Some Questions about Mambo

[Springer]

I know that some have managed integration, and others still working on it.  (link)  So I figured to look it over because I want things that work well with SMF.



I'm working on a map review site with a friend and we only need a couple of features.  I know mambo has polls, news, links, and can get download feature from what I've read.  Though I think you have to install the download feature.  I should be able to managed this.  I've looked some on their forums but can't seem to find exactly what I want.  I would ask on their forums but they don't seem as friendly.



The only other things we need would be a way to organize reviews.  I assume that the news can be used in some way or maybe there is another feature like it that can be used.  The map reviews would be organized in regards to the size of teams that can play them. 

And I would need something to display an image the main page for map of the week.  Such as many pages have image of the day, week, etc...   Preferably on one of the sides since that is where most of the polls I have seen are located.  Being able to keep track of them is important so not something that I simply update weekly but add a new one and the old ones can still be searched.

I can find these things once I know what to look for so I would appreciate any advice.

[Metho]

You can do everything you want from within SMF and using SSI features.

If all you need is polls, news, links, a download feature, and a "map of the week" type thing...you just need SMF, really. Adding a portal would just be giving you a lot of bloat (plus time trying to make SMF and portal work together) You should look at ssi a bit more though, the download feature isn't in SMF, but I think one's being written (or one will, a lot of people want it), and as for organizing things, well, there's creative things you can do with queries to pull things.

And image of the day/week/month is nothing, coding wise.

- Methonis

[Springer]

The ssi functions are great, I'm constantly amazed just how powerfull SMF is.  Unfortunately I lack the ability to make what I would consider a good looking site.  (not from lack of effort I must admitt)

And my code'n isn't that great.  I can generally edit what little needs I have, with help from here and there, but that's my extent. 



I went ahead and plug'd through mambo and managed almost everything I needed with a days effort.  I was shocked at how easy it was.  About the only thing that remains is a staff page (Not sure what I want there) and some work on get'n the template we picked tweaked.  It has a block that needs to be removed, some reason disable the content didn't do it.  And adding a border to the news.

[NoRad]

I was just sitting here thinking to myself after reading all of the portal pages - why do I need a portal at all? All of these features are already in SMF (well, I'm integrating coppermine and a flash chat, but that's not really portal functionality). I am opting not to bother with a portal at this point because it doesn't look like any of the solutions are fully integrated or offer anything that SSI doesn't. Plus, portals are UGLY. I have never seen a good looking portal. They are cluttered and difficult to read/navigate for almost anybody that visits with the exception of the developer and the top users of the site. I hate those busy websites.

Can you post a link to yours so I can see if you've done something different with yours?

[Springer]

www.gamingmaps.us

It won't be complete for probably another couple of weeks.  Right now its only a shell of what we are considering.  No reviews have been published yet so navigation through that part won't work till they are. 

The theme we plan to tweak more.  Remove the upper menu, maybe do something more graphic for the middle section, and see what else we can manage for the background.  As for the code part the web links has an error, and downloads needs to be added.

Our goal was something easy to keep current.  Could easily navigate through reviews and search them.  And something we would not have to design ourselves, but simply tweak to our needs. 

The same is true for the clan page that I've worked on except it used phpnuke.  I wanted to design with the SMF addon portal that is in works but while waiting I created this one.  To me the best feature, even though slow is the battles page.  And the weakest would be the roster.  But it was the closest to what I wanted.

www.getdisgruntled.com  Current Page
www.rebeltradition.com/BD/ Test Page we are considering


Once more themes, and extra's, are made for SMF I would happily redo the sites.   Especially the clan site. 

A way to do the rosters, keep up match results in a clean presentable manner, and it would be really nice to have forms (like join and challenge) that would post directly to a private section of the forum.  Find a way to do all this easily with SMF and clans will be flocking here.  Already the ability for news, search, and calendar exists.  I think it was RougeSquadrin that made a roster page based on SMF member groups that I liked. 

If I had the code'n ability I'd like to try and set it up so that you have an extra option/page in your SMF profile for roster.  Then fill that out as you want and it will be used on the main site.  Allowing people to edit that one page, not mess with the existing forum profile, to fit their clans roster style.

These same features could again be used on the Gaming Maps above but towards different uses.

[whiterabbit]

I believe it's all up to you.. what you need and/or your ability to create one to fit your needs.
Many users may feel comportable to use CMS for their site because
it's easy to create contents and manage them, or they may not want to edit any code by their own.

Most of CMSs have many add-on modules components to choose.. so..

On my site (experiment Mambo SMF integration) most of the modules I used.
I just create Mambo modules off of SMF SSI and my modify SSI.
So I can put it anywhere in my site using Mambo module control (position, page, etc.)
Which to me it's quite easy

So as I said it's all up to your decision.
If you want to know more or want to test others CMS, portal
you can go to
http://www.opensourcecms.com/

Cheers,

[trenchteam]

I have flirted with the idea of using a portal for my website for quite some time.  I've used Geeklog (very stable but not very appealing to the eye) and I've also tested Mambo and CPG-Nuke.  Although they are really nice when it comes to a community I was never satisfied with them totally. There was always some flaw.  So I decided to use SMF.  The SSI scripts are very good, and this is all I need really to put together a good site for my community of users on the forums.  You can view my simple site at http://www.7milesdown.com  I really feel that this is enough for most people. 

If you really want to test CMS's I suggest http://www.opensourcecms.com  You can test all the admin and other stuff without installing a thing on your server.  I spent several hours there on day comparing the sites.  Im really suprised that SMF is not listed as one of their forums to try.  Maybe someone should recommend they add it.   Hope this helps.

[mattisme]

does mambo have support for a gallery? (so i don't have to try to code one myself)

[Prone]

Yeah, there are some components that you can install as a gallery from the admin manager. Check my temporary site http://www.syndicate-1.com and click Screenshots. You will see a simple gallery. You don't have to code anything there.

The pages in this thread look very cool. @Springer: you need to decrease the font size on gamingmaps.us, 2 in Verdana should do it...

Cheers,
Phil

[mattisme]

Nice, but it doesn't seem to have multi-user support.  I want each of my users to be able to maintain their own gallery (or sub-gallery) of pictures.

[roboter88]

Their are a couple of threads about mambo + smf and coppermine + smf.
Atm its possible to syndicate/bridge  smf with coppermine which lets user create own albums.

[Prone]

Nice, but it doesn't seem to have multi-user support.  I want each of my users to be able to maintain their own gallery (or sub-gallery) of pictures.

Sorry, then I must've misunderstood you. There are more gallery components but honestly this was the one I wanted b/c only I and the other writers are allowed to upload pics.

[BCCZeus]

The Mambo + SMF integration that WhiteRabbit has done is excellent.  I am using it for my hardware review site.  There is almost no limit as to what you can do with this combination.  I'm still learning.

An excellent feature that WR has added is the SSI Module Creator.  Very handy, slick, nifty, excellent work done by this man.  You can make it as busy, or as simple as you like with templates.

[-Garion-]

That looks pretty sweet.   

[Springer]

Does look very good.  Unfortunately I kept getting hacked through mambo  

Dumped it and did my best to use only SMF.  Of the portals/cms that I've played with mambo was one of the best.

[Dr_Michael]

I am confused. Where can I get a fresh version (not upgrade) of Mambo+SMF to install and create a new site? 

[Kris]

You have to install both seperate in directories and then configure the extra integration components you can find around here in topics to make it work.

Still all beta.

[Dr_Michael]

You have to install both seperate in directories and then configure the extra integration components you can find around here in topics to make it work.

Still all beta.

Sounds difficult. 
Is any possibility in the future to have a full version of Mambo together with SMF?

[packman]

Is any possibility in the future to have a full version of Mambo together with SMF?

I would hope not. Tying two large applications together in such a manner leads to all sorts of problems when patches are to be applied and this is a much bigger problem if a security patch needs to be applied urgently. I've BTDTGTTS

Ideally what is needed is a standard SMF installation, plus a standard Mambo installation, plus an easily installable integration component which ties them together. The worst thing that can happen then is that you need to disconnect the two if an urgent security patch means that the component doesn't work any longer.

I think we're starting to move toward this with some of the work that's currently underway.

[roboter88]

Unfortunately I kept getting hacked through mambo

Which version and wht is going on?

@BCCZeus
I already signeup at whiterabbits site but the download seems down?

I installed SMF and Mambo now. I never came across a better cms so far and its just awesome i hope to get my hands on any real smf+mambo port/bridge whtever.


Cheers