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I.	Introduction
II.	Creating the Back-up Folder
III.	Creating the YaBBforBoardMod Folder
IV.	Starting BoardMod For The First Time
V.	Installing Mods
VI.	Getting the Mod Up and Running on Your Board
VII.	Modding Helpful Hints
VIII.	Uninstalling Mods
IX.	Error Messages
X.	Manual Installation
XI.	Downloading and Installing Mods From BoardMod's Web Site

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I. Introduction
Please read this all the way through before you start. It can save you a lot of grief if you do. :-)
If you don't…you were warned! :-(

It is assumed that:

You have a working understanding of Windows and how to create folders (directories and sub-directories)

You have an FTP program to connect to your remote server and that you know how to use that program.

You have your YaBB board up and running BEFORE you try to install any mods. If you do not have your YaBB board up and running…go to the YaBB -Yet another Bulletin Board web site for help in installing your board.

You have downloaded and installed BoardMod on your computer in C:\Program Files\BoardMod or somewhere similar.

First, you have to know that BoardMod v2.5.2 can only modify files which are located on your computer's hard drive (off-line). That means that you first have to download your cgi-bin\yabb files from your remote server to your computer's hard drive.

Before you start to use BoardMod to modify any files, you'll want to download the cgi-bin\yabb files from the remote server to your computer's hard drive twice. Once, as a back-up and once as the set of files for BoardMod to work on. The back-up is just an insurance policy in case you crash your board while setting up the mod and need to restore your board to its pre-mod condition.

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II. Creating the Back-up Folder
We want to create the YaBB directory structure you have on your remote server on your computer's hard drive. You can call it YaBBbackup (or whatever you want to call your backup folder).

Go to My Computer or Windows Explorer and make the directories (folders) as below:
YaBBbackup (or whatever you decided to call it)
     Boards
     Members
     Messages
     Sources
     Variables

After you've got your directory structure set up, use your FTP program (ex. CuteFTP or whichever one you're using) to connect to your remote server.
Once connected:
1. Download the following files from the cgi-bin\yabb folder on the server to the YaBBbackup folder on your hard drive:
English.lng
Settings.pl
template.html
YaBB.cgi (or YaBB.pl)

2. Next, change directories to download all the files from the Variables folder on the remote server to the YaBBbackup\Variables directory on your hard drive.

3. Next, change directories to down load all the files from the Sources folder on the remote server to the YaBBbackup\Sources directory on your hard drive.

4. Next, change directories to down load all the files from the Messages folder on the remote server to the YaBBbackup\Messages directory on your hard drive.

5. Next, change directories to down load all the files from the Members folder on the remote server to the YaBBbackup\Members directory on your hard drive.

6. Next, change directories to down load all the files from the Boards folder on the remote server to the YaBBbackup\Boards directory on your hard drive.

Now, we've downloaded a complete set of your server's cgi-bin\yabb files. If something happens during the installation of the mod…you can always put your board back the way it was before you started simply by re-uploading your back-up files.

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III. Creating the YaBBforBoardMod Folder
Now, we want to download the cgi-bin\yabb files from the server to your hard drive so that BoardMod can modify them. Go to My Computer or Windows Explorer and make the directories (folders) as below:
YaBBforBoardMod (or whatever you decided to call it)
     Sources
     Variables

Since BoardMod doesn't change files in the Boards, Members, or Messages folders there is no reason to download them here.

After you've got your directory structure set up, use your FTP program (ex. CuteFTP or whichever one you're using) to connect to your remote server.
Once connected:
1. Download the following files from the cgi-bin\yabb folder on the server to the YaBBforBoardMod folder on your hard drive:
English.lng
Settings.pl
template.html
YaBB.cgi (or YaBB.pl)

2. Next, change directories to download all the files from the Variables folder on the remote server to the YaBBforBoardMod\Variables directory on your hard drive.

3. Next, change directories to down load all the files from the Sources folder on the remote server to the YaBBforBoardMod\Sources directory on your hard drive.

Now, we've to the files that we need for BoardMod to work on. We're almost ready to get started installing mods!

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IV. Starting BoardMod For The First Time
From your Windows Desktop, Click on the BoardMod icon to launch the program. When you start the BoardMod program for the first time, you have to change two settings before you can start to install mods.



First, you have to specify the location of your YaBBforBoardMod\YaBB.cgi (or YaBB.pl) file. You will see Path To Script in the upper left portion of the BoardMod screen. Click on the folder icon to the right of the text box and search your directory structure until you find YaBBforBoardMod\YaBB.cgi (or YaBB.pl). Click on it to highlight it. Then click on Open in the lower right hand corner of the Select Main Script File window. Once you Click on Open you'll be brought back to BoardMod.

Next, you have to select the proper version on the upper right. It is very important to have selected the proper version! If not, you'll run into error messages very soon! You can find out your YaBB version by looking into the manual or by checking your forum online, at the button where the copyright notice is located. If your version is not available in the dropdown box, please contact the online support at BoardMod or e-mail Michael Prager. The current version of YaBB is YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1.

When this is done, you can start installing mods!

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V. Installing Mods



You can see a list of mods that are compatible with your version of YaBB at the right. By clicking on the mod you will get detailed information on it - Mod Name, Version, Description, Author, Home Page, Files to Edit, and Total Actions.

Please make sure to read the whole Description! It may contain important additional information (eg. if there are additional files like images or .pl files which you have to upload in order to get this mod working).

Also, if there is a readme.txt, be sure to read that, as well. You can look for readme.txt files in C:\Program Files\BoardMod\Mods\YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1 (or whatever version of YaBB you're using.) If the mod you're interested in has a folder under YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1, Click on that folder and if there is a readme.txt double-click on it which will open it in notepad. Print the readme.txt out. I'd recommend keeping a notebook with all the readme.txt files and all the descriptions from BoardMod printed out and organized in the order you put the mods in.

If you are sure that you want to install a specific mod, you can do so by clicking on the mod's checkbox on the right. This will start the installation procedure which should succeed after a few seconds. If the modification is successful, you will see: "finished. modifications successful. Status:Finished. 0 errors" Congratulations! You've installed your first mod!

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VI. Getting the Mod Up and Running on Your Board



At this point, the job is only half done. After the installation, you have to upload all files modified by that mod and any additional files provided by it (Remember we learned about those from the Description and readme.txt files!) to your remote server.

Use your FTP program (ex. CuteFTP or whichever one you're using) to connect to your remote server.
Once connected:

Upload all the modified files from YaBBforBoardMod, \Sources and \Variables sub-directories (the drop-down box at the lower left of BoardMod shows you a list of files which have been modified)

Upload any and all additional files provided by the mod. You'll find those files in C:\Program Files\BoardMod\Mods\YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1\modfolder (or whatever version of YaBB you're using.)

Make sure you upload all the files to the correct folder on the remote server. After the upload you should check if everything works by browsing to your board online. Some mods require nothing more than uploading the files. Some mods require you to go to the Admin Center and adjust settings. You must read the Descriptions and readme.txt files to know how to get the mod set-up and running properly on your board.

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VII. Modding Helpful Hints

Always back-up your board before installing any mod.

Install one mod at at time and make sure it's working before installing the next mod.

Install mods that modify a large number of files and have a large number of total actions before installing mods that only have one or two files and one or two total actions. The reason is if you have to manually install a mod, it's a lot easier to manually install a mod that modifies one or two files than fifteen files!

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VIII. Uninstalling Mods
To uninstall the mod again, simply uncheck the box right near that mod. Now proceed as described for the installation above.

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IX. Error Messages
Error Code 1:
Message: Search string could not be found
Details: The mod instructions tell to look for some specific code in a specific file. However BoardMod did not find this code.
Possible reasons and solutions:
(1) The mod is not written for your YaBB version. Make sure to have selected the proper setting at the upper right.
(2) You already installed another mod which changed similar code. As a result the required code can no longer be found. To solve this you have to uninstall the other mod first.
(3) The mod author did not set the proper search string. However you may be able to find this string anyway. To Toado, install the mod "by hand": Clicking the "Manual Installation" button. This will show you step by step what you haveto doo to modify the source code yourself. To (un)install a mod by hand can take very long (depending how big the mod is)!
(4) The mod contains a bug. Check the mod bug report board (http://boardmod.yabbforum.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=modbugs) for known issues. You may also contact the mod author about this.

Error Code 2:
Message: Could not find file to edit (*filename*)
Details: The mod requires a file to be edited which does not exist.
Possible reasons and solutions:
(1) The mod is not written for your YaBB version. Make sure to have selected the proper setting at the upper right.
(2) The mod contains a bug. Check the mod bug report board at the Support Forums for known issues. You may also contact the mod author about this.

Error Code 10/11:
Message: The search/replace string is empty! However an empty / argument is not allowed because it would make the modunremovablee.
Details: see message...
Possible reasons and solutions:
(1) The author did something wrong here. Heprobablyy wanted to use an empty tag to remove some code. However this has to be done a different way. Please read HowTo.html, section #3

Error Code 12:
Message: The line to search for is not complete. Maybe some spaces are missing in front of it.
Details: BoardMod was able to find the code to search for, however it has detected that the search string does not begin at line start. But BoardMod only allows the search string to be one or more COMPLETE lines.
Possible reasons and solutions:
(1) The author forgot the rule, that only searching for complete lines is possible with BoardMod. Please contact him about this problem. You may try to install the mod "by hand" (see Error 1: Solution 3).

Error Code 17:
Message: File to edit is readonly.
Details: BoardMod was not able to save the changes it has made to the file because the file is write protected.
Possible reasons and solutions:
(1) Remove the readonly bit from the file and try again.

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X. Manual Installation
If you encount an error like "String could not be found" while installing a mod, you have to cancel the procedure and install the mod manually, "by hand".



Do that by clicking the "Manual Installation" button. This will show you step by step what you have to do to modify the source code yourself. To install a mod by hand can take very long (depending how big the mod is) so it may be easier to search for the reason why you got this error. Here are some probable causes:
(1) The mod is not written for your YaBB version. Make sure to have selected the proper setting at the upper right.
(2) You already installed another mod which changed similar code. As a result the required code can no longer be found. To solve this you have to uninstall the other mod first.
(3) The mod contains an error. Check the mod bug report board at the Support Forums for known issues. You may also contact the mod author about this.

Special function: You can force the mod status to change from "installed" to "uninstalled" and reverse by holding the CTRL key while checking the mod's box.

Advanced Stuff
When installing a mod you may get an error message like the following:
Step 10 ... failed - ERR(12): The line to search for is not comlete. Maybe some spaces are missing in front of it.

When you go to manually look at the line, it seems to be there, but you have to understand how BoardMod works. Here's an example of two lines which are not equal although the look the same. The following two lines are NOT equal:
  this is a line of words
       this is a line of words

So, if BoarMod is looking for the second example above and finds the first example...you get the ...failed - ERR(12) message.

Here's a way to work around it especially if it's a large mod that modifies a lot of files and has a lot of total actions.

First, make a copy of the mod. Rename it mod_2 (or whatever you want just so you'll know it's a copy of the original mod you want to install). Place mod_2 in your mod folder because you'll be editting it and if you want to uninstall it, you know to go back and look for the original version to see what you took out.

Now, with mod_2 highlighted, Click manual installation ... and Click Next Step until you reach step #10.

Open the file and look for what the BoardMod was looking for and make the neccessary change (add before, replace or add after) then save the file.

Exit from the manual installation.

With mod_2 highlighted on the main BoardMod screen, Click on mod editor at the bottom right corner and it brings up the mod in an editor.

Click on the Mod Action tab at the top of the page, then find Step #10 in the list. Highlight that step then go to the top and click on Delete Action. This deletes Step #10, but that's OK because we manually edited Step #10 before, remember? Now, close the mod editor and when it asks me if you want to save the edited file, click on "yes".

Return to BoardMod 2.52, then install mod_2 with usual installation. Then upload as usual.

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XI. Downloading and Installing Mods From BoardMod's Web Site
When you installed BoardMod it came with a bunch of mods already installed in it. There will come a time when a new mod comes out that you want to install on your board. What do you do now?

Go to My Computer or Windows Explorer and make a folder C:\YaBBDownloads to put the mods you download from BoardMod into. Now, log on to BoardMod, find the mod you want to download and download it to your C:\YaBBDownloads folder on your hard drive.

Now, if it's just a mod file, after downloading it all you have to do is copy it to the YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1 folder (or whatever version of YaBB you're using). The next time you launch BoarMod, the new mod will be there for you to install.

If it's a zipped file, after downloading it, you'll have to unzip it and copy the mod file to the YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1 folder (or whatever version of YaBB you're using). If the mod has other files like images or .pl files, you'll want to make a folder for the mod under the YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1 folder and copy the extra files to that folder and the mod file goes into the YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.1 folder because that's where BoardMod looks for the mod files. The next time you launch BoarMod, the new mod will be there for you to install. And if you keep all the mods folders together, you'll know where to look for those extra files like images and .pl files that have to be uploaded so the mod will work properly.

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