In order to install Ruboard you have to have direct (or telnet) access to your unix host. It is possible to install Ruboard over ftp in some circumstances, but it's not easy and there are no common rules in this case.

1. Read License.

2. Extract archive. Usually something like `gzip -dc ruboard-1.2.tar.gz | tar -xvf -' will do.

3. Select the user under which priveleges your boards will live - like `boards'; create that user if necessary. This implies you have root privileges, if not - it's Ok, just make installation under your normal uid and leave things as is.

   The idea is, that `ruboard.pl' and `rubadmin.pl' should run having priveleges of specified user or you to be able to write articles to disk, read configuration and so on. The only function of `rubstub' mentioned below is to arrange it. If your system is organized in such a way, that your CGI scripts will run under your credentials - you're lucky. You may drop rubstub and place rubadmin.pl/ruboard.pl just into your cgi directory.

4. Edit `Config' file. If you run Linux, don't forget to change `make' to `pmake'!

5. Type `make install' (or `pmake install' in Linux).

6. Copy, link or symlink `rubstub' into your server cgi-bin directory under the names ruboard.pl and rubadmin.pl. Supposing that you are in cgi-bin directory your command should be `ln -s /usr/local/lib/ruboard/rubstub ruboard.pl' and `ln -s /usr/local/lib/ruboard/rubstub rubadmin.pl'.

7. Go to `/usr/local/lib/ruboard/example' directory and edit `ruboard.cf' and `ruboard.html' files. You have to change at least $baseurl line in `ruboard.cf' and reference to your host in `ruboard.html'.

8. Configure your web server to go to `example' directory when something like http://your.host/boards/example/ has been fed to it. Employ `Alias' if you are using Apache: `Alias /boards/example/ /usr/local/ib/ruboard/example/'.

9. Type `http://your.host/boards/example/ruboard.html' or `http://your.host/cgi-bin/ruboard.pl?config=example&post' in your browser. If something doesn't work - check file and directories permissions, server error log, try to run ruboard.pl without server, read support page.

10. To create new board just copy the content of example directory. You may also want to read comments in `rublib.pl' around `read_config' subroutine.

11. Play with ruboard.cf and enjoy!

If you want to show `banners' on your boards you may find it useful to read how advertisements are organized on test forum.