Major Additions - CERBERUS: 1 vB4: runs multiple domains with custom styles, forums, universal login

***Attention: This product is currently UNSUPPORTED***

We would like to release an Alpha version of the vBulletin4 Cerberus product. This product allows you to create one vBulletin4 installation which can power unlimited number of domains and sub-domains; while allowing to customize each domain differently to make it look like different sites or sections. Domains will have one universal admincp and user login information.

***Example***
www.supercoolautoforum.com - main site, all forums
ferarri.supercoolautoforum.com - custom style and forums, same login
bmw.supercoolautoforum.com- custom style and forums, same login
honda.supercoolautoforum.com - custom style and forums, same login
supercoolmotorcycleforum.com - custom style and forums, same login

*** Why are you releasing this, I want more features?! ***

This is a very simple product; we believe that the basic functionality provided in this product will satisfy a lot of communities - and since the product is simple - it will be easy to extend it and modify it to work for your custom community requirements.

Overview of Current Features:

• One shared installation of vBulletin 4
• One shared user account on all domains
• Custom Style for each domain
• Custom Forum listing for each domain

Known Issues:

• CMS and Blogs are currently not configured to have special domain-specific categories and sections. CMS is shared across all sites although the appearance will be different for each domain.

Project Contributors: s.lauderdale;m.biddle;a.ahn; anders

[Alfa1]

You need to configure the domain in your cpanel /directadmin. Then configure it in cerberus, like explained in this thread. Several members have posted their configuration. On page 15 you will find the last version of this software.

[BirdOPrey5]

WooHoo! Mod of the Month!

[iBaker]

Can some advise whether it makes any difference if you use www or not in the settings for this mod?

And, is anyone else suffering like me with this mod that the style doesn't remain attached to the selected domain after you have gone into the admincp. For example I have:
domain1 uses style1 (site default)
domain2 uses style2
domain3 uses style3
After I have gone into the admincp for something and go back to useing the site all domains are using style1 and I have to manually set the style to each domain again using the style selector in the footer.

[FReeSTER]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

WooHoo! Mod of the Month!

Yeah Baby. !!!!!!!!!! hahahhaa

[FReeSTER]

Originally Posted by iBaker

Can some advise whether it makes any difference if you use www or not in the settings for this mod?

And, is anyone else suffering like me with this mod that the style doesn't remain attached to the selected domain after you have gone into the admincp. For example I have:
domain1 uses style1 (site default)
domain2 uses style2
domain3 uses style3
After I have gone into the admincp for something and go back to useing the site all domains are using style1 and I have to manually set the style to each domain again using the style selector in the footer.

I have used www only on the main page or main domain. The others I have add just the domain with out the www

[KW802]

Originally Posted by iBaker

Can some advise whether it makes any difference if you use www or not in the settings for this mod?

I would think it would depend on on if you're using any other sub-domains but, for me at least, I am using a .htaccess file to redirect non-WWW to the WWW version and then in the ACP settings I am using just Example.com everywhere and not www.Example.com.

Originally Posted by iBaker

And, is anyone else suffering like me with this mod that the style doesn't remain attached to the selected domain after you have gone into the admincp. For example I have:
domain1 uses style1 (site default)
domain2 uses style2
domain3 uses style3
After I have gone into the admincp for something and go back to useing the site all domains are using style1 and I have to manually set the style to each domain again using the style selector in the footer.

Something is screwy then because one of the plugins should be forcing the style per domain (I'm actually surprised the style selector is working for you; haven't tried turning it on myself yet).

If it helps any, I have "Allow Users To Change Styles" set to "No" and then I have the check boxes turned on for each of the styles that are associated to the various domains in the Cerberus configuration settings.

[KW802]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

WooHoo! Mod of the Month!

Maybe it'll help motivate the IB crew to check in now that they see that there are indeed people interested in this mod.

[iBaker]

Originally Posted by KW802

I would think it would depend on on if you're using any other sub-domains but, for me at least, I am using a .htaccess file to redirect non-WWW to the WWW version and then in the ACP settings I am using just Example.com everywhere and not www.Example.com.

Something is screwy then because one of the plugins should be forcing the style per domain (I'm actually surprised the style selector is working for you; haven't tried turning it on myself yet).

If it helps any, I have "Allow Users To Change Styles" set to "No" and then I have the check boxes turned on for each of the styles that are associated to the various domains in the Cerberus configuration settings.

Thanks KW...I have tried all different combinations and with me using vba CMPS I changed all the images and icon paths removing the first domain and just having ../images/etc but still have the issue with this mod.

These are my parameters:
[www.recreationalflying.net]
bbtitle=Recreational Flying
bburl=www.recreationalflying.net
homeurl=www.recreationalflying.net
catids=3,4,15,17,40,66,73,75
styleid=1
cookiedomain=.recreationalflying.net
facebookappid=Your_appid_here
facebooksecret=Your_fb_secret_here

[www.recreationalflying.com.au]
bbtitle=Recreational Flying Australia
bburl=www.recreationalflying.com.au
homeurl=www.recreationalflying.com.au
catids=3,4,15,17,40,66,73,75
styleid=2
cookiedomain=.recreationalflying.com.au
facebookappid=Your_appid_here
facebooksecret=Your_fb_secret_here

[www.recreationalflying.co.nz]
bbtitle=Recreational Flying New Zealand
bburl=www.recreationalflying.co.nz
homeurl=www.recreationalflying.co.nz
catids=4,15,17,40,66,73,75,78
styleid=3
cookiedomain=.recreationalflying.co.nz
facebookappid=Your_appid_here
facebooksecret=Your_fb_secret_here

[www.recreationalflying.ca]
bbtitle=Recreational Flying Canada
bburl=www.recreationalflying.ca
homeurl=www.recreationalflying.ca
catids=4,15,17,40,66,73,75,80
styleid=4
cookiedomain=.recreationalflying.ca
facebookappid=Your_appid_here
facebooksecret=Your_fb_secret_here

[www.recreationalflying.co.za]
bbtitle=Recreational Flying South Africa
bburl=www.recreationalflying.co.za
homeurl=www.recreationalflying.co.za
catids=4,15,17,40,66,73,75,87
styleid=5
cookiedomain=.recreationalflying.co.za
facebookappid=Your_appid_here
facebooksecret=Your_fb_secret_here

[www.recreationalflying.co.uk]
bbtitle=Recreational Flying United Kingdom
bburl=www.recreationalflying.co.uk
homeurl=www.recreationalflying.co.uk
catids=4,15,17,40,66,73,75,94
styleid=6
cookiedomain=.recreationalflying.co.uk
facebookappid=Your_appid_here
facebooksecret=Your_fb_secret_here

[www.recreationalflying.us]
bbtitle=Recreational Flying United States
bburl=www.recreationalflying.us
homeurl=www.recreationalflying.us
catids=4,15,17,40,66,73,75,101
styleid=7
cookiedomain=.recreationalflying.us
facebookappid=Your_appid_here
facebooksecret=Your_fb_secret_here

I have search set to per domain and the SALT set to a 6 character string

It all works ok when going back and forth to any of the domains but once I login to the admincp I have to manually set the style per domain the first time I revisit each one

[KW802]

Originally Posted by iBaker

Thanks KW...I have tried all different combinations and with me using vba CMPS I changed all the images and icon paths removing the first domain and just having ../images/etc but still have the issue with this mod.

For my image paths, I have vBulletin in my root folder also and am using "../images/etc" path for all of my images (smilies, post icons, stylevars, etc.). Good to see somebody else pick up on that trick. As far as my main page, also using vBa CMPS, I am using some code that is not part of Cerberus to have a different vBa CMPS page per domain with different content.

Originally Posted by iBaker

It all works ok when going back and forth to any of the domains but once I login to the admincp I have to manually set the style per domain the first time I revisit each one

As a guest randomly visiting your links I am seeing the same style for every URL.

For reference, you can find some of my Cerberus sites at CinVin, VZ Talk, and Lower Pottsgrove (LP).

Here are the ACP Cerberus settings for those sites (CinVin.com is the "real" site and is where the database actually resides)...

[cinvin.com]
catids=50,202,144,556,606

[lowerpottsgrove.com]
bbtitle=Lower Pottsgrove
bburl=www.LowerPottsgrove.com
homeurl=www.LowerPottsgrove.com
catids=513,529
styleid=66
cookiedomain=.lowerpottsgrove.com
facebookappid={value}
facebooksecret={value}
hometitle=Lower Pottsgrove
keywords=lower pottsgrove, pottstown, spring city, royersford, birdsboro, sanatoga
description=Online community for Lower Pottsgrove, PA!

[vztalk.com]
bbtitle=VZ Talk
bburl=www.vztalk.com
homeurl=www.vztalk.com
catids=559
styleid=68
cookiedomain=.vztalk.com
facebookappid={value}
facebooksecret={value}
hometitle=VZ Talk
keywords=verizon, fios, dsl, verizon wireless, iphone, android
description=Verizon Talk!  Discussion of all things Verizon.

I have the setting ACP => Settings => Options => Style & Language Settings => Allow Users To Change Styles set to "No".

I have the setting ACP => Settings => Options => Style & Language Settings =>Default Style set to the style that I want to use on the main CinVin.com domain.

Then in ACP => Styles & Templates => Style Manager I have a check box turned on only for the default style for CinVin.com and then for the style IDs specified in the Cerberus settings for the other domains.

[iBaker]

KW, you may think you are seeing the same style however the 0only things that are different are the links used in menus etc - the colour scheme is the same but templates are different to have the different links and on the right side of the footer you can check which style you are using as the country name is listed...each footer template in each style has the country name hard coded so I can tell which style is active.

How I created the styles was exported the default style that had all my template changes (style1), created new standard styles (styles 2,3,4 etc), imported the default style1 into each one of them and made the necessary template changes.

The template changes were things like the navbar where I have the different domains as menu choices so I hard coded the domains into the links, I have a chat room which is only licensed to the main domain so hard coded the chat room popup window to the main domain etc.

All images use the ../images/ address.

I haven't touched anything to do with vba CMPS, its modules, integration or pages etc

So I am at a loss as to why the mod doesn't work properly with styles for my site