Is it possible to install Discourse on a domain already in use on another hosting?

Installation
1

Hi,
Currently I have example.com on a shared hosting, so DNS etc are all set up for use with that hosting.

I would like to install Discourse but on another hosting, that is Digital Ocean.

Discourse asks the domain on which to install the forum, I can put my example.com of the other hosting but then change the IP hosts on my PC to be able to see the installation of Discourse on my domain, only me? I don’t know if I made myself understood.

For now, in fact, my domain is on another hosting, on which there is Flarum, and for now I would only like to try Discourse on Digital Ocean, to see if I can use it, without moving the domain.

Thank you!

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2

It will not allow you to use the root domain at new hosting that you are already using for other hosting platform.

Obviously, you can’t use your root domain at two place :slight_smile:

Please create a new subdomain and map your new server/hosting IP so that will work for your case. Simply, you can add new A record at your DNS settings ie ‘forum’ and add the hosting IP there.

It will make you hosting your Discourse forum on subdomain url forum.example.com.

( That way, you don’t need to move anything anywhere. Just need to add one extra entry in your DNS setting )

:slight_smile:

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3

You have one contract with your current shared hosting provider, but actually they are providing two services for you:

  • DNS for your domain
  • web hosting, currently used for Flarum on your root domain name (or maybe www.example.com)

You can easily install or get Discourse at another provider, and then add a hostname record in your DNS (for instance forum.example.com) that points to this additional Discourse provider.

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Thank you all! Then in future can I change the forum root, from forum.example.com to example.com?

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5

I would absolutely recommend against that and use www.example.com instead, but yes, that would totally be possible.

This article elaborates on why using a so-called naked domain is not a good idea.

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And if I use example.com for Flarum (for now) and www.example.com to try Discourse? :x

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I would recommend against it for the same reason as before, and this would even make less sense :wink: , but yes, you could totally do that.

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