Quick Account Switch

I no longer support my hacks. Please feel free to update them and release new versions elsewhere as long as I get the credit for the original modification.

/*===================================*\
|| Quick Account Switch
||
|| Author : Anton Kanevsky
|| Works on : vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x
|| Released : Jul 03, 2009
||
|| Time required to install: ~30 seconds
|| Difficulty: easy
\*===================================*/

DESCRIPTION

This modification gives users the ability to easily switch between linked accounts. Accounts can be linked by administrators via admincp or by users via usercp as long as these users know the passwords for both accounts. Optionally, you can disallow users to link and unlink accounts from the usercp.

STATISTICS

File Uploads: 1
Products to Install: 1


FEATURES

• Adds AdminCP and UserCP controls to link and unlink accounts.
• Allows to easily switch between linked accounts from the navbar.
• Allows to disable the public UserCP controls and leave just the AdminCP part.

VERSION HISTORY

1.1.0
[+] Compatible with vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x.
[+] Removed all template modifications.
[+] Added option to disable usercp controls for linking accounts.

1.0.1
[+] The modification is now officially compatible with vBulletin 3.6.
[+] The hack has been optimized and now performs much less queries than before.
[+] Users now can link accounts without an administrator as long as they know the passwords for both accounts.

1.0.0
Initial Release (Port of Quick Account Switch by Ianomed)

The installation manual is contained within the attached file.

IF YOU LIKE MY HACK, PLEASE CLICK INSTALL

[Matt Slick]

I guess I'm a dunce but I can't figure out HOW to use this hack. I've installed it but then what? Where do you access it? I've looked all over and can't figure it out.

Need some help here.

Also, I have no idea what this means: "Example: If you need to copy ./admincp/thehack.php to ./somefolder/thehack.php, it would mean that you need to copy a file, called thehack.php from the admincp subfolder of the package you have downloaded to the somefolder subdirectory of your forum engine."

Sorry, no offense, but for a newbie like me, that is one confusing statement.

I'd love to use this hack, but can't.

a little help here

thanks

[InsaneContender]

Once installed, look on your navbar at your username. There, whatever account is linked, you can click and there will be a drop down menu listing your linked accounts. Click & Switch.

[Arissa]

One of the skins I am using does not have the <!-- / PAGENAV POPUP --> in the template does that effect anything?

[Arissa]

Ok the code I needed to replace is in header in that template.

[akanevsky]

The fact that it does not work with vBAdvanced has already been mentioned. The problem shall be fixed in the future release.

[Matt Slick]

Originally Posted by InsaneContender

Once installed, look on your navbar at your username. There, whatever account is linked, you can click and there will be a drop down menu listing your linked accounts. Click & Switch.

I still don't get it. The Nav bar has User CP, FAQ, etc., my name isn't there.

If I go to a post with my name in the "postbit"(?), there isn't an option to switch anything.

But, how do you link a name? I don't see anything in the Admin CP at all for this. The directions don't say HOW to use it, how to find it...

I've done the install correctly (I've done lots of them), but this one has me baffled.

still need help.

[akanevsky]

Look at the screenshots please, then you'll easily figure it out.

[Matt Slick]

Originally Posted by Psionic Vision

Look at the screenshots please, then you'll easily figure it out.

Thanks for the input, but something else must be going on.

My moderators really need this hack so this is why I'm trying to get it to work.

I've done everything I can think of but still nothing. I've looked at the images, but on my board NO link (drop down?) is next to my name in the upper right nav bar area.

The only thing I'm confused about in the instructions is the following:

"For each of the pairs below, copy the file on the left from the archive package you have downloaded to the path you can see on the right.
Example: If you need to copy ./admincp/thehack.php to ./somefolder/thehack.php, it would mean that you need to copy a file, called thehack.php from the admincp subfolder of the package you have downloaded to the somefolder subdirectory of your forum engine."

I write for a living and that sentence confuses the heck out of me.

Anyway, I could really use some help on this one.

Where do you go to see the screenshot1? I looked in the user profile area, couldn't find it.

I've gone to user profile fields area, users area, vBulletin Options, and no luck

I'm dumbfounded by this one.

thanks in advance for any help on this.

[akanevsky]

Originally Posted by Tralala

One minor point, and I'm sure this is fairly obvious, but it's worth mentioning in case someone's unsure: once the accounts are linked, the notion of "cookies" and "logging out" of one account no longer applies.

It works great when it's one person logging in/out of two or more accounts.

However, if in fact it is two different people on one forum, with linked accounts for easy switching, and one of them logs out... the other person can still just switch right into their account. (Since the accounts are "linked" it does not ask for that password again, even if one of them logged out when their session was done.)

SO... be sure you're okay with this before using it for two separate people. A husband and wife may enjoy the easy switching back and forth, but the price for this, is the inability to "log out" for sure. (Either spouse could easily log in as the other and read PM's, etc.)

Psionic Vision, is there any way to modify this so that it respects the login/logout cookie for each account?

I just checked, it does logout you properly. Unfortunately, I am unable to recreate the problem on my computer...

Originally Posted by Matt Slick

Thanks for the input, but something else must be going on.

My moderators really need this hack so this is why I'm trying to get it to work.

I've done everything I can think of but still nothing. I've looked at the images, but on my board NO link (drop down?) is next to my name in the upper right nav bar area.

The only thing I'm confused about in the instructions is the following:

"For each of the pairs below, copy the file on the left from the archive package you have downloaded to the path you can see on the right.
Example: If you need to copy ./admincp/thehack.php to ./somefolder/thehack.php, it would mean that you need to copy a file, called thehack.php from the admincp subfolder of the package you have downloaded to the somefolder subdirectory of your forum engine."

I write for a living and that sentence confuses the heck out of me.

Anyway, I could really use some help on this one.

Where do you go to see the screenshot1? I looked in the user profile area, couldn't find it.

I've gone to user profile fields area, users area and no luck.

I'm dumbfounded by this one.

thanks in advance for any help on this.

The screenshots are in the bottom of the first post.
They depict the admincp user manager interface, the bottom part in the user editor... Concerning the confusing statement, you simply have to upload the contents of /upload/ to your /forum/ folder.

[Tralala]

Originally Posted by Psionic Vision

I just checked, it does logout you properly. Unfortunately, I am unable to recreate the problem on my computer...

Maybe I need to clarify; I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. You might have written this mod for an admin who swaps back and forth between two accounts, and for that it works great. But in practice, I thought it might also help some members of my forum who share the same computer and often forget to log in and out to the proper account.

Here are the reproducible steps I am talking about:
User A (Alex) and User B (Brenda) have linked accounts, set up by a moderator.
Clear cache, clear all cookies, launch browser for first time.
Log into forum as Alex. (Without checking "Remember me.")
Alex is then able to easily "switch" to Brenda's account, despite Brenda never having logged in on this computer. Alex an switch back and forth between Alex and Brenda's account, even if Alex doesn't know Brenda's password. If, while logged in as Brenda, the user "logs out," the user can log right back in with Alex's account, and switch back over to Brenda's account. Essentially the accounts are linked intrinsically and if one is logged in, the other is logged in too. When either account "logs out," it logs both accounts out. I guess what I'm saying is, they share the same "logged in/out" state, and that could be an issue for linked accounts who aren't actually the same person. Like, say, a married couple who share the same computer. Each could just switch over to the other and read their PM's, post as them, whatever. I was hoping it would give each user separate and distinct cookies for their separate "logged in states."

I have tested this on 4 different browsers on 2 different machines. The results are always the same.

I guess my question is; is it supposed to be working differently?


Thanks for a great hack regardless.