ElkArte is a modern, open-source forum software that provides a robust platform for creating and managing online communities. Originally derived from the Simple Machines Forum (SMF), ElkArte incorporates various modern enhancements, offering a clean, intuitive user interface designed for ease of use and flexibility. It is an ideal choice for anyone looking to build a dynamic online space for discussions, collaborations, and information sharing.

One of ElkArte’s standout features is its responsive design, which ensures that the forum provides a seamless experience across a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops. The software supports modern web standards, making it compatible with the latest browsers and offering fast, efficient performance.

ElkArte provides administrators and moderators with powerful tools for managing users, topics, and content. It includes a rich set of features such as private messaging, real-time notifications, advanced moderation tools, and user warnings. The built-in spam protection ensures a secure forum environment, while flexible user permissions and access controls allow for granular management of who can access specific areas of the forum.

The software supports integration with social media, allowing users to easily log in via platforms like Facebook, Google, or Twitter, facilitating smoother registration and engagement. ElkArte also features a comprehensive theme engine, enabling forum owners to customize the look and feel of their communities to align with branding or user preferences. The active community surrounding ElkArte provides ongoing development and support, ensuring that the software remains up-to-date with the latest features, security patches, and performance improvements.

ElkArte also includes an extendable plugin architecture, enabling users to add extra functionality through third-party plugins. These can range from enhanced user profiles to complex integrations with other tools and services. The forum software is equipped with search functionality, allowing users to easily find discussions and information.

To subscribe to this product from Azure Marketplace and initiate an instance using the Azure compute service, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Azure Marketplace and subscribe to the desired product.
2. Search for “virtual machines” and select “Virtual machines” under Services.
3. Click on “Add” in the Virtual machines page, which will lead you to the Create a virtual machine page.
4. In the Basics tab:

• • Ensure the correct subscription is chosen under Project details.
  • Opt for creating a new resource group by selecting “Create new resource group” and name it as “myResourceGroup.”

5. Under Instance details:

• • Enter “myVM” as the Virtual machine name.
  • Choose “East US” as the Region.
  • Select “Ubuntu 18.04 LTS” as the Image.
  • Leave other settings as default.

6. For Administrator account:

• • Pick “SSH public key.”
  • Provide your user name and paste your public key, ensuring no leading or trailing white spaces.

7. Under Inbound port rules > Public inbound ports:

• • Choose “Allow selected ports.”
  • Select “SSH (22)” and “HTTP (80)” from the drop-down.

8. Keep the remaining settings at their defaults and click on “Review + create” at the bottom of the page.
9. The “Create a virtual machine” page will display the details of the VM you’re about to create. Once ready, click on “Create.”
10. The deployment process will take a few minutes. Once it’s finished, proceed to the next section.

To connect to the virtual machine:

1. Access the overview page of your VM and click on “Connect.”
2. On the “Connect to virtual machine” page:

• • Keep the default options for connecting via IP address over port 22.
  • A connection command for logging in will be displayed. Click the button to copy the command. Here’s an example of what the SSH connection command looks like:
    “`
    ssh [email protected]
    “`

3. Using the same bash shell that you used to generate your SSH key pair, you can either reopen the Cloud Shell by selecting >_ again

or going to https://shell.azure.com/bash.
4. Paste the SSH connection command into the shell to initiate an SSH session.

Usage/Deployment Instructions

Anarion Technologies – ElkArte

Note: Search product on Azure marketplace and click on “Get it now”

Click on Continue

Click on Create

Creating a Virtual Machine, enter or select appropriate values for zone, machine type, resource group and so on as per your choice.

After Process of Create Virtual Machine. You have got an Option Go to Resource Group 

Click Go to Resource Group

Copy the Public IP Address

In your browser, you can now access by navigating to the IP address of your server:

Now, open your web browser and type the URL http://ip. You will be redirected to the ElkArte welcome page:

Click on the Continue button. You should see the database server settings page: 

Provide your Forum URL, Forum name and click on the Continue button. You should see the following page: 

Click on the Continue button. You should see the Admin account creation page: 

 Provide your admin username, password, email and click on the Continue button. Once the installation has been finished, you should see the following page: 

Click on your newly installed forum. You should see the ElkArte dashboard in the following page

Enjoy~

ThankYou!!