Discourse is an open-source discussion platform built for modern web browsers. It offers powerful features like real-time notifications and mobile responsiveness. In this guide, we will walk through the steps to install Discourse Forum on Debian 11 using Nginx and securing it with a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt.

Step 1: Update Your System

Start by ensuring your system is up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Install necessary packages:

sudo apt install -y curl git wget

Step 3: Install Docker

Discourse runs on Docker, so you need to install it:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sh get-docker.sh

Step 4: Install Docker Compose

Install Docker Compose by running:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Step 5: Create Discourse Directory

Create a directory for Discourse:

mkdir ~/discourse
cd ~/discourse

Step 6: Download Discourse Docker Image

Clone the Discourse repository:

git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse_docker.git .

Step 7: Configure Discourse

Run the setup script:

cp samples/standalone.yml containers/app.yml

Edit the app.yml file to set your domain name and email address:

nano containers/app.yml

Make sure to set the DISCOURSE_HOSTNAME to your domain:

DISCOURSE_HOSTNAME: 'your_domain.com'

Step 8: Install Let's Encrypt SSL Certificate

Discourse has built-in support for Let's Encrypt. Ensure the following lines are uncommented in app.yml:

LETSENCRYPT_ACCOUNT_EMAIL: 'your_email@example.com'
LETSENCRYPT: true

Step 9: Launch Discourse

Now you can build and launch Discourse:

./launcher bootstrap app
./launcher start app

Step 10: Configure Nginx

Discourse automatically configures Nginx, but you can also set up a reverse proxy if needed. Install Nginx:

sudo apt install -y nginx

Create a new Nginx configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/discourse

Add the following configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your_domain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:4000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Enable the site configuration:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/discourse /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 11: Access Discourse

You can now access your Discourse forum by navigating to:

http://your_domain.com

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed Discourse Forum with Nginx and secured it with a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate on Debian 11. This modern platform will help foster discussions and collaboration in your community.

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