Would anyone like to share info and opinions on Simple Machines Forum Component?

[rw1]

Hi,

I just came accross the simple machines forum and it looks great (http://www.simplemachines.org/). I am curious as to why i havent heard about it before because it seems to, visually, be a pretty good alternative to VBulletin, is beefier than simpleboard and seems to run quicker than phpbb.

I have downloaded the 'bridge' but to be honest i have no idea what to do with it ('It's in the computer?' - Zoolander reference, sorry couldnt resist).

Anyway i have posted on the forum over there to ask "How do i do it" and hopefully i will get a little advice, but some feedback/opinions from some mambodians would be greatly appreciated.

[chadness]

So far I've liked it for its flexibility and support. They've been very helpful to me in some small problems and some customizing. It is more flexible than phpBB. Simpleboard's lack of being able to categorize people (well, Mambo's I guess) made that unusable for me.

It's a little more complex running two sets of users, but not much.

[DeaJae]

I've installed it with a few problems, and solved them within 2 days.
If i can figure it out, anyone can

There is a bridge component called MOS-SMF on mamboforge.net, which integrates the mambo login/users in SMF so your whole site will use 1 login.

Just remember to Set SMF in the same DB as Mambo (table prefixes will be different).

[spartyguy]

Originally Posted by DeaJae

I've installed it with a few problems, and solved them within 2 days.
If i can figure it out, anyone can

There is a bridge component called MOS-SMF on mamboforge.net, which integrates the mambo login/users in SMF so your whole site will use 1 login.

Just remember to Set SMF in the same DB as Mambo (table prefixes will be different).

I really don't understand why MOS-SMF is needed. A great option is to use the Simpleboard Forum Component . It integrates your user information into the site without having to create bridges.

[eyezberg]

Because SIMPLE board!

It has gotten a bit better, but was quite bugged a while ago (haven't used it since), is not robust enough to handle everything a forum with lots of visits needs to.
For small sites, it is fine, true it integrates well as it is a component specifically written for Mambo, but that is also it's drawback: use the tool that works best for the job!
Use a proper forum like vB, phpBB or SMF; use a proper Gallery for photos; use a proper banner/ad manger (if you must..) and so on; at least, each of these will be developped a)independently, so better reactivity and b)for their own specific purpose, so they should be good at it (else change..).

Nice thing about Simpleboard is the discuss bot, which is now available for vB too, the Community Builder intergration (hoping this gets expanded in later versions of CB) and the ease of install.

PS: you can see (and test if you want) a great SMF integration here: http://www.phpprojects.net/ which is the site of eXiT-Poll creator gianni

PPS: get the integration here: http://www.mambohacks.com/

[lindseyacron]

i don't understand what I'm doing wrong then if everyone else is having such an easy time with smf. i downloaded the package, followed the step by step instructions, after installing smf forums separately though in the same database, i began uploading the package, the package in step 3 wouldn't upload to smf with the package installer so i did it manually, set up the login module, configured everything exactly as it said to but as soon as i unpublished the user login and published the bridge module i started getting a weird error at the top of my page

Please don't access SSI.php by URL directly; you may want to use the path ('SSI.php') or add ?ssi_function=something.

it also said this in the actual login module and all of the buttons and drop down menus were completely empty, you could barely even tell they were there.... so i unpublished the module and set the other login back up for the time being, but the message is still displayed at the top of the screen and when i did login with the bridge module it took me to the forums as if it was a totally separate site, not integrated at all.... i'm not a programmer, smf forums have yet to reply and i've searched all over these forums for any posts about this same problem(s) and haven't found any.... plus no one is responding to the one thread i did create

i don't understand why it is so complicated working with mambo and how come you can very very rarely find a solution on your own, you have to sit around and wait with a messed up module/component/site until someone decides that they're not too busy to respond

[eyezberg]

PLease don't mix up Mambo (core) and 3rd party add-ons.
If it's developped by an individual and widely used, this single person may have a hard time continuing the dev', documenting, providing support, and having a job and a life besides.. that's for the GPL ones. Which might not be an excuse, but just how life is..

[lindseyacron]

Originally Posted by eyezberg

PLease don't mix up Mambo (core) and 3rd party add-ons.
If it's developped by an individual and widely used, this single person may have a hard time continuing the dev', documenting, providing support, and having a job and a life besides.. that's for the GPL ones. Which might not be an excuse, but just how life is..

oh, so this was developed by someone else, which explains why mambo doesn't have a whole lot of information specifically targeting it, okay, sorry for the confusion.... but once it's installed (the smf forums helped me correct this) but now the module/component is being dropped beneath my left-hand modules when there's plenty of room for both of them (it's mambo 4.5.2) because i don't have anything on the right hand side except for on my home page.... or does this need to go in a different thread? *blonde=easily confuddled!*