IDEA: A very different way to get your SMF...

Started by Gwydion Frost, November 30, 2005, 04:11:16 AM

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SMF Update (or SMFTP)...

...don't matter to me.
5 (17.9%)
...could be interesting...
11 (39.3%)
...don't matter to me.
4 (14.3%)
...is a HORRIBLE idea!
4 (14.3%)
...is a programming nightmare!
4 (14.3%)

Total Members Voted: 27

Kindred

I see one major problem with the concept.

right now, we get hundreds of people who install the forum, add a mod using the package manager and then immediately pipe-up with "Why is this not working on my board."
almost invariably, the answer is "... because you are using a different theme and mods only install into the default theme."

The reason for this is not going to change, no matter how easy the "updates" are...  Every theme is slightly different; some of them are significantly different. Anything other than the default theme will require a manual code-add anyway...   

Then, of course, there is the other issue...   You should always install the BASE software first. Play around with it, get to know it, and only after you understand the base design should you add mods, etc.

(ok, so there were two issues)

Of course, the concept is almost already in place anyway... the Package Manager allows you to view, download and install mods right from the SMF server...   it also notifies you when a critical upgrade is available.

The only thing that is really needed to do is add a package manager functionality to the themes' install screen.

I vote against wasting any time on a fancy-schmanzy "new" interface when the functionality (essentially) already exists...
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Gwydion Frost

#21
Misunderstand one concept about this.

The initial idea was to create a way to simply pick all the mod options you wanted to have installed at the time of downloading the base SMF programming. Thus, when you would be downloading, specifically for the first time, you could get a complete, customized package, already set to be FTP'd to your server. There would be NO mod issues because you would be downloading the default base programming +the mods, so there would be no theme clash issues. You would have to alter the theme from the admin panel...as you do now.

The optional mod packages would only be those that have been proven to be stable and non-conflicting...truly modular additions.

It would make support for SMF a mostly case of php and mysql compatibility issues (ie; server configs). No longer would you be getting the "I downloaded it and it doesn't work"...because they would be downloading a program that would be essentially plug and play at that point.

I know the package manager does wonders...and yes, management enabled through different themes would be an awesome addition.

Dannii

Hmm an idea has come to me. Many of Bloc's themes come with auto-mod-support, but why not encourage other theme developers to as well? I'll talk to Bloc about starting a thread where mod developers can list the changes required for their mods. This wouldn't work for every mod, but for many, it's a simple case of checking a permission and then putting in a button. That can easily be done with all themes.
"Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise."

Sheepy

You know what, that may be not as hard as we tend to think. Hmm.

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