Best Forum Software to integrate custom login

which will be easiest for managing users?

[nquinn]

Hi all,

Basically, I am writing a simple web site with php/mysql that has a login system. Users are able to post stories, upload pictures, etc.

Now, I'd like to add full forums to the site. I'm looking for the best way to use a prewritten bulletin board (phpBB, punBB, etc), so that the users can use the -same- login.

Basically, once they login from my home page, I don't want them to have to login to the forum software as well.

Has anyone done this? Suggestions?

[nquinn]

Additional note:

I don't want the users to have to CREATE 2 logins either... when they make their first account with my forums, it should also add the user to the phpBB database.

I've found phpbb_login(), but that only seems to let you log in a phpbb user that already exists.

help!

[jatar_k]

a few people have done this though I can't remember who

essentially you need to write your custom system to use the forum user table and mimic it's login style, set a cookie or sessionit understands.

It could be done with any forum software.

[nquinn]

Ya,

It doesn't sound too bad. I think I'll install phpBB and try to integrate that login script.

Sounds like I might have to rewrite my login system :)

Grrrrrrrrrrr

[Twisted Mind]

why dont you write your own forum if you need it so hard?

[ergophobe]

Somebody asked me to do some modifications to punBB, which I had never heard of at the time. With grep it took me just a few minutes to figure out where things were and how they worked.

It's very simple to navigate and figure out and, therefore, to hack or integrate with. Sure, it doesn't have everything that phpBB or Invision have, but if you're trying to integrate with your existing site, that's probably a good thing.

[nquinn]

I've actually used punBB before.

Overall, I could definitely deal with a stripped-down bb system.

My biggest gripe was lack of a private-messaging system in punBB...any idea if there's a plugin for it to do this?

-N

[koen]

You can also take a look at phorum. Current beta version support a pm system. On their help forum is recently a specific forum made for phorum integration (with some topics about authentication).