Flarum Plugin Installation and Usage Guide

Posted March 5Mar 5

Administrators

Flarum is a modern, lightweight PHP forum system that is flexible and easy to extend. Plugins are the primary way to add new features and functionality to Flarum. This guide provides a detailed tutorial on how to install and manage plugins in Flarum.

1. Installing Flarum

Before installing plugins, you need to have Flarum set up. If you have already installed Flarum, you can skip to the next section.

Prerequisites

Before installing Flarum, ensure that your server meets the following requirements:

Web Server: Apache or Nginx.
PHP Version: Flarum requires PHP 7.3 or higher.
Database: MySQL 5.6+ or MariaDB 10.1+.
Composer: Flarum uses Composer for dependency management, so Composer must be installed on your server.

You can check the PHP version installed on your server with:

php -v

Installing Flarum

SSH into your server and navigate to the directory where you want to install Flarum (e.g., /var/www/html).

Run the following Composer command to install Flarum:

composer create-project flarum/flarum . --stability=stable

After Flarum is installed, navigate to your Flarum site URL (e.g., http://yourdomain.com) to complete the installation process.
Enter your database connection details (database name, username, password) and set up your administrator account.

Detailed Flarum installation tutorial：

2. Installing Flarum Plugins

Flarum plugins are installed using Composer, which is tightly integrated with Flarum. Here’s a detailed guide on how to install and manage Flarum plugins.

Preparing for Plugin Installation

Make sure that your server has the following tools installed:

Composer: Flarum plugins are installed via Composer, so ensure that Composer is installed.
PHP Version: Verify that your PHP version meets the requirements for both Flarum and the plugins you want to install.

You can check the installed PHP version by running:

php -v

Installing Plugins from Flarum’s Extension Directory

Flarum offers a variety of plugins that can be installed via Composer. You can find many plugins on Flarum's official extension directory or on GitHub.

Using Composer to Install Plugins

Find Plugins: Browse the Flarum Extension Directory to search for the plugins you want.
Install a Plugin: Once you’ve selected a plugin and verified its compatibility with your Flarum version, you can install it via Composer. For example, to install the flarum/emoji plugin:
```
composer require flarum/emoji 
```
Update Plugins: If a plugin you installed has an update, you can update it by running the following Composer command:
```
composer update flarum/emoji 
```
Enable Plugins: After installation, you need to enable the plugin from the Flarum admin panel. Go to http://yourdomain.com/admin, log in, and navigate to the "Extensions" section to enable the installed plugin.

Installing Plugins via GitHub

If you find a plugin on GitHub that is not published on Packagist, you can install it manually. For example, if you want to install a GitHub plugin:

composer require vendor/package-name:dev-master

After installation, you will need to enable the plugin in the Flarum admin panel as usual.

Managing Installed Plugins

Once plugins are installed, you can manage them through the Flarum admin panel:

Enable/Disable Plugins: You can enable or disable plugins directly from the "Extensions" page in the admin panel.
Configure Plugins: Some plugins may offer additional configuration options that you can access from the plugin list.
Plugin Updates: You can update plugins through Composer or check for updates in the Flarum admin panel.

3. Common Flarum Plugins

Here are some popular and useful Flarum plugins that you might want to consider installing:

Flarum/Emoji: This plugin allows users to use emoji in posts. To install:
```
composer require flarum/emoji 
```
Flarum/Flags: This plugin allows users to flag inappropriate content. To install:
```
composer require flarum/flags 
```
Flarum/Subscriptions: With this plugin, users can subscribe to discussions or forums to receive notifications when there are updates. To install:
```
composer require flarum/subscriptions 
```
Flarum/Best Answer: This plugin enables users to mark the best answer in Q&A-style forums. To install:
```
composer require flarum/best-answer 
```
Flarum/Logindetails: This plugin shows additional user details like registration date, last login time, etc. To install:
```
composer require flarum/logindetails 
```

4. Troubleshooting Common Issues

Plugin Installation Fails

Check Plugin Compatibility: Ensure that the plugin you’re installing is compatible with your Flarum version.
Check PHP Errors: If there are any errors during installation, check the storage/logs directory for detailed error logs.
Dependency Issues: Some plugins may require other plugins or a specific version of PHP. Ensure your environment meets all plugin requirements.

Plugin Not Enabling

Check the composer.json File: Ensure that the plugin is correctly added to the project.
Clear Cache: Sometimes the cache may prevent plugins from being enabled. Clear the Flarum cache by running:
```
php flarum cache:clear 
```

Updating Plugins

If the plugin doesn’t update through Composer, you may need to manually check the plugin’s GitHub page for the latest version. Alternatively, you can update via Composer by running:
```
composer update flarum/emoji 
```

5. Developing Custom Flarum Plugins

If you need to create your own custom functionality, Flarum provides a very flexible plugin development system. Refer to the Flarum Extension Documentation for detailed instructions on how to create your own plugin.

Basic Steps for Plugin Development:

Create the directory structure for your plugin.
Define the extension and register the functionality.
Use the Flarum API to handle user interactions and interface rendering.

Conclusion

With the steps outlined above, you can easily install, manage, and update Flarum plugins to enhance the functionality of your forum. Whether you're installing official plugins or third-party ones, Flarum provides a straightforward system for extending its features. If you need to develop your own plugin, Flarum’s flexible plugin development framework offers everything you need to create custom solutions.

By following this guide, you should be able to fully manage your Flarum plugins, troubleshoot issues, and customize your forum as per your requirements.

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