to adding poll-like features.
Give PunBB a shot. Why? Well, as they put it because less is really more.
Bonus - be sure to check out our other free forum script reviews!
