Joomla and phpBB Integration

  

Making websites, until one day I will think of doing one more forum. Which must be integrated forum and website together, that is, the synchronization state information and member login. With Joomla, we have many solutions forum: vBulletin, SMF, Fireboard, ... But in this article I will talk about phpBB: an offline system used very much, for free and can integrate perfectly with Joomla 1.5. Joomlaviet.org Joomla.org and are also used phpBB.
Simply use RokBridge.
It is a free extension for Joomla developed by RocketTheme - an interface design firm specializing in open source is known for strong colors and lines rounded personality (his favorite JoomlArt But the style of the RocketTheme not with her now is very :">). installation instructions and use:

1. Download and install Component RokBridge

View and download the latest version at RokBridge here . Down on the installation is finished, go to the Extensions → Install / Uninstall install as normal. Components are installed on → RokBridge to configure, you'll see something like this:

Installing Joomla RokBridge

Looking down the RokBridge Configuration, has two points of interest:
Bridge Path : path to the folder containing the driver program will bridge between Joomla and phpBB (from the root directory) - the default forum
phpBB3 Path : the path to the installation folder phpBB3 forum system (from the root directory) - the default distribution
These folders are created by ourselves and name (of course be different). In that folder in "Bridge Path" after the Save Configuration will automatically be generated, not produced before. As in the picture, after pressing Save in the root directory will be created "forum" and installed inside the bridge. In contrast, in the folder "phpBB3 Path" must be created before, this folder contains the installer phpBB3. As in the picture, we have not made any distribution directory should Component error "The phpBB3 path can not be found", this is completely normal.

2. Installing phpBB3

PhpBB3 download it here: http://www.phpbb.com/downloads/
At the time of this writing, the latest version of phpBB is 3.0.8. Upload the entire source folder you want to install phpBB3 - is the folder in "phpBB3 Path" in the previous step. In this case I do not like the folder name that will create a distribution folder named "phpBB3" then install it. PhpBB install as usual.

Note 1:
Database to the declaration, we select the Database type is MySQL. At this point we have two options: installing phpBB3 with a dedicated database and installing phpBB3 with Joomla's database. Both the two ways are no problem, you depending on your choice but to declare parameters in this section.
In fact, phpBB3 but is a separate source with Joomla, but since installing Bridge will always be associated with Joomla as a component of the site, so the install phpBB into a separate database is wasteful and unnecessary. You should install phpBB with your Joomla database. Later when I also backup data backup master database Joomla + phpBB whole is always very convenient.

Installing phpBB3 with Joomla

It will report Successful connection , we will go the next step: declaring parameters for the phpBB Administrator.

Note 2:
Declaration information for the phpBB Admin identical to the Joomla Admin. Do not forget this.

Declaration information to the phpBB Admin

Then it will report gửi Tests , the next steps nothing more remarkable, the normal installation. This is the final step of the installation of phpBB3:

Successfully installed phpBB3

Now it is possible to visit at yourdomain.com/phpbb3 phpBB okay. However, it is now the forum is a separate and ... empty: D

3. Component configuration RokBridge

We now return RokBridge Component in Joomla Administration. Rename the folder "phpBB3 Path" is the exact phpBB3, I leave here, "Bridge Path" is a forum, then click the Save button:

Configuration for RokBridge

This time, facilities can look down the RokBridge Status below we can see the "phpBB3 forum" were marked Installed.
Further work is quite arduous struggle: Click on the Install button for each item in turn from top to bottom (after clicking Install for phpBB3 Bridge it will show the Install button for the item below, Section phpBB3 Patch Install our last same). Click finish, then:

Complete configuration RokBridge

Basically is Done! :) Seeing Green 7 Installed stick this button is that you can laugh and be happy.

4. Create new item on the Joomla Menu

The ultimate forum for the newly installed a link on the menu. You can create a menu item type and then declare External Link URL form: yoursite.com / bridge_path (in this case is / forum ), or more simply you can directly select menu item type RokBridge (system will automatically create a URL to redirect the path bridge item.)
So you've installed a forum imposing, perfect and then it free for Joomla. You can rest assured because even well use phpBB Joomla.org body that: D Please come to the test results always come. Users of Joomla and phpBB ensure completely fit together, create a member or sign up at this party the other side will automatically have that member, sign in or log out at this party, the other party will entail a similar situation.

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Things to know when removed from the Joomla RokBridge

Then it will definitely set a time to be removed, but not removed properly, the only priests guilty only (painful experience). When RokBridge removed from the system, please do exactly the following:

• In RokBridge Configuration in Joomla, click the button turns the "Remove" on the bottom up (what the final set, then removed before). In the end, only a phpBB3 forum is Installed only.
• Component RokBridge by removing functions Extensions → Install / Uninsstall of Joomla. It will automatically uninsstall of the relevant plugin.
• In some cases, Bridge folder (created automatically during installation) can not be removed. Go to FTP and remove by hand. That's it.

Wish you success!

Note also:

• Since then, I used RokBridge not see any problem. However, at present is still a release candidate, we can expect much more complete feature when the official version.
• The only thing you can key concern is the interface. How to sync interface of phpBB with Joomla, so that when customers visit without feeling're visiting two different sites? This is no way. You can only re-design the interface of phpBB by hand. However, only knowledge of HTML and CSS, any modifications of the interface can be implemented immediately in the phpBB Administration. This is nothing difficult.
• You can consult the installation instructions of the RocketTheme RokBridge in here .