i need a best free forum script.

i want to start a music forum site. im still learning html, php and asp and not yet acquired good knowledge on them. so i was looking for free scripts or something like that to start. do you think free scripts are okay to start with? i figured a site which has a list of 5 scripts and they are all free open source scripts. here is the list:
1. Mybboard - MyBB
2. Phorum = Speed + Power!
3. Mercury Board
4. Simple Machines.
5. phpbb (i think i have heard about this script)

and here is the address of that site: http://resources.the-protagonist.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=66

i am a complete newbie and dont have any idea about how to maintain or start a forum site. well ill learn as soon as i get my hands on it.

any scripts will be okay as long as it looks good, takes less space, easy configurable and allows me to submit my adsense or bidvertiser ads.

so i was wondering whether you guys could let me know which one might be a better forum? is scripts like dp available for free or its custom made?
care to teach junior?

 

phpBB3 looks great, I haven't tried SMF but haven't heard anything bad about it either. MyBB and Phorum were lacking in features when I last checked and had a general feeling of minimalism. I haven't even heard of Mercury Board.

 

i think the best free forum script is SMF aka Simple Machines

 

SMF is the best free script, http://www.simplemachines.org

 

go for smf. i love their forum interface. i heard that phpbb is more vulnerable than smf.

 

thanks for the input guys...much appreciated i got 2.5 votes for SMF, any more votes for any other script?

 

this puts 3.5 for SMF and null for all other! thanks a lot

 

make it 10/10 for SMF . although i've loved vbulletin more, but its not a free script.

 

lolz okay....ill give it 10/10. im going to download it..i guess i wont face any problem to put my adsense on?

OBTW about the hosting, any sujjestion about hosting and bandwidth?

 

I've been using phpbb for 5 years on my forum now and its a great script. PHPBB3 looks great though i'm not sure how easy upgrading a forum of 30,000 posts will be.

 

i use SMF with my joomla site

very good easy to use forum with nice front and backend easy templates and easy to customise.

SMF is ther way to go

 

phpBB3 rocks.

I've upgraded/converter all my forums to phpBB3

 

I'm going to give upgrading a try at some point.

 

i reocmmand you to use the phpBB, and it's widely known buy the visitors , so they know majority of it' s features

 

vanillas quite good

 

freewebs.com is very basic, but if that is not what your looking for let me know.

 

im not sure till now...looks like im in confusion about phpbb3 or SMF!

could anyone please put the links of any phpbb3 based forum and SMF based forum so i can have a look?

 

The best free is SMF or PunBB.

 

yeah SMF is cool

 

For me PHPBB is the best, been using it for a while and its awesome
The new version has alot of improvements.

=)