Flatbb – free open-source PHP forum for cheap VPS/shared hosting, built to be extended with AI

nwnuyhsnwnuyhs
edited September 4 in General

I've just released Flatbb 0.1.4, a flat, lightweight forum written in plain PHP 8.1. MIT licensed, free forever.

Why LES folks might like it:

  • No framework, no Composer, no build step. Upload, open the installer, done in 2 minutes. Runs happily on the cheapest shared hosting or a 1 GB VPS.
  • SQLite or MySQL 5.7+. Start on SQLite, move to MySQL later with one command.
  • Built for AI-assisted development. The repo ships CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md and docs written for AI tools. Open the folder in Claude Code or Cursor, say "add a badge plugin", and it knows the hooks, the rules and how to publish.
  • Plugin marketplace with one-click install from the admin panel; publish your own plugin with php flatbb plugin:publish.
  • Discourse-style three-column layout, dark mode, Markdown editor with image upload, full-text search, 7 interface languages.

Download: https://www.flatbb.com/download · Plugins: https://www.flatbb.com/market

It's early (0.1.x) and I'd love feedback, bug reports and plugin ideas.

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Comments

  • nwnuyhsnwnuyhs

    Update: the source is now on GitHub (MIT): https://github.com/nwnuyhs/flatbb — and 0.1.5 is out with the security changes people asked for (CSRF verified centrally for every POST, a static check that fails on unescaped template output or direct $_POST reads). Download page: https://www.flatbb.com/download

  • mikhomikho AdministratorOG Bash Me Gently

    Interesting project. Doing some (read: a lot) of AI coding myself lately… There is a whole thread about a really large project, completely coded with Claude.

    I'm curious why the people who downvoted your post did so.

    “Technology is best when it brings people together.” – Matt Mullenweg

  • nwnuyhsnwnuyhs

    @mikho said:
    Interesting project. Doing some (read: a lot) of AI coding myself lately… There is a whole thread about a really large project, completely coded with Claude.

    I'm curious why the people who downvoted your post did so.

    thanks for your understand , it's a new generation forum product , I think one day someone will find the value of this kind of product

  • WSSWSS OG Guru Meditation Error

    If it was 2004 again, I'd be all over this. I might give it a poke later, but forums are kind of- a thing of the past, sadly.

    "It's a hard life- to be a stick insect." - Karl Pilkington

  • truemagictruemagic

    I really love what I see,might try it soon! Thanks for the contribution

  • nwnuyhsnwnuyhs

    @truemagic said:
    I really love what I see,might try it soon! Thanks for the contribution

    You are welcome ，you can try，and use ai build the plugin what you want

  • FritzFritz Behlnd you

    Upvoted.
    I like it. Light and simple.

    https://microlxc.net/

  • rm_rm_
    edited 1:28AM

    @nwnuyhs said: SQLite or MySQL 5.7+. Start on SQLite, move to MySQL later with one command.

    From the name I thought it would be flat file based, that is storing all data in plain files on disk, not using any SQL (not even SQLite). That was the big thing back in the day, when the cheapest web hosting plans didn't come with any SQL support.

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Provider

    @nwnuyhs said:
    Update: the source is now on GitHub (MIT): https://github.com/nwnuyhs/flatbb — and 0.1.5 is out with the security changes people asked for (CSRF verified centrally for every POST, a static check that fails on unescaped template output or direct $_POST reads). Download page: https://www.flatbb.com/download

    Where is the security and other change discussion happening? Thanks!

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