Geeklog Forums

I am way beyond annoyed now with geeklog....

Now trying to install the new geeklog form as a new install and there is no step 5 in the instructions, goes from Step 4 to Step 6.

Will

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World Peace by 2020

Have a look at the real installation instructions.
They all have a step 5

http://www.geeklog.net/docs/install.html

:doh:

You mean the Forum Plugin.

Are you sure it is just not a typo in Blaines instructions and he just overlooked the numbering ?

In addition, are you sure your GL version is the minimum required 1.4

Just curious since you mentioned in a previous note that it came with fantastico.

Greetz
The dude, aka Knuff.

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Vanrillaer.com - our Family Portal

I'm nottalking about the main install of Geeklog, I'm talking about Step 5 in the new Forum Plugin.

Anyway...

It doesn't matter as I have used the PHPBB Bridge as it has all the features I need for security of our members.

Will

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World Peace by 2020

What happens if you ignore step 5 and just proceed to step 6? I've read the instructions and I cannot see what might be missing. So what error occurs if you just muddle through?

Thanks for reporting that major error on my part in the numbering :speechless: There is no missing step and had you taken the risk and proceeded to step 6 (as the 100's of users before you that have successfully installed this version), you would have been rewarded with a successfull installation :shock:

I appreciate the report as this is a beta release - for testing and feedback. I will correct the error for the RC3 release.

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Geeklog components by PortalParts -- www.portalparts.com

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World Peace by 2020

You did know we would ask what the errors were. Didn't you?
This is a valid accusation against Geeklog. GL plugins have to put files in several different directory trees and cannot make any assumptions about where those directories are located. Most webapps just put all their files in one publically accessable directory and expose them to the world. GL takes a security minded approach of segrating most of the core functionality from the public interface files. Because of this, plugins have to put files into the public area, the theme area, the admin area and the system area. The path to all these areas can be widely different and thus the onus is put on the admin to move the files to the right places. Additionally, every plugin has its own config file that might need editing. But the program is called Geeklog and sometimes there's some heavy emphasis on the geek part.

Hey dude

Yes, I struggle for hours to get things in the right area as instructed in the documentation, today again I have been trying for over 6 hours to install the forum to see if there is a work around to our needs, as I now realise that phpbb is only a short term solution to our problem.

I woke up all stress free and now I'm totally stressed again and feel like throwin this laptop out the window to the marina below my window here. I am 110% serious.

why?.....

a) Trying to understand these instructions
b) Trying to find a solution to my associations problem with what our members want.

As stated numerious times before, I'm not a geek, I'm in Advertising and my twin bro who is the geek is way to sick at the moment to assist us.

I will just muddle my way through as I have to date to sort out the problems, I'm not asking for some one to do this for me, as I need to learn, just a point in the right direction is all I am asking...

Will

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World Peace by 2020

By any chance, have you reviewed the How to install a plugin documentation. This is a non-plugin specific but provides more explaination and includes an image to help illustrate the directory setup.

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Geeklog components by PortalParts -- www.portalparts.com

Hi Blaine

Yes, I have read that and that has just confused me more as it is more geekly that the instructions on the plugins.

Sorry if that offends you but I'm not a geek.
I'm still trying to install the forum, just clicked over 7 hours now of trying to install.

Will

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World Peace by 2020

Well you be sure to let us know what's so confusing. If your in Marketing, I'm sure that you will be able write up a nice how-to once you have it figured out.

My experience is that most users get overwhelmed when they are presented with pages or paragraphs of explaination so I'm sure new users will be very appreciative if you can provide a better how to for newbies.

The installation comes down to a few copy file operations and follows the same directory layout as the default-installed plugins like staticpages, polls and links for example.

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Geeklog components by PortalParts -- www.portalparts.com

Sorry Blaine but I have given up trying to install the forum, it will not display in the plugins list to install.

I will not be recomending geeklog to anyone as a CMS as the plugins are way to complicated to install for me as a non geek.

Both SMF, and phpBB have programs that install what the both call mods, why doesn't geeklog?

I have decided to go back to using SMF as our forum, and have it stand alone not intergrated into geeklog, the only problem is that once you are in SMF, there is no way for members to get back to the main website without accessing it by typing in the url again, I'm happy with that as I have been working on this now for over 6 weeks and have made no progress.

Will

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World Peace by 2020

OK....

Finally have it installed and can see that it definatley does not suit our needs as I said before a very basic forum, sorry guys....

Apologies for wasting everyones time and myself for wasting two full days trying to find a solution to our associations problem by using Geeklog

Will

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World Peace by 2020

Hum ...7 hours to install and 5 mins to review all the functionality and provide a critical assessment - yep that sounds about right.

So what was causing you the installation issue - anything that can be better explained or was incorrect ?

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Geeklog components by PortalParts -- www.portalparts.com

Hi Again Blaine

I cam tell that as know where close to the functions we need by looking at the settings and options.

As I said before it is a basic forum, with no options.

Install SMF as the basic intall forum and you will see how much more power it has.

phpBB also has more options without installing any mods.

Both offer a squillion mods than make them more user friendly.

Sorry but the geeklog forum is very basic.

No where for members to diplay their IM Details (Yahoo IM, MSN, Google Talk, AIM, Jabber etc...)

No where for members to proudly display their country flag under the avatar.

No where for the member to display their gender

No way of setting certain access levels to certain forums..

I can go inand on but the above are basic features on both SMF and phpbb

Again sorry for wasteing your time.

Instead of only having 200 people using the forum, you could have so much more if it had a lot more features.

Both the above two forums can be installed in 5 minutes by non geeks.

Will

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World Peace by 2020

I installed everything outside the Public HTML Directory and all worked fine.

Will

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World Peace by 2020

Sorry Dude, but it seems you have to conceptual idea all wrong, and have to do some more thinking of what you and your associates really need.
This is not so much a question about whether the forum software is limited, but about what you want to do with your site / community.

Both SWF and PHPbb are build from day one as a forum.
All functionality is centered around one thing. The Forum Software.

Geeklog however is centered around Content Management Software.
The forum functionality, however limited or extended is as you already said a plugin.

So all the core elements like user ID´s, security handling, look and feel, ... are handled by the core system, geeklog in this case.
Additional plugins like the media plugin, the forum plugin, ... can enrich your core solution.

However the initial design question you will have to take is to go with a dedicated Forum Solution or with something more that will give you greater flexibility towards the end.

Geeklog is the CMS road, not the dedicated Forum road.



Not sure if this was removed with the latest release of the forum, but it was there in the previous versions.
Under extra settings of the user details.





Again this is just a mere cosmetic issue and can easily be fixed / resolved.
Since users are handled centrally by GL, you would just have to make sure your users can store their IM details, country details and gender in their core user details and you can then easily display them by updating the template files.

Allthough these cosmetic items do not come standard out of the box, they do not qualify as basic features, they are cosmetic issues.
Maybe use the PGPKey field for one of them



This would be the first really design / conceptual issue if it was true. But it is not !
Offcourse access levels can be controlled, and to a very high extend.

Maybe worth reading the technical documentation of GL on groups.






2 cosmetic issues and one completly wrong statement.

Please do go on, as I am sure we can answer all your questions





No worries, but remember you do make bold statements that others read.
Again, let me summarize the issue.

It is all about the global design you want to take your community too.

If your only goal is a forum, go for PHPbb.
It is a very good solution, and dedicated to a Forum Community.

If you and your associates want to take it one step further, and build a community where your users can share media, blogs, and discuss and chat in forums, where your associates can publish rich content and your admins can assure that everythinhg happens in a secure environment, then Geeklog is surely one of the better alternatives out there. It is robust and secure. It has a great and active development team and it is open source software.


Good luck in your decision !

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Vanrillaer.com - our Family Portal

Hi Knuff

Thanks for taking the time to put your point across but....

Again let me say this, I am not a geek, and all you said about things easily being fixed went way over my head as it may be easy for a geek, but not those of us out there that are not but want a webiste, and a forum that is easily set up and has more than the basic features that geeklog offers.

Let me explain the situation I am in and what our association is trying to achive in detail so hopefully all my rants about geeklog will be understood by those who wrote this application.

We had a website (writen in html) , and an active forum (SMF) which was all manged and kept upto date by my geeky twin brother,
He has been in and out of hospital this year trying to kick cancer, wew are only 26.

With in our association there is not anyone with any web experience apart from my one semester in university so I was dumped in as the person to fix the solution of having an outdated website, we held a board meeting of the association and it was decided to go down the CMS track.

I started with Mambo as SMF intergrates as a plugin with Mambo but Mambo was way to complicated to set up for me as I tried for several weeks but didn't get any where, I stumbled across Geeklog, and found it to be very user friendly setting up Blocks, and Static pages etc...

But....

When it comes to installing plugins is where I struggled for days to install, and getting very annoyed which is not a usal trait of mine.

I have decided to leave Geeklog as the main website as it is now easy for our administraors to keep the content of our main website up to date, and leave the phpbb bridge even though it is out of date, it does have the features we need that our members expect.

I will fumble my way through Mambo, and the SMF Plugin over the next few months, then migrate over to Mambo.

I hope all the above makes sense, remember I am not a geek, I'm in advertising, not the IT Industry at all.

Will

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World Peace by 2020