threadr-rewritten/README.md

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# Welcome to ThreadR Rewritten
This is the source code for the ThreadR Forum Engine, rewritten in Go. ThreadR is a free and open-source forum engine designed to allow users to host their own forum instances on personal web servers.
## Project Overview
Originally started as a school project in 2019 with the aim of creating a hybrid between a forum and a social media platform, ThreadR was temporarily abandoned after school ended. Revived in 2020, the project shifted focus to become a fully functional, portable, and open-source forum engine under the Apache 2.0 license.
### Current Goals
- [ ] Bring ThreadR back online (see issue #2)
- [ ] Go FOSS by making the source code publicly available (see issue #5)
- [ ] Ensure portability for easy setup of personal instances
- [ ] Implement core forum features (sign-up, board creation, threads, messages, profiles)
### Future Features
- Anonymous posting with unique per-thread identifiers for registered users
- Thread subscription and notifications for new messages (opt-out available)
- "Split thread here" functionality for focused discussions
- Automatic loading of new messages in threads (opt-out in settings)
- Question threads with an "accept answer" feature
- Nuanced like/dislike system (limited functionality, inspired by StackExchange)
**Note:** ThreadR is now technically host-independent with configurable settings, though it remains a work in progress (WIP).
## Installation
ThreadR is in early development, and setup is currently manual. Automated setup scripts will be added in the future.
### Prerequisites
This guide assumes you are on a UNIX-like system with the following installed:
- Apache with PHP (may work with other web servers)
- MySQL or MariaDB
- Python 3
- Bash
### Setup Steps
1. Clone this repository into a directory accessible by your web server but outside any web root.
2. Create a MySQL/MariaDB database with the tables listed below.
3. Add a dedicated MySQL/MariaDB user for ThreadR and grant usage privileges for the tables.
4. Symlink the `build/` directory to your desired web root location (ThreadR does not support direct web root linking).
5. Adjust configuration files in the `config/` directory to match your setup.
6. Run `./deployment-script.sh` to apply the configuration.
7. Optionally, symlink `build/redirect_home.html` to redirect specific locations to ThreadR.
### Database Schema
- **boards**
- `id` (int, primary key, auto increment)
- `name` (varchar)
- `user_friendly_name` (varchar)
- `private` (boolean or tinyint(1))
- `public_visible` (boolean or tinyint(1))
- **posts**
- `id` (int, primary key, auto increment)
- `board_id` (int)
- `user_id` (int)
- `post_time` (timestamp, default current_timestamp())
- `edit_time` (timestamp, nullable, default null, on update current_timestamp())
- `content` (text, nullable, default null)
- `attachment_hash` (bigint(20), nullable, default null)
- `attachment_name` (varchar, nullable, default null)
- `title` (varchar)
- `reply_to` (int, default -1)
- **profiles** (usage TBD)
- `id` (smallint, primary key, index)
- `email` (varchar, index, likely unique)
- `display_name` (varchar)
- `status` (varchar)
- `about` (long varchar)
- `website` (varchar)
- **users**
- `id` (smallint, primary key)
- `name` (varchar, index, likely unique)
- `authentication_string` (varchar(128))
- `authentication_salt` (varchar)
- `authentication_algorithm` (varchar)
- `time_created` (timestamp, default current_timestamp())
- `time_altered` (timestamp, default current_timestamp(), on update current_timestamp())
- `verified` (boolean or tinyint(1), default 0)
## Running the Application
To start the ThreadR server, run the following command after configuration:
```
go run ./main.go
```
The server will start on port 8080 by default.
## Project Structure
- **src/**: Core ThreadR source files
- **build/**: Placeholder for deployment, contains a working instance after running the deployment script
- **config/**: Configuration files for specific ThreadR instances
- **macros/**: Files for use with the variable grabbler script
- **static/**: Static assets (CSS, images) for the web interface
- **templates/**: HTML templates for rendering pages
- **handlers/**: HTTP request handlers for various routes
- **models/**: Database models and interaction logic
- **deployment_script.sh**: Script for code variable replacement and deployment tasks
- **variable_grabbler.py**: Custom macro processor for configuration
- **LICENSE.md**: Apache 2.0 license details
- **NOTICE**: Copyright notice in plain text
## Contributing
We welcome contributions! Please discuss ideas or issues in the GitHub issues section or join our Discord server for real-time communication: [discord.gg/r3w3zSkEUE](https://discord.gg/r3w3zSkEUE).
## License
ThreadR is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. See [LICENSE.md](./LICENSE.md) for details.
**Authors:** BodgeMaster, Jocadbz