How do I make a forum like this one?

[raymond]

Hello! It seems that the migration from SMF to phpBB seems good. Google search isn't that functional yet since URLs have changed from their old addresses to new ones but the changes are certainly welcome in my book.

What I'd like to know is how I can have a forum just like this one on my site. Anyone have a link to a tutorial and the bridge extension that the forums use? Does the forum use a different SQL database? Is it run inside a wrapper?

Thanks in advance guys!

[RobInk]

Hi,

There is no bridge in place, it is running standalone. It is not running in a Joomla! wrapper as far as I know, the phpBB theme is probably tweaked to have our site menus incorporated on top. Oh and yes, running on a different mysql server/database.

[Eelke]

It is no problem, though, to run Joomla and phpBB from the same database.

[woz]

I would also VERY much like to know how to combine my Joomla (+ jom comment) site with a forum like this one. Is it even possible to set it up like the old J! site using SMF? I don't want people to have to login twice. First to comment, then to post in the forum...

[Eelke]

Yes. Look into RokBridge.

[woz]

Thanks for your answer. Let me get this straight:
I can let a new PHP forum communicate with my Joomla site (plus all the users and the jom comment integration) using the RockBridge?

[Eelke]

Ah. Sorry, missed the bit about comments. No, I don't think that's available. However, I think that if you plan to have both a forum and commenting on your site, you should strive for doing the commenting through the forum. I don't know if anything is available for that ATM.

[woz]

Ah such a shame! Am I correct in stating SMF was able to do this? I dread using SMF now the Joomla team decided not to work with them anymore. I need to think about the future and 'no evelopment' basically means SMF is a dead end for J! sites right?...

[Eelke]

Wait, I think I am in need of some weekend and I have been giving you confusing, if not incorrect info.

RokBridge integrates the Joomla and phpBB3 user database: register once, log in once, and use use both Joomla and phpBB3 with the same username. You wouldn't need any kind of integration between your comments component and the forum, the comments would just run off Joomla and use the Joomla user database (in that sense, it is irrelvant you want to use a comments component with Joomla).

I think I was confusing things with my own idea that if you want to do comments on a site that also has a forum, it would be best if the comments would make use of the forum as well. If I'm not mistaken, that's not currently possible with Joomla and phpBB3. However, that was not your concern. Sorry again for confusing the situation, RokBridge should be exactly what you're after.

[woz]

Thank you very much for taking the time to explain I understand now I can take a look at the new forum setup of the J! site for my own site as well. Thanks again!