chiehwen / nodebb

Node.js based forum software built for the modern web

NodeBB Forum Software is powered by Node.js and built on a Redis database. It utilizes web sockets for instant interactions and real-time notifications. NodeBB is compatible down to IE8 and has many modern features out of the box such as social network integration and streaming discussions.

• Get NodeBB
• Demo & Meta Discussion
• NodeBB Blog
• Documentation - includes setup instructions for other platforms
• Join us on IRC - #nodebb on Freenode
• Follow us on Twitter
• Like us on Facebook
• Get Plugins
• Get Themes
• Help translate NodeBB

Screenshots

         

Credit: Convoe, Kano, Manchester United Forum.

How can I follow along/contribute?

• Our feature roadmap is hosted on the project wiki's Version History / Roadmap
• If you are a developer, feel free to check out the source and submit pull requests. We also have a wide array of plugins which would be a great starting point for learning the codebase.
• If you are a designer, NodeBB needs themes! NodeBB's theming system allows extention of the base templates as well as styling via LESS or CSS. NodeBB's base theme utilizes Bootstrap 3 but themes can choose to use a different framework altogether.
• Please don't forget to like, follow, and star our repo! Join our growing community to keep up to date with the latest NodeBB development.

Requirements

NodeBB requires the following software to be installed:

• A version of Node.js at least 0.10 or greater
• Redis, version 2.6 or greater or MongoDB, version 2.4 or greater
• nginx, version 1.3.13 or greater (only if intending to use nginx to proxy requests to a NodeBB)

Installation

Please refer to platform-specific installation documentation

Securing NodeBB

It is important to ensure that your NodeBB and database servers are secured. Bear these points in mind:

1. While some distributions set up Redis with a more restrictive configuration, Redis by default listens to all interfaces, which is especially dangerous when a server is open to the public. Some suggestions:
   • Set bind_address to 127.0.0.1 so as to restrict access to the local machine only
   • Use requirepass to secure Redis behind a password (preferably a long one)
   • Familiarise yourself with Redis Security
2. Use iptables to secure your server from unintended open ports. In Ubuntu, ufw provides a friendlier interface to working with iptables.
   • e.g. If your NodeBB is proxied, no ports should be open except 80 (and possibly 22, for SSH access)

Upgrading NodeBB

Detailed upgrade instructions are listed in Upgrading NodeBB