Sounds like apache or some other web server might already be running on that port.

ps aux | grep apache

You have to setup NGINX as a reverse proxy. It will then be NGINX that answers queries from the internet and then passes them to NodeBB.

Have a read here.

NginX - NodeBB Documentation

If you cannot answer these questions yourself then I suggest you install virtualbox on your local machine and get nodebb working locally but following the docs below. Once you are successful with this, you will have learned alot and can then try and deploy on Google infrastructure.

I know you want to deploy straight to production but my way will be quicker in the long run. The next question you will have will be regarding NGINX and how to get it running on port 80. The answers to all your questions are in the docs. The docs are very easy to follow.

Ubuntu (Recommended) - NodeBB Documentation

<quote>
I can create the website by using 127.0.0.1 IP but the connection is refused by google's internal IP
(127 is a local ip, you need to provide your internet IP here)

"url": "I typed here my domain which is connected to Google's external IP",
"secret": "the key",
"database": "mongo",
"mongo": {
"host": "Google's internal IP", (should be 127.0.0.1)
"port": "I couldnt find this out?", (4567)
"username": "Is this the nodebb user or the user I created for admin database?", (nodebb user)
"password": "Password", (mongo password for Nodebb database)
"database": "nodebb"
</quote>

Not sure if they will help but its a start

https://community.nodebb.org/topic/2022/smf-to-nodebb

https://github.com/a5mith/nodebb-plugin-import-smf/

Try this
https://community.nodebb.org/topic/11271/how-to-recover-from-a-broken-plugin

@pichalite ahhh got it, thanks

@terminetor1717 I dont get it, can you explain the difference? Arn't they the same thing?

If you are using the $5 Digital Ocean server you will definitely need a swap partition.

@adam-poniatowski negative, still the same, no menu

@terminetor1717 Under the category and the privlidges menu tick "moderate"