How I can make a part of my forum restricted for certain memebers?

[yamezbond]

Hi, I need to know how I can make part of my forum only for certain memebrs, the one I choose.
Also if I can do this could any1 guide me throug this process?

Thanks!

[LancelowDowell]

It's actually pretty easy, it just takes a few minutes...

First off, log in to your admin control panel.  In your menu, you should see a option for edit membergroups.  Once your in there, hit the add group buton.  Create a name for your group, and either hit the check all box or assign what forums that group will be able to see.  Hit the add group button and you're done here.

Now for the long part...  go in to your view/delete users page.  Find a user you want in that group, hit account related settings, and click the additional usergroups link.  Check the box for the user group you want that user in, then hit change profile.

for the last part, hit the manage boards link in the admin menu.  Hit the manage link for the forum board you want to restrict, and just uncheck the boxes for whatever group you don't want to have access to that board. 

Like I said, it isn't hard, it will just take a few minutes to setup your group the way it needs to be.

[yamezbond]

Thanks for replying LancelowDowell

My next question is, If I add users who are on other boards, do they will be restricted to get into this restricted board only or they can browse any other board on my forum plus get this special restricted board? also the users who are not allowed on this board, is there any option that I can set so they can only see the board but they can open it, I mean read the forum or browse it.


Thanks

[LancelowDowell]

Lets see if I follow your first question correctly...  if you assign a user to a group to see a restricted board, will they see all the other normal boards?  What you want to do is assign users to that group under the additional usergroups.  That way they will get the permissions for the default user group, plus the access to the restricted board.

For your second question, as far as I know, there is no way to leave a board visible, but restrict access to it.  If you deny someone access to a board, they will not be able see it.

[Grudge]

Lancelow is correct. Basically, group permissions add. So if you choose this new group to be the only group that can access a specific board only members in that group will be able to access that board. However, it won't affect access to any other board.

BTW - in RC1 there is an easier way to add members to a group In "manage membergroups", click on the number of members in that membergroup and it will take you to a screen displaying all members currently in that group. At the bottom of the page is a text box where you can write member names that you want to be added to the group. Just list them all (comma seperated) and click add, and they are all done at once You can even use the "find user" box to search for the ones you want to add.

[yamezbond]

Hey guys, thanks for replying, I will make the necesary changes you told me.

Thanks again!

[chaoticjelly]

Is there any way to migrate all users to a new group?  I just migrated my IBF site to SMF using the migration tool which was great.  But it didnt move groups.  Now I have all of my users in one group (ungrouped) and would like to start my moving them all to a group called members.... Then modify those after that..

[[Unknown]]

Is there any way to migrate all users to a new group?  I just migrated my IBF site to SMF using the migration tool which was great.  But it didnt move groups.  Now I have all of my users in one group (ungrouped) and would like to start my moving them all to a group called members.... Then modify those after that..

Well, everyone is actually in two groups by default.  One group is a "special" group named "Ungrouped Members".  Really, this means they are in no *primary group*.  However, they are also in a post group.  So, for example, I am in the "Simple Machines Hero" group.  The default group for people with less than 50 posts is "Newbie".

In SMF, there are three types of groups - post groups, primary groups, and additional groups.  The only difference between the last two is that one is displayed, and all the rest are hidden (inaccessable).

There are many ways to assign members to a group, but currently there's no way to assign a lot of members, except by creating a post group.  However, you can run the following query:

UPDATE smf_members
SET ID_GROUP = *id number of group here*
WHERE ID_GROUP = 0;

To set everyone in "Ungrouped Members" to a specific group (the id is in the links to the group under group management.)  You could also put everyone in the group additionally like so:

UPDATE smf_members
SET additionalGroups = CONCAT(additionalGroups, ',*id number of group here*')
WHERE additionalGroups != '';
UPDATE smf_members
SET additionalGroups = '*id number of group here*'
WHERE additionalGroups = '';

These queries can be executed in phpMyAdmin or similar.

-[Unknown]

[chaoticjelly]

Ok, excellent!  I have that handled.  Thank you very much... New question now... hehe.

My Global Moderators and regular moderators (heck even other groups) are not getting the color changes for their names/titles and they are not getting the appropriate stars....  The only thing that shows is their post rank/title not the group rank/title which I would like to see instead....  I removed the post title/rank option in the admin menu, but it still displays....

[Amacythe]

did you modify the member group in your control panel?

[[Unknown]]

Ok, excellent!  I have that handled.  Thank you very much... New question now... hehe.

My Global Moderators and regular moderators (heck even other groups) are not getting the color changes for their names/titles and they are not getting the appropriate stars....  The only thing that shows is their post rank/title not the group rank/title which I would like to see instead....  I removed the post title/rank option in the admin menu, but it still displays....

They will not be displated as in the group (whether by color, name, or icons) if it is an additional group.  If it's primary, it should be shown - if specified for their primary group.  If not, it will use the post group's color/icons.

Note that the colors only apply in the Who's Online listing.

-[Unknown]