Firstly open AdminCP > Pages > Blocks
Click "Create new Block"
Select Plugin
In the dropdown box select "Topic Feed"
Now fill it in with these details.
Name: Latest
Description: Latest from the forum
Template Key: latest2
Click on Feed Configuration
Name: Latest on forums (You can call it whatever you want the block to be named)
Honour Permissions: On
The rest here is optional for how you want to display things for your users.
Click on Content
Under Template select in the dropdown box "Use as base for custom template" replace the code in the box with the following:
{{if !empty( $topics ) }}
<h3 class='ipsWidget_title ipsType_reset'>{$title}</h3>
{{if $orientation == 'vertical'}}
<div class='ipsPad_half ipsWidget_inner'>
<ul class='ipsDataList ipsDataList_reducedSpacing'>
{{foreach $topics as $topic}}
<li class='ipsDataItem{{if $topic->unread()}} ipsDataItem_unread{{endif}}{{if $topic->hidden()}} ipsModerated{{endif}}'>
<div class='ipsDataItem_icon ipsPos_top'>
{template="userPhoto" group="global" app="core" params="$topic->lastCommenter(), 'tiny'"}
</div>
<div class='ipsDataItem_main'>
<div class="ipsCommentCount ipsPos_right {{if ( $topic->posts - 1 ) === 0}}ipsFaded{{endif}}" data-ipsTooltip title='{lang="replies_number" pluralize="$topic->posts - 1"}'>{expression="$topic->posts - 1"}</div>
<a href="{$topic->url()->setQueryString( 'do', 'getLastComment' )}" title='{lang="view_this_topic" sprintf="$topic->title"}' class='ipsDataItem_title ipsType_break'>{wordbreak="$topic->title"}</a>
{{if $topic->mapped('featured') || $topic->hidden() === -1 || $topic->hidden() === 1}}
<span>
{{if $topic->hidden() === -1}}
<span class="ipsBadge ipsBadge_icon ipsBadge_small ipsBadge_warning" data-ipsTooltip title='{$topic->hiddenBlurb()}'><i class='fa fa-eye-slash'></i></span>
{{elseif $topic->hidden() === 1}}
<span class="ipsBadge ipsBadge_icon ipsBadge_small ipsBadge_warning" data-ipsTooltip title='{lang="pending_approval"}'><i class='fa fa-warning'></i></span>
{{endif}}
{{if $topic->mapped('featured')}}
<span class="ipsBadge ipsBadge_icon ipsBadge_small ipsBadge_positive" data-ipsTooltip title='{lang="featured"}'><i class='fa fa-star'></i></span>
{{endif}}
</span>
{{endif}}
<br>
<span class='ipsType_light ipsType_small'>{lang="byline_nodate" htmlsprintf="$topic->lastCommenter()->link()"} · {datetime="$topic->mapped('last_comment')"}</span> </div>
</li>
{{endforeach}}
</ul>
</div>
{{else}}
<div class='ipsWidget_inner'>
<ul class='ipsDataList'>
{{foreach $topics as $topic}}
{template="row" group="global" app="forums" location="front" params="NULL, NULL, $topic, FALSE"}
{{endforeach}}
</ul>
</div>
{{endif}}
{{endif}}
Once saved give the permissions to who can view the block.
Who to add the block to the sidebar on the forums
Open the main forum
Click on the > arrow to the left side
Pages > Custom Block > Drag Box to the side or where you want it
Click on Edit button on the block
In the popup window select in the dropdown box the box you created (In this example its "Latest")