# Discourse Install Clarification
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Created:** [June 7, 2018, 7:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341 "2018-06-07T07:13:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Kristyn\_Ws](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Kristyn_Ws)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2018, 7:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341/1 "2018-06-07T07:13:56Z")
Hi!
I’m trying to install discourse. I don’t have much knowledge of programming. I have 1 problem I can’t figure out.
1 **When I search the subdomain that I set up for my forum - I get directed to an index page.**
**What I’ve done so far:**
I followed the original guide that Digital Ocean emails you when you first create an account [“The Full Discourse Tutorial”](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-the-discourse-one-click-application-on-digitalocean?utm_source=Customerio&utm_medium=Email_Internal&utm_campaign=Email_DiscourseWelcome&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWkRZMU1HUTJOREpoTTJZMSIsInQiOiJ5S29ma09KRitDYXp1YWlIQndic2pUZGYwN1ZqS3d1VmJUZUxiNFcwenRGKzVHSmliaTB1S1l5V2pGdTl2MXZ1QmdiY2dWT1ZWcCtiU0ZwTHhkazVEUU5TTjc4bkN0ZkpDRXpSaUg0UlhmM242OSs2V3ZRRTZLWWFYbGNlMWZrNCJ9) I successfully set up a PHP and then used the terminal to set up Discourse. I received an IP address -successfully brings me to my forum. Forum looks to have been set up right.
I then created an API, entered that into WordPress along with subdomain and publishing username.
My domain currently runs using Cpanel but I want the subdomain for my discourse forum to run on Digital Ocean.
To do this, I ..
1. I added Digital Ocean’s named servers to my domains names server list (two different hosts NS are now listed)
2. I edited the record of the subdomain- I created an A record - @, redirecting to the IP address.
3. I created a second A record - subdomain, redirecting to IP
4. I created NS record’s containing my subdomain- linked to digital ocean’s servers.
5. I edited in cpanel - set up a wildcard redirection from my subdomain to the Discourse Forum IP address.
6. I went into the digital ocean - added my subdomain and added an A record, redirecting to IP address.
What I have not done ..
I came across [this post](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/master/docs/INSTALL-cloud.md) recently that mentions docker and Ubuntu. These weren’t mentioned in the original instructions emailed by Digital Ocean for setup. Do I need to install these for Discourse to properly work? Right now Discourse works when I search by IP.
My problem is that when I search by url … “forum.realestatesimply.ca” - I get directed to an index page.
Please help 😃 Let me know if any of the above was done incorrectly? Any advice is much appreciated!
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### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2018, 8:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341/2 "2018-06-07T08:47:18Z")
You should follow the instructions here:
>
> [@Kristyn\_Ws](#):
>
> when I search by url … “forum.realestatesimply.ca” - I get directed to an index page.
When I visit your URL, it looks like your forum is up and running:
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### Author:  [@Cameron\_D](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Cameron_D)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2018, 11:32am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341/3 "2018-06-07T11:32:56Z")
The _only_ thing you need to add is an A record for forum.realestatesimply.ca pointing to your Digital Ocean instance, at the original host/place you were already managing your DNS from (I’m going to guess cPanel?). The rest sounds like you’re over-complicating it.
Having multiple Name Servers managing different things, and redirecting different places is going to cause problems like you’re already seeing – one person sees a blank index page and others see the forums proper.
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### Author:  [@Kristyn\_Ws](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Kristyn_Ws)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341/4 "2018-06-08T00:04:29Z")
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. I’ve taken your advice - deleted the records I created in go daddy and on Digital ocean.
CPANEL: I’ve added an A record to c panel to my sub domain : forum.realestatesimply.ca - redirecting to the Discourse IP address. I also have a redirect set-up as a wild card under the subdomain in c panel directing to the discourse IP address.
Is there anything else I have to do? I’ve only added one A record… Do I need to specify within C panel, Digital Ocean’s Names servers?? If so, how would I do this?
And also, based on the above feedback - if the forum is working when I search the IP address does that mean I don’t need to download docker or Ubuntu ?
Thanks for the help!!
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### Author:  [@Cameron\_D](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Cameron_D)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341/5 "2018-06-08T00:58:46Z")
That sounds good.
There’s no need to use Digital Ocean’s nameservers because you’re already managing DNS elsewhere.
If you used the Digital Ocean one-click install then I think that sets it up mostly correct, just every time you log in with SSH it will ask you to run the setup again, but you can use `Ctrl+C` to exit that.
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### Author:  [@Kristyn\_Ws](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Kristyn_Ws)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2018, 10:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-install-clarification/89341/6 "2018-06-08T10:48:09Z")
It seems like it’s working! Thanks for the help!!