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Question How do I set up the forum base URL correctly?
Answer The forum base URL should be a URL prefix to your forums without a script name. For example, http://forums.example.com is correct, while http://forums.example.com/index.php is incorrect. You can fix this using the config_editor.php script and then clear the Comcode page cache.
Question How do comment topics work?
Answer Most Composr resources with commenting enabled create comment topics in the configured comment forum. If the forum uses BBCode, Comcode features not supported by BBCode may not display correctly. Moderate comments from the forum as you would any other topic.
Question Can I switch forums after installing Composr?
Answer It's not easy to switch forums after installing Composr. The member and usergroup IDs referenced by Composr would lose their association. Check the "Importing data into Composr" tutorial for more information on this.
Question What is Conversr and why is it recommended?
Answer Conversr is Composr's built-in forum system. It offers seamless integration, allowing you to use Comcode for forum posts, a unified Admin Zone, shared themes and templates, and innovative features like Private Topics and in-post whispers. Using a third-party forum can be clunky and may lead to maintenance headaches.
Question What forum drivers does Composr support?
Answer Composr supports several forum drivers, including Invision Board, phpBB, myBB, vBulletin, Burning Board, and Simple Machine Forum. If your forum is not listed, professional developers can add support. Composr also provides converters for migrating from these forums to its own forum system, Conversr.
Question What are the web server requirements for running Composr?
Answer Composr is compatible with Apache and IIS servers.

For Apache:
  • Enable mod_rewrite for URL Schemes or URL Redirects.
  • Ensure AllowOverride All or at least AllowOverride Options FileInfo Limit is set in the server configuration.
  • Recommended modules for optimal performance include mod_headers, mod_setenvif, mod_env, mod_deflate, and mod_filter.

For IIS:
  • Don't disable default Feature Delegation for settings changed in the bundled web.config file.
  • Install the URL Rewrite module, essential for URL Schemes, URL Redirects, and basic security.
  • Configure IIS for additional mime-types if needed, as it doesn't serve unrecognized file types by default.
Question What are the PHP requirements for running Composr?
Answer Composr requires PHP 7.2 or higher, but versions not officially supported by PHP developers are discouraged. The maximum tested version is PHP 8.3.

Required PHP extensions:
  • GD2 (gd) with PNG and JPEG support
  • MySQL extension (mysqli or pdo_mysql)
  • XML extension (xml)
  • Multibyte String (mbstring)
  • cURL extension (curl)
  • JSON support (usually available by default)
  • Sodium (libsodium)
  • ZIP extension (zip) if ZIP file support is needed

Additional recommendations:
  • posix extension for permission checks
  • zlib extension for faster upgrades, compressed backups, and page compression
  • ctype extension for slightly faster performance
  • IMAP extension (imap) for managing newsletter bounces
  • OpenSSL extension (openssl) for encrypted CPFs, DKIM, and SSL certificate expiry checks
  • Pspell (pspell) or Enchant (enchant) extensions for spell checking

Ensure the following PHP settings are configured:
  • File upload size limit of at least 5MB (or higher as needed)
  • Maximum execution time of at least 30 seconds
  • Memory limit of at least 128MB
  • The installer will warn you if any critical functions have been disabled via disable_functions or other PHP modifications. Avoid web hosts that heavily restrict standard PHP functionality.
Question How do I uninstall Composr?
Answer To uninstall Composr, access the uninstall.php file in your web browser, enter your administrator password, and follow the prompts to remove the database data. Afterward, you can safely delete the Composr installation directory.
Question What are the recommended web hosting options for Composr?
Answer Choosing a web host is crucial. Avoid the cheapest options and look for hosts with recent positive reviews and minimal credible complaints. Ensure they meet Composr's requirements, including adequate disk space, no restrictive file size limits, and support for required PHP extensions.

Composr is compatible with various hosting control panels like Plesk and cPanel, and works on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS servers.
Question Can I install Composr on a Windows desktop?
Answer Yes, you can install Composr on a Windows desktop using software packages like WampServer, XAMPP, EasyPHP, or ampps for simplified setup. Alternatively, you can manually install Apache, PHP, and MySQL, following the instructions provided in the respective documentation. Remember to configure file permissions appropriately and ensure the webserver isn't accessible from outside your network.

Top 10 Entries

Website PDStig, LLC
Screenshot Image
Short Description This is an informational site / portfolio for PDStig, LLC, the company run by one of Composr's lead developers, Patrick Schmalstig.
Website Composr CMS: Your Data, Your Privacy, Your Control - Composr CMS: Your Data, Your Privacy, Your Control
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Short Description This is the main website for Composr CMS version 11. It runs the latest build of v11. Currently it is just a placeholder but will soon replace compo.sr when v11 becomes stable.
Question Should I use the bleeding edge releases or the git repository?
Answer

That depends on several factors. Here are some pros and cons of each:

Bleeding edge releases Git repository (v11 branch)
Easier to set up and use, and does not require knowledge of git Harder to set up and use unless you are familiar with git; must routinely run the file integrity check, database upgrade tool, and check database schema tools in the upgrader after pulling
More stable, but less frequent updates Less stable, but more frequent updates (almost daily!)
Only contains core code and addons unless you manually install non-bundled addons; non-bundled addons must be manually updated Contains all core code and non-bundled addons; non-bundled addons are updated with pulls (though you will need to check file/database integrity often and check blocks/modules for available upgrades)
Ability to test the upgrader / upgrading between new v11 versions Not able to effectively test the upgrader because git pull might load in and update new code early before the release is available
Always contains the latest files.bin and db_meta.bin because these are compiled with every release Does not always contain the latest files.bin and db_meta.bin. Therefore, file and database integrity may report false-positives.
Intended for general user testing Intended for developers / developer testing:
* special run-time checks are enabled for extra debugging (if the .git directory exists in the install)
* contains the automated test suite for running tests

Click here to access the git repository.
Question Can I switch a v11 install from git over to using the releases from composr.app?
Answer

It is not recommended you do this because you may run into issues. For example, some changes were made in crypto_master.php and data/upgrader2.php prior to the first v11 alpha. These changes will result in a broken upgrade unless you already pulled these changes from git. Similar situations could happen in the future as well.

It is recommended you either discard the git install and use a fresh install from the Downloads, or to maintain a git install and a bleeding-edge release install separately. Do not combine the two.

Question Should I update my non-bundled addons after updating to a newer release of version 11?
Answer

Absolutely! Frequent changes may be made to both bundled and non-bundled addons. Bundled addons will be updated via the upgrader. For non-bundled addons, you will have to update them through the addons management screen (Admin Zone > Structure > Addons). You will be informed which ones need updated.

Once version 11 reaches release candidate, we do not expect frequent updates to non-bundled addons anymore. But it is still good practice to check after every update.

Question Can I upgrade a version 10 site to version 11?
Answer

Yes, for basic non-custom v10 sites. However, expect some issues to arise in the process. And please report those issues to the tracker.

For v10 sites with non-bundled addons or customisations, upgrading to v11 will likely break the site until you update the non-bundled addons or temporarily remove the customisations.

We aim to have the upgrader fully functional for a large majority of types of sites and for sites using non-bundled addons by the time version 11 reaches release candidate stage.

We do not recommend upgrading production v10 sites at this time until v11 reaches stable.

Question Can I upgrade a previous version 11 release to a newer one using the upgrader?
Answer

Yes (probably). Always remember especially during alpha and beta phases that things can break. Please make backups first. And let us know on the issue tracker if an issue occurs.
 

Note: You cannot upgrade from 11 alpha to 11 beta without first upgrading to 11.alpha4 (if you are not already on 11.alpha4).

Question What are the current release plans for version 11?
Answer

As of July 22, 2024, we entered beta status where our focus is now smashing bugs and stabilising the software. All planned features have been implemented for 11.0 (and most others deferred to 11.1 or later), though we may still merge in a few minor features or tweaks. The upgrader has been tested on a typical non-custom v10 site.

We will be releasing several beta versions in the beta phase.

We do not know when we will be able to release the first Release Candidate or stable versions at this time.

These plans are all subject to change without notice.

Question Why is there a separate website for version 11?
Answer That is explained in detail in this news article on compo.sr including the migration plans and implications.