&%$*$! Frustrated - Installing a mod

[EvilTessmacher]

I am so ^Y$%#@& frustrated that I can't even think straight.

I have been trying for the last 12 hours to install a mod to put a chat room into my forum, and the instructions are so poorly written that I have made ZERO progress. The only thing I've managed to do is download a ZIP file.

And this forum has absolutely NO place that's clearly labeled enough to find any help!  I really want to curse, bang things around, break stuff, and almost kill something.

Is there no place to go for any help? The "mod site" is so poorly written that it's worse than confusing. I'm sick to damn death of everyone writing instructions for people who already know what the hell they're doing.

And on top of that, I got to the "backend" of the software site, where there is supposed to be a location to download the "integration module" but it only gives a 404 Not Found error.

Is there anyone who can help me with this?

[Antechinus]

Dunno. Need more information. For a start, which mod are you trying to install?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

"SMF 2.0.x Support" - Hmm, wonder what that means.

Which SMF version are you running?

Which mod are you trying to install?

What's not working?

[EvilTessmacher]

In my white-hot fury, I  appear to have neglected to tell anyone what I was attempting to install.

When I get that angry and frustrated, my brain just shuts off. My apologies.

I have SMF v2.0.17 and I'm trying to install "Freichat" and it's integrator.

The most I have been able to figure out to this point, is getting a folder created on my server, inside the forum folder, that contains all the Freichat files. And no farther. The integrator download on the "backend" was giving me a 404 error when attempting to download the Integrator, but now the error message is this:


For security reasons , the installer has been locked.
But if you want to install it again for a fresh reinstall or for any other reason
please change the variable $installed to false in ~/freichat/hardcode.php and then try again

The instructions are not clear at all. In fact, if they were any clearer, I would need a seeing-eye dog to understand them. They don't say where to save the downloaded file, where to unzip it to, where to install it, or anything specific enough for me to figure out how to get this done.

Is this enough?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Freichat is not a mod, i.e., it's not a mod package created for SMF and approved by customization team.  It's an independent application that's supposed to be compatible with SMF via it's own integrator.  I've never seen it installed on an SMF forum, or remember it being mentioned here.  Having said that, the instructions seem pretty clear -

'change the variable $installed to false in ~/freichat/hardcode.php and then try again'

The Freichat files are installed in /friechat directory, you need to find hardcode.php file, look for $installed, it will probably be set to 'true', change it to 'false'.

[EvilTessmacher]

Freichat is not a mod, i.e., it's not a mod package created for SMF and approved by customization team.  It's an independent application that's supposed to be compatible with SMF via it's own integrator.  I've never seen it installed on an SMF forum, or remember it being mentioned here.  Having said that, the instructions seem pretty clear -

'change the variable $installed to false in ~/freichat/hardcode.php and then try again'

The Freichat files are installed in /friechat directory, you need to find hardcode.php file, look for $installed, it will probably be set to 'true', change it to 'false'.

The instructions might "seem clear" to you, but they don't mean a thing to me. I don't know where to do them, I don't know what program to use to do them, and I don't have any idea how to do it if I did know the other two things.  Don't have any idea where "hardcode.php" is or what it is, and I don't have a way to edit it if I did know where it was.

When I say "written for people who already know how to do it" this is exactly what I mean. Other people might know how to do this, but I don't.

If it doesn't spell out every detail on how, where, and exactly what steps to take, then the instructions are worthless. Less than worthless.

And if it isn't a "mod" then why is it listed in among the "mods" for the forum software? Seems to me you're dwelling on semantics, rather than attempting to offer suggestions and solutions in a manner that the people asking for them can understand.

I could tell you how to land a 747, but if I told you in Attic Greek and only the parts pilots already know, I doubt you could follow it.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Friechat is not a SMF mod, but the integrator is.  It's on the mod site here.  Installation procedure for the integrator is -

Installation Procedure:
1. download freichat from codologic.com
2. unzip freichat.zip to [BoardURL]/freichat
3. to install go to http://[BoardURL]/freichat/installation
4. download and install the mod.


As posted above, you have to look in the /friechat directory in your forum root (assuming, of course, that you correctly unzipped freichat.zip and uploaded it to that directory), find hardcode.php, open it in a text editor, and edit the $installed setting as directed.  If you don't know how to do any of these things, it's unlikely you'll be able to install friechat.

[Antechinus]

Could be a problem with old versions. Freichat is apparently up to v9 now, and doesn't even come from cordolgic anymore. And I bet the mod will require version emulation to install.

I could tell you how to land a 747, but if I told you in Attic Greek and only the parts pilots already know, I doubt you could follow it.

I get what you're saying, because I can remember when I was new to coding. However, to use your metaphor and extend it slightly, if I really wanted to learn how to land a 747 and the only available instructions were in Attic Greek, I'd be thinking it was time I learnt some Attic Greek. Life's like that.

I don't know what program to use to do them

This one: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
It rocks.

[EvilTessmacher]

Either I have to be the most stupid person on the entire planet, or the "instructions" given aren't instructions. Since I know I'm not all that stupid, then it must be the instructions.

You guys act like I have any idea how to do all this stuff. I don't. If it isn't "click this" and "save here" then it isn't useful.

Oh, and to the guy who said he'd learn Attic Greek, I dare you. It's a nearly extinct language. Your attempt to be a smartass fell short.

Since I can't get any help I can use, I'm either going to have to give  up on the idea of having a chat room in my forum, or I'll have to find an easier one to install. This is going nowhere.

You guys might want to consider learning how to be better teachers, and how to be less egotistical if you're going to claim to be helpful.

[Antechinus]

You might want to try being less antagonistic yourself if you want people to spend their time on your issues.

[a10]

...one should be happy this guy not being one's car mechanic ...or surgeon :O)

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I have to be the most stupid person on the entire planet

Well, Trump's got you there.

Freichat is not an SM product.  The integrator is an SMF mod created by a volunteer contributor.  Support topic is here, the mod hasn't been updated since 2014, doesn't appear to be currently supported.  You're trying to install a third party application with an outdated, unsupported integrator, you don't understand simple instructions, and have no idea how to edit code.  People have done dumber things.  Good luck.

[Antechinus]

It might work. You never know. Hard to say without digging into it. But it's certainly going to require some frigging around even if it can be made to work. If what's wanted is a one click installation, it would make more sense to find another chatroom app.