Access masks added but users cannot post

[nambisolo]

Hello

I have a requirement to provide access to a particular forum on a per user basis. These users belong to a variety of primary usergroups and are not a group in their own right. I understand per user access is implemented through the use of access masks. I have access masks enabled in the general settings. I have edited the access mask for each user via the quick user links in their user profiles. This has allowed the users to see the forum but not post to it. How do I give these users permission to post?

Thanks.

Mike

[Lynne]

They will inherit the permissions from the forum 'above' this private forum.

[nambisolo]

The forum above is set to allow all usergroups full access. The private forum has been set to no usergroup having access. I was hoping by using access masks this configuration would allow those users full permission.

I have other sibling forums that are managed on a usergroup basis (rather than access masks). I have denied access to non permitted usergroups via the usergroup forum permissions. These operate as expected.

The difference here is I'm trying to allow access to a select group of people across all usergroups at the same time as denying access to all others.

[Lynne]

It should work (it does on my forum). If their usergroup can post in the parent forum, and all you did to the usergroup settings in the Forum Permissions area for that usergroup/forum is set it so they cannot view the forum (left all other settings default), then they should be able to post in that forum.

[kh99]

I did a little experimenting and what I seemed to find is that once I had allowed access for a user to a forum via the access mask, the only thing that stopped me from posting was if the default permission (in the usergroup manager) was set to not allow posting. So maybe check there (although then that group wouldn't be able to post anywhere, I suppose).

[nambisolo]

No usergroup can post in the parent forum as 'Act as forum' is set to No. The parent forum is simply a category. Full access to all usergroups has been set at this level to cascade down. This enables correct access to other forums in the category which are controlled on a usergroup level.

I'm not too sure what you mean by having set the forum permission so that usergroups cannot see. The forum I'm appying permissions to is not based on usergroup access but individual user access. No permissions are set for any usergroup at forum level. If I was to do that it would enable access on a usergroup basis rather than individual user.

With regard to default permissions, members of usergroups are able to post elsewhere. As it stands no users at all can post to the forum.

I'll try to detail the exact situation below. First is the list of usergroups and beneath are the forums (there are other forums that all have access to which I've excluded). Only the Senior Observers and the Observers have access to the The Observers' lounge. Only the Senior Observers have access to the Senior Observers' pitstop. This works. Only a select number from any usergroup (committee members) should be able to post to the Boardroom. This is where it's failing.

Associate Member
Full Member
Observer
Senior Observer

The Secret Garage
--The Observers' lounge
--Senior Observers' pitstop
--The Boardroom

I hope this makes sense.

[kh99]

So you only use those as primary usergroups and don't use any secondary groups to add permissions?

[Lynne]

Check in Usergroup Manager > find a usergroup for a user that you have granted permissions to the forum > and make sure that Can Post is set to Yes.

You are only granting *access* to the users for that forum. They will get the same permissions they get as a default.

Access Masks: The Overriding Permission and Another Method for Creating Exceptions (https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/main/usergroup_access_masks_in)

[nambisolo]

I believe I've got to the bottom of this and access is now working as required. I hadn't configured each user's access mask correctly.

The solution was to set the user's access mask to allow access to the parent forum (I think Lynne may have alluded to this). Access was then denied, where appropriate, to other forums.

With regard to applying additional usergroups, this would only work if forum permissions could be set by using a combination of primary and additional usergroup values (like search). I think that would be slightly more intuitive than access masks for the job.

Thanks Lynne and Kevin for your time and advice.