Permissions: limiting certain forums (but not all!) to logged in users

SomethingEllie

I've found several threads indicating that I should be able to do this by just setting custom permissions for guest users, for each category, but it doesn't actually work that way. It's a little more complicated than normal because it's an imported forum from phpBB3, and I had to use SQL database editing to restore the original roles so there even WAS one for guests.

It's kind of important that I be able to at least keep Google from indexing discussions in a particular category; it's a creative writing sub forum and users are concerned that posting to a Google indexed board may technically constitute publication. Also, it would be nice to have a moderator/administrator only "backstage" forum like we did before. As it is I can hide forums from registered members but not from guests.

I'm running the beta 3.

SomethingEllie

Wow, this is really screwed up - somehow guests can access the freaking DASHBOARDS. Not all of it, but some.

vrijvlinder

Guests should never have any permission beside view.

Avoid compounding roles

An admin can do anything even what mods do.

Mods should only be mods. If you want to give them more permissions make them admin but don't create roles like Admin moderator . Or Member moderator .

peregrine

this references 2.0.18.x (just do the same thing with 2.1b3

• step 1

http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/comment/189356/#Comment_189356

• step 2

then look at these.
http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/21620/the-default-permission-settings

if you follow these two steps above and start from scratch, you might be better of.

then create custom category permissions for categories you want private by turning off guest viewing for that category..

SomethingEllie

@vrijvlinder said:
Guests should never have any permission beside view.

Avoid compounding roles

An admin can do anything even what mods do.

Mods should only be mods. If you want to give them more permissions make them admin but don't create roles like Admin moderator . Or Member moderator .

Yeah, that's what I have set up. Everyone is a member or administrator, nothing else.

I did the permissions table copy thing that was suggested and it doesn't seem to help here - unless I'm misunderstanding which tables to copy. I copied the table that defines roles, and then used manual editing and shell scripts to search/replace user roles. Are there other parts of the permission system in different tables?

peregrine

psot screenshots of your dashboard permissions from each role

the post your userroles tables.

SomethingEllie

I figured out what was wrong - I needed to reset PERMISSIONS as well as roles to default. I copied the GDN_Permissions table from an empty/default installation and replaced the GDN_Permissions on my active forum, and it was all good. I would suggest that this advice be added to the documentation for the Porter stuff, perhaps? Anyway, thanks for the help, all!