Installation and css questions

[DennisLeahy]

Probably ignorant questions, but...

(Just setting up a new install of phpbb 3.0.12, and want to add mChat. Added it using Automod.)

1.) On a brand new board with just one user, how do I know if mChat is set up properly? I see the "Loading" animated GIF spinning, and if I enter text, and click send, it does not post. Maybe that is normal since there is only 1 user, but it seems that it is not set up correctly yet.


2.) If not on the index page, then where is mChat?
If I select the option in the ACP/.MODS/mChat/configuration mChat on index set to yes, then it appears on the index page. If I say no, it doesn't, but there is also no link shown on the index page to get to a (custom?) page with mChat on it. Are there instructions for setting up a separate page for mChat?


3.) I used the style color tweaker at phpbb to make a variant of prosilver_se, and saved it as prosilver_se2. Of course, it inherits some from prosilver, but where exactly should the mchat.css file be located? I modified the BG1 background color (div.mChatBG1 {background-color: #F96;)to something obnoxious to test... and it seems like no matter where I put it, there is no change (after purge cache and refresh template and theme.)

So, even if I get an award for the 3 most ignorant questions of the day, I still (obviously) need help. I like the look of what Sniper_E has done with the prosilver_se style (using a different background color for each subsequent chat post), but don't want to use default css from the prosilver or prosilver_se theme, I want to set up all the chat "box" colors in mchat.css. (Would I need to change stylesheet.css and fully qualify the path?)

Thanks in advance for not throwing tomatoes at me.

Dennis

[Sniper_E]

1.) Your prosilver_se2 style should have it's own overall_header.html template. You have to add the edits in there the same as automod did for prosilver and prosilver_se and then it should post for you.

2.) You should be able to navigate to mchat.php#mChat on your forum while you are in your prosilver_se2 style. The link to that custom mchat page needs to be added to your prosilver_se2's overall_header.html template also. Just like it was added to prosilver and prosilver_se templates.

3.) Your prosilver_se2 style should have it's own theme directory. The mchat.css file needs to be copied into that directory and the stylesheet.css in that theme directory needs an edit to load the mchat.css.

I would suggest you getting the chat to work properly with the original mchat files first before trying to use the style dependent templates I posted. And there are no ignorant questions unless you don't ask them.

*Throws rotten bananas at Dennis*

[DennisLeahy]

Hi Ed, and thank you for your detailed and informative reply.

In the very first phpbb forum I set up years ago, I used prosilver and just edited the css and a few files such as overall_header, to make changes. I always felt it was kinda cheesy, lazy programming on my part...and now I'm really starting to think that for phpbb, it may very well be the smartest thing to do after all. The whole idea of templates/themes inheriting from other templates/themes makes editing more complicated than it needs to be - especially for someone who only works with phpbb occasionally (the hard-core phpbb guys, mod writers, etc. have gotten past that point.)

Now that I have opened mChat's install.xml and have both the prosilver and prosilver_se2 versions of overall_header opened for comparison, I not only see the changes/modifications that mChat's installation have made, but changes that other mods have made as well - and half a dozen more mods yet to install and configure.

This was a long way of saying that - though I can see it is doable to use a different style - I am going to save myself some headaches by using prosilver and modifying it as needed.

Again thank you, and I will make banana bread with the bananas you tossed my way.

Dennis

[RMcGirr83]

If you are using automod to install the modifications click on the details link for each mod and scroll to the bottom. It is there that you can apply the edits for other styles in use.

[DennisLeahy]

[RMcGirr83]

The version uploaded by Steve does that...why I am not sure. Uninstall that version and use the one attached which is the latest waiting for validation by the phpBB Mod Team.

[DennisLeahy]

[DennisLeahy]

[Sniper_E]

Some people will not use automod for those reasons. Custom styles will have problems in the find proccess on installation. Then you have to force the install so it will make the edits it could find. Then you will have to note the finds it had a problem with and manually make those edits yourself. And in some cases when installing a mod in multiple styles with automod it will duplicate lines in the prosilver inherited templates. You have to watch for that and manually edit those duplicate lines out. This is why manual installs are prefered by some. But automod is still a nice tool, just watch for those issues.

[DennisLeahy]

[DennisLeahy]

[DennisLeahy]

So, mchat did not completely uninstall properly using Automod.

In the database, and in table _modules, there are 5 records related to mchat. I tried setting the module_enabled value to zero (in the record where module_display was already set to zero), but I still could not get into .MODS in the ACP.

So, I deleted all 5 records, and can now get into .MODS.

I guess I'm finally ready to install the newer version...

Wish me luck.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Dennis

[John M]

I have almost the same questions as the original poster:

My URL is http://funstuffonly.com/tenyoforum/

I am using phpbb 3.0.11, and added mChat using Automod and clicked for the second step as well and got success messages.

I have the chat on the bottom of the index and see the "Loading" icon spinning, and if I enter text, and click send, it does not post. It seems that it is not set up correctly yet.

Can someone please help me with this?

Thanks in advance
John M

[all4phone]

Check overall_header.html file (of your style), above code, that there is no jQuery double declared.

Besides, we can't see your mChat (test account welcome).

[John M]