Is SMF better than phpBB?

[peranders]

Currently I use phpBB which I find a bit boring but it works. I'm thinking of changing to SMF so is there any obvoius advantage like better add-ons, easier to modify? I'm starting to get used to Mambo which is real easy to modify.

Is SMF based on some other forum?

[Harzem]

SMF is not based on any forum. It is a rename and improvement of YaBB SE, if you count it. But it is independent at all.

SMF is much better than phpBB in any aspect. I've switched from phpBB and never looked back. I guarrantee you will like it.

You can't believe how easy it is to install any mods to SMF. phpBB is really pain. "find this code, add this line" etc... In SMF what you do is, upload the mod package, click install.

SMF has many more features than phpBB. Like child boards (sub-forums), attachments, quick reply, inline moderation, ... anything that you want to have in a forum system.

There is no known security hole in latest SMF. There are plenty of holes in latest phpBB.

You can't believe how flexible SMF's permission system is. You will think that phpBB has no permission system at all.

SMF vs phpBB is like Mambo vs pure HTML

Go and download 1.1 RC3. Play with its admin panel. Make a few posts. Come back here and make some comments.

[peranders]

I have had it for spin for a couple of minutes... wow! This I really like   and this was only 1.0.5

I would also been nice with a Mambo bridge which I can't find...

Just wondering: I have a problem with spammers. I wish this:

Delete new members after a day if they don't comfirm via email

Delete members after a couple of months if the don't post

Is there any cool link list feature?

[Harzem]

SMF has mambo bridge (Joomla bridge), but thus I still recommend you SMF 1.1 RC3.

You can list unconfirmed members in any sorting method and delete anyone. But I don't think there is an auto prune yet.
The same thing for posting - list them in order of last activity.

Do you want to have a complete SMF features list? There is one
http://www.simplemachines.org/about/features.php but it is not complete of course. Just a type of an overview. But I've heard a few guys trying to make a list (if they could finish it )

[peranders]

OK, thank you now. I will switch over to SMF.

[Xarcell]

I recommend the beta version as well.

SMF doesn't have all the cool mod's that phpbb has, but it's way better. SMF is still kinda new in my opinion, and it has it's how portal mod which is in beta testing now "Tiny Portal". Best mod there is....

[J. Williams]

Xarcell, release candidate is not a beta; its nearing its Final release. phpBB has no proper security protection unlike SMF plus SMF has features that phpBB doesn't

(phpBB's main problem is its main site has problems displaying images unlike SMF's site)

[peranders]

What I right miss is that I can't "view" the mods, screen dump or something or maybe an URL to a real site. The skins collection is excellent

[Harzem]

Many mods has screen shots or detailed explanations. But sometimes a mod requires administration account or a similar thing, so demo can't be prepared easily. In this case, you should try and see. In phpBB, you can't try and see easily, because it is a long work of find and replace. But in SMF, just install and see. If you don't like the mod, click uninstall

[SusanTN]

Delete new members after a day if they don't comfirm via email

Delete members after a couple of months if the don't post

You want to use this

On the admin go to Members/Awaiting activation

under Outstanding Members
With all members who registered longer than: [        ] days ago. 
Perform the following action:   
Activate
Activate and send email
Reject
Reject and send email
Delete
Delete and send email
Remind 

type in a number of days, and select the action and submit.

While you can't see how long it's been since someone has posted you can check for users who are not logging in.

Go to Members/Search for members

tell it Last Online:  >=  [       ](YYYY-MM-DD)

Submit and delete away, I generally give them 6 months away before I delete their account.

[peranders]

Thanks for the tips. I will try it out when I have moved from phpBB -> SMF.

[H]

Xarcell, release candidate is not a beta; its nearing its Final release. phpBB has no proper security protection unlike SMF plus SMF has features that phpBB doesn't

Lets clear somethings up:

Technically RCs aren't betas however they aren't finals either therefore they still contain bugs. Due to big companies like google beta is now a general purpose word for testing.

phpbb DOES have security. It may not be implmented very well but it is there. SMF was designed to be secure and we will see if it is over the next few years. It is important to remember that people try and hack the most popular scripts. phpbb is unfortunately still more popular than SMF. However if we overtake them I'm pretty sure a few more vulnerabilites may be found. After all phpbb are releasing patches two years after the original release!

(phpBB's main problem is its main site has problems displaying images unlike SMF's site)

SMFs main site was having problem staying online a few months back! You shouldn't judge a forum software by its site.

If your criticism isn't constructive it is worthless!

[stevemills]

Very well put, huwnet.

I've used phpBB for years, and it's a fairly solid package. It's vulnerabilties once cost me a good lesson in having my front page defaced, too, but it was my own fault for using the same password.

Where I'm impressed the most with SMF is the way it incorporates so many new ideas inside the package. You don't NEED so many mods because the good stuff is inside. Installation and upgrades are a breeze. I'm sure that if you developed a way to import phpBB users and data, you would overtake them quickly.

[vbgamer45]

There are convertors for phpBB to SMF found on this page
http://www.simplemachines.org/download/?converters

[stevemills]

That's cool. But the link says it has a converter from phpBB 2.0.7, when the latest version is actually 2.0.21. Are they talking about a beta?

I'm going to give it a spin on my 2.0.20 board and see if it can convert it. Sure would be nice to change.

[ketchup]

Phpbb's admin controls is kind of a joke compared to SMF 

BUT phpbb's template selection are well...I wish we had those 

[stevemills]

I've got the converter in place, given it correct url's to both boards, and the correct database password, but it gets stuck every time. Here's a possible cause: I have two copies of SMF installed, one I use and one I installed just to do this conversion. Maybe it's insisting on trying to use the first database (oldest) when I am giving it the password for the newest one. Could that be the problem? the new installation knows which database to be using, so I don't know if this would explain the impasse, but it won't do the conversion this way. I probably need to edit the converter somewhere.

Suggestions on what I could try? This is the error:

The database password you entered was incorrect. Please make sure you are using the right password (for the SMF user!) and try it again.

[H]

That's cool. But the link says it has a converter from phpBB 2.0.7, when the latest version is actually 2.0.21. Are they talking about a beta?

I don't believe there are any database changes between 2.0.7 and 2.0.21 so it should work fine

[J. Williams]

The main jump in phpBB is a session update which doesn't make any problems appear