How to host NodeBB on Linode VM Instance - ServerAvatar

NodeBB is an open-source forum software designed to enhance community engagement with its advanced features and modern architecture. It simplifies the process of building and managing online communities with its user-friendly interface and modular framework. NodeBB offers powerful tools for discussion management, user interaction, and content organization, allowing administrators to create dynamic and engaging forums efficiently. Linode is a dependable hosting option for NodeBB, providing scalable infrastructure and simple deployment solutions. ServerAvatar makes it easy and user-friendly to deploy the NodeBB application on the Linode platform.

Create a server in Linode

First of all, Let's create a VM instance in Linode. It provides a lot of different types of VM instances. You can create shared VM instances, Dedicated Instances, Memory-optimized instances, and GPU instances. To host a simple website, You will need a shared VM instance.

If you think your application uses high CPU or RAM, You can go for a Dedicated CPU VM or Memory Optimised VM respectively. Let's get started with the process.

Step 1: Go to Linode VM Instance Creation Form

When you log in to your Linode account, You will see the Create Linode button on the top-right corner of the page. Click on it to go to the Linode creation form.

Step 2: Select the Distribution

In this step, you have to select the operating system for your VPS. Generally, the NodeBB application requires Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or a later version for compatibility and support. We will use ServerAvatar as a server management panel. It supports Ubuntu 20.04 LTS x64 and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS x64. So, it is recommended to select any one of the supported OS.

Step 3: Select the Region

Linode has multiple data centers located in different regions worldwide. It is recommended to choose the region that is closest to your major traffic source to reduce latency and improve the performance of your applications.

Step 4: Select Linode Plan

Linode offers various plans with different configurations of CPU, RAM, and storage. Choose a plan that fits in your budget and meets your application's needs. With ServerAvatar, You can also host multiple applications on a single Linode VM Instance.

Step 5: Set Label and Select Tags

The label is a human-readable name that you can use to identify your instance. Tags are keywords that you can use to categorize and search for your instances. You can also group Linodes by Tags on the dashboard.

Step 6: Set Strong Root Password and Select SSH Key

The root password is the administrator password that you will use to access and manage your VM instance. Make sure to use a strong password that is hard to guess and includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Next, select an SSH key if you want to authenticate with SSH keys. SSH keys are a more secure way to log in to your VM instance than using passwords. If you have an SSH key, you can upload it to your Linode account and use it to log in to your VM instance.

Step 7: Select VLAN (If Required)

A VLAN is a logical network that separates traffic from different virtual machines or physical servers. It can be used to isolate network traffic and improve security.

Step 8: Select Add-ons - Backups and Private IP

Linode provides an easy way to create and store backups for your VM instances. Backups are highly recommended as they can help you with disaster recovery quickly. In the last step, You can enable the Private IP address for your VM instance if required.

Step 9: Click on "Create Linode"

Finally, Click on the Create Linode button at the end of the form to create a Linode VM instance. It usually takes around 2 minutes to create a new Linode instance. Once done, You can connect it with ServerAvatar for ease of site and server configuration management.

Initial Server Configuration

The Initial server configuration includes the installation and configuration of various packages required to host your website. Usually, You have to write commands and modify configuration files. Luckily, With ServerAvatar, Your full server configuration and optimization can be automated.

Here are the three ways to automatically configure your server with ServerAvatar.

wget https://srvr.so/install
chmod +x install
./install

Install and Setup NodeBB on Cloud using ServerAvatar

Getting Started With NodeBB:

NodeBB is a next-generation discussion platform that leverages web sockets for instant interactions and real-time notifications. It includes many modern features such as social network integration, streaming discussions, a full REST API, and a plugin framework for extensive third-party extensibility. As an open-source project, NodeBB can be forked on GitHub.

Requirements:

• Node.js

Let's begin by creating the application.

Step 1: Create a NodeBB application

• Log in to your ServerAvatar account and navigate to the Application tab from the server panel. click on the Create button.

• On the following screen, fill in the Application details, including:

  • Application Name: Enter your Application Name.
  • Select Domain: Select between a Test Domain or a Primary Domain as per your requirements.
  • Enter Domain: Enter your Application Domain.
  • Method: Select One Click as your application method.
  • Select Application: Select NodeBB as an Application.
  • Username: Enter your application Username.
  • Email: Enter your user Email id.
  • Password: Enter the Password for your application.

• After Filling up the details, click on the Create Application button.

Step 2: Access NodeBB

• Once the NodeBB Application is created, click on the domain link of your NodeBB application.

• The NodeBB interface will open, showing that the installation and setup have been completed successfully.

  • Enter your Username and Password.
  • Click the Login button.

• Congratulations! You've successfully set up a fully functional NodeBB application using ServerAvatar. Enjoy exploring the robust features.