I’ve been working on a project called TOUgether Student Forum, a community platform built with Flarum on Ubuntu (Nginx + PHP-FPM + MariaDB) with SSL enabled.
We’ve already set up:
Automated backup & restore scripts with Google Drive remote storage
Health check & monitoring tools
SMTP email delivery via Brevo with full SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication
Next, the plan is to grow the forum by:
Adding extensions (file upload, private messaging, polls, etc.)
Optimizing user experience and performance (Redis, caching, SEO)
Strengthening security (Fail2ban, monitoring, regular patching)
Running community events and content to attract students
Exploring cross-platform integration (WeChat/Telegram bots, mini-programs)
The idea is to build a stable, secure, and engaging platform for student communities, starting in Toulouse but with potential to expand.