No MySQL Forums

[Jick]

I'm looking for a forum system that has pretty much the same features as PHPBB but does not require a MySQL database. Or even a PHPBB that someone has converted to work with text files instead of a database. Does any body here know of any forums like I'm talking about? Please let me know if any of you people know. :D

[brendandonhue]

I highly doubt there is a decent forum system that can run off flat files. There may be, but these forums are not simple little scripts, the database for PHPBB contains 30+ tables each of which has several columns in it.

[Compguy Pete]

I have to agree with brendandonhue that finding a decent forum to run off of a flat file DB is hard...

However!

Consider this... How many users is a realistic amount for your site? A site the size of this one would have maxed out a flat file DB when it was half the size it is. They can get up to about 2000 users, more if if you have a majority of 1 hit wonders and people that never post.

The other problem with flat file DB's is that they would create html pages for all threads. Which is ok however your site ends up getting rather huge. Today's forums is totally DB created thus the reason for 30+ tables.

Back in the old days I would change my signature and the old threads would still have that old signature. Now I make that change and instantly when those old threads are called up it has my new and updated signature.

Many of the current forums will have an option for a flat file DB as well as MySQL or a custom DB.

Here is a link to a good number of different

fourms softwares (http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Bulletin_Board_Message_Systems/)
I personallly have used a good number of the forums from that list on different sites.

You could also pay for the classic that started forum software like PHPBB UBB classic (http://www.infopop.com/products/ubbclassic/) The software is written in Perl, and uses flat files to store data. Then once you get large enough you can upgrade teh DB.