Hi all how easy is a php forum to set up ?

If you need premade layout and basic featurs you must simply upload specified files to your server and follow instructions (usually like "Go to yoursite.com/forum/install.php")

Yea well the thing is i may be updating site and they using a perl forum at the min so want update to php but don't want anything to hard as some people who use it are old don't want them to get too confused.

are you asking how easy is it to instal or how easy it is to use as a user/visitor?

Well how easy is it to install really but also is it standard package or can you edit how many options people can have to make it easier for them to use

what forum are you talking about ? what script ?
What do you meant by options ?

There ususaly a lot of MODS for every form script you can find on the internet. Not to mention that you can build you're own.

as for the overall look and feel of the forum. Every forum usualy are bassed on the same structure ( eg. a list of forums on the first page, click on one a list of threads ... and so on ) and you can modify the forum template to match it to the old one.

My advice is to install it in a diferent subdomain or folder and try to get it as close to the old one as you can ... then replace the old one

The forum they use at the moment is just simply. What I mean by option on this forum you got the smiley's face can I say i don't want any user to have that sort thing or no user will have the text feature like bold so on

i think you can edit the java that makes the post page to not make the buttons you do not want ... but i would advice against it for more reasons:
1. you don't seem to have the knowledge to make this operation ( sorry if i am wrong )
2. They seem like a ussefull tool to me .. to be able to edit the text a little, to add quote tags, php tags and so on.

You are right i don't have the knowledge but was curious and i was using the text as example. A lot people who use the site and i don't want give them a new forum with loads button and thing that confuses them more that all I want change the forum for a php forum but make it as easy to use as the old one as don.t want put people off using it.

so my advice still applyes ... make another forum on anothe folder ... an tinker with that one .. and see what you can do

I will I also got mate who really good on php so sure he will lend me hand if i ask nicely

good luck