# Having problems following the installation guide
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Created:** [September 30, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371 "2018-09-30T00:29:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/1 "2018-09-30T00:29:02Z")
I’ve followed the how to install guide and I am now stuck on the “Root” portion.
What do I need to use in order to “root” the discourse (i’m assuming?).
As you can see, i’ve been trying, and I can’t seem to figure out what to do
I’m doing this discourse for a Virtual Airline community (Similar to Infinite Flight)
* * *
MacBook Pro early 2015
120gb storage
MacOS Sierra
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/2 "2018-09-30T00:42:36Z")
Are you following [this guide](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/master/docs/INSTALL-cloud.md) and installing on ubuntu, or directly on the macbook?
It looks like the latter, but I want to be sure before proceeding any further.
**root** is a user, not a process, in the cloud install the steps are to be completed **as root**.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/3 "2018-09-30T00:43:36Z")
Yes, I meant to say I was following the official guide that is for 30 minutes
The “Install discourse in 30 minutes” guide
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/4 "2018-09-30T00:44:38Z")
Ok, well after running git clone it looks as if you pasted the repo URL again, and then just typed in a URL.
what you needed to do was:
```
./discourse-setup
```
And follow the steps as guided.
The grey regions with fixed-width text are areas where you’re interacting with the SSH session, the rest is instruction, considerations and requirements along the way.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/5 "2018-09-30T00:45:19Z")
So what do I do, should I put that in now, or restart the entire process all over again?
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/6 "2018-09-30T00:46:27Z")
You can safely run discourse-setup as outlined above, but maybe re-read the document in full bearing in mind what I said above. If you’ve never used SSH before (or terminal) and haven’t familiarised yourself with the process these hiccups are inevitable.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/7 "2018-09-30T00:47:38Z")
I don’t really bother with Terminal in my computer, since I have no need to.
I’ve only used terminal a couple of times for simple tasks which I don’t remember
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/8 "2018-09-30T00:48:51Z")
Well that’s what SSH is giving you, a remote terminal. You’re going to need to be fairly adept with it if you’re going to maintain the installation, certain updates and other processes in the future will rely on you using it.
Note that if you’re planning to use [http://www.aviation-airways-va.com/](http://www.aviation-airways-va.com/) as your Discourse installation URL you need to change the DNS ‘A’ record for www - it currently points to a parkingcrew holding page.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/9 "2018-09-30T00:49:30Z")
and how do I change the DNS? I just recently bought the domain name
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/10 "2018-09-30T00:50:44Z")
It looks like you bought your domain from Verisign, so log in there (or wherever you bought it) and make sure the ‘a’ record for WWW is pointed at the IP of your new server.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:51am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/11 "2018-09-30T00:51:51Z")
i’m sorry if I ask so much, I’m not very familiar with SSH, and I’ve never hosted a website either.
* * *
I bought it off of CheapNames or whatever the name it is from there.
I’m so new to this, I don’t even know where to go change the DNS, nor am I familiar with the “A” meaning.
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:52am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/12 "2018-09-30T00:52:58Z")
I would start there then, check out their support site and [read their documentation](https://www.secureserver.net/help/topic/1000003?prog_id=307026#nav-8) on creating and editing DNS entries. You will need that before you can go any further. As the guide you’re following says:
### Domain Name
> 🔔 Discourse will not work from an IP address, you must own a domain name such as `example.com` to proceed.
- Already own a domain name? Great. Select a subdomain such as `discourse.example.com` or `talk.example.com` or `forum.example.com` for your Discourse instance.
- No domain name? We can [recommend NameCheap](https://www.namecheap.com/domains/domain-name-search.aspx?utm_source=SAS&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=1632369&affnetwork=sas), or there are many other [great domain name registrars](https://www.google.com/search?q=best+domain+name+registrars) to choose from.
- Your DNS controls should be accessible from the place where you purchased your domain name. Create a DNS A record for the `discourse.example.com` subdomain in your DNS control panel, pointing to the IP address of your cloud instance where you are installing Discourse.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 12:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/13 "2018-09-30T00:57:36Z")
@Stephen actually it was [NameCheap.com](http://NameCheap.com) is where I bought my Domain from
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### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/14 "2018-09-30T01:03:48Z")
also, what does
```plaintext
discourse.example.com
```
mean for adding an A thing? Do I add it like:
```plaintext
discourse.aviation-airways-va.com
```
?
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/15 "2018-09-30T01:06:44Z")
Ok so this is the guide you want to use:
> **[How can I set up an A (address) record for my domain? - Domains - Namecheap.com](https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/319/2237/how-can-i-set-up-an-a-address-record-for-my-domain/)**
>
> Learn more about How can I set up an A (address) record for my domain?. Find your answers at Namecheap Knowledge Base.
What it means is that you need to think and decide on the fullly-qualified domain name (FQDN) before proceeding any further. Some users will want to run a website at the ‘www’ address, hosting their discourse instance on a different name such as ‘community’, ‘forum’ or ‘discussion’.
So if you decided you want to use:
`'discussions'`
your FQDN would be:
`discussions.aviation-airways-va.com`
And you would create an ‘a’ record for ‘discussions’ pointing to the new server IP under the DNS control panel for [aviation-airways-va.com](http://aviation-airways-va.com) at namecheap.
Once you know what the full URL is going to be, that’s what you create an ‘a’ record for. Follow the guide I linked above.
Also, please try to stop replying to yourself, if you want to add to a reply please do exactly that and edit the last post which hasn’t received a response. This isn’t a web chat and it wastes a lot of screen real-estate when a whole screen is filled by only three or four paragraphs. It’s why the edit option is there.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/16 "2018-09-30T01:10:15Z")
> [@Stephen](#):
>
> please try to stop replying to yourself
Unfortunately, I do that alot. I just don’t like editing my responses too much…
it makes it look like I forgot to add something… like what I just did…
so can I use [community.aviation-airways-va.com](http://community.aviation-airways-va.com) as a full url? thanks!
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/17 "2018-09-30T01:11:25Z")
> [@Daniel\_Cerritos](#):
>
> so can I use [community.aviation-airways-va.com](http://community.aviation-airways-va.com) as a full url? thanks!
Yes, and if you never use ‘www’ you could redirect that to community too - namecheap DNS includes basic redirection.
---
### Author:  [@Daniel\_Cerritos](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Daniel_Cerritos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/18 "2018-09-30T01:13:24Z")
is this the correct way to do it?
---
### Author:  [@tmoko](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tmoko)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/19 "2018-09-30T01:13:39Z")
Hi Daniel, I’m happy to help you through this if you’re up for it, I recently set up a discourse forum myself too.
Yep you can use `community.aviation-airways-va.com` and that’s correct.
The IP address for your server will be at your Digital Ocean if you are using that.
Looks like you were up to this part
[https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/master/docs/INSTALL-cloud.md#install-discourse](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/master/docs/INSTALL-cloud.md#install-discourse)
---
### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371/20 "2018-09-30T01:14:06Z")
Yes just put the IP of the server in the IP field.
[Next page](https://meta.discourse.org/t/having-problems-following-the-installation-guide/98371.md?page=2)