3.4 Super administrators
3.4.1 Access path and cookies
On this page you can set up the access path and the cookies for
all forums hosted on the server at the same time.
The display is organized by « Forum Root ». You can have several
forums on the same server and all of them can be reached on different
URLs.
On this interface you can define once for all common elements.
For example type http://monforum.com in “Forum Access Directory” on
the upper part of the page. Select the forums to which you intend to
apply this directory (or click on Sel to select all forums that
currently have the same access path) and click on “Apply to the
selected forums”. Blank fields will be automatically filled in for the
selected forums.
However, do not forget to validate your actions by clicking on
the button at the bottom of the page.
3.4.2 General settings (super administrator)
In this option you can specify certain settings for all your
forums.
This field allows a member to add personal information. By
default, this field is called “Computer System Setting” (a message
will show up if you mouse over the icon 
, of the toolbar displayed on all
messages).
Since there is an internal search engine, another feature can
be applied to this field. This can be useful for if you do not
intend to have a computing-related forum you can modify the purpose
of this field..
3.4.2.2 Help description
In relation to the previous explanation, this field can give
more information about the « Complementary Information Field”. What
you write here will appear in the message shown once a user mouse
over the icon 
)
or in the member profile.
3.4.2.3 Display on the homepage the total number of members for all
forums
With this option you can display the total number of members
for all forums hosted on the server (and not only for your forum) on
each forum homepage.
3.4.2.4 Display on the homepage the total number of posted messages
for all forums
With this option you can display the total number of posted
messages for all forums hosted on the server (and not only for your
forum) on each forum homepage. Both this option and the previous one
will be displayed on the upper right of each forum
3.4.2.5 Enable the search engine for all forums
This feature extends the action of the internal search engine.
When activated, this option will extend the search results on all
forums of the server. If disabled, the search engine will only work
for your forum.
3.4.2.6 Images Host
Here you can specify the URL of a server that will host the
forum pictures which is different from the one hosting the
forum.
3.4.2.7 Absolute path to upload images
The forum is composed of 4 main images directories which
are:
-
icons: which contains the standard forum icons, like those
on the toolbar when you post a message or those of the standard
smileys etc.
-
images: which contains avatars and personal smileys
etc.
-
themes_static : which contains the graphical elements of
the forum, icons that are customizable via the administratino
section etc. Do not confound this directory with the theme
folder which does not contain any images.
-
myimages : which contains images uploaded by members if
the feature has been activated by the administrator.
You may want to move those directories to a place that is
different than the forum root. In this case, simply move those
folder to the place of your choice and indicate here the absolute
path (eg.: "/var/www/imagesmd/") so as not to perturb the forum
mechanism.
3.4.2.8 Chemin des fichiers auto-générés
In some cases, the forum can generate files itself when you
import a template or when a user subscribe to a newsletter.
By default, those files are located in the gen_files directory
at the root of the forum. However you can choose another place for
those files.
Note
Once you have chosen another directory, the URL will still
point to the gen_files directory. You will need to proceed to
redirection via Apache.
For example you can add this line in your .htaccess
file.
Redirect /gen_files http://forumdev.mydiscussions.net/gen_files2
3.4.2.9 Maximum number of Personal Smileys
This field enables you to limit the number of personal smileys
per member. Once set up the user will dispose of n smileys to add to
the messages: [nickname:number]. Eg. [:cutie:1].
3.4.2.10 Maximum number of smileys per message
With this option you can limit the number of smileys per
message. Once the limit is reached, smileys will not be interpreted
and only their code will be shown
3.4.2.11 Authorize/Forbid the [size] and [centrer] tags
You allow or forbid users to use those styling tags
3.4.2.12 Display graphical theme on all pages
This option enables you to show your theme on all generated
pages including warning, error and information messages.
3.4.2.13 Number of identification icons for messages
In this field you can specify the number of identification
icon for the tone of each message. Once the number has been
specified, you can add more icons by placing them in the proper
directory.
3.4.2.14 Forbid email and password changes
Once activated option will prevent any editions of those data
in members’ profiles.
3.4.2.15 Link to the server monitoring / Daily image
monitoring
This option builds a link to an image of the server MRTG
(external)
3.4.2.16 Ask for newsletter subscription
When enabled, this feature will activate the forum newsletter
management. A new Newsletter section will appear in the sub category
of the Administration advanced settings where you will be able to
manage your newsletters.
Check out complementary information
about the Newsletter management
3.4.2.17 Sending emails, setting the SMTP server
Here you can decide how the forum should send emails (alerts,
sanctions, subscriptions etc.)
The forum should either use the PHP mail() function
(recommended) or the forum uses another class that will redirect to
another SMTP server. For the second choice, you will need to precise
the SMTP server of your choice. If you go with the PHP mail()
function, just leave the box empty.
3.4.2.18 Deactivate slave-to-master synchronization
The MD Forums can work on several servers at the same time,
the master server and the slave servers. However, should an incident
occur to a slave server, you can deactivate this synchronization
process so as not to pertubate the entire forum.
3.4.2.19 Deactivate slave-to-master synchronization
If you use several MySQL servers for your forum, this option
will allow you to deactivate the synchronization with the slave
server, quite useful if your slave server is failing.
3.4.3 Default Forum (super administrator)
With this list you can specify the default forum that should
appear when you want to use the base URL
3.4.4 Validate all subscriptions? (Super administrator)
With this list you can specify whether you want that all
subscriptions should be validated for each forum. This validation is
not common to all forums but has to be set up separately for each of
them. You can choose between validation, no validation, and
intermediate validation. With the intermediate validation mode, you
will only have to validate subscriptions which look like multi
nicknames
3.4.5 Design/Integration Management (super administrator)
3.4.5.1 Banner Modifications
With this functionality you can place customized HTML or PHP
code at predefined places on the forum
There are five predefined
places for you to add code. Here is an illustration describing their
location:
-
Header code: Any code added to this field
will be placed between the <head> and </head> tags
of all pages generated by the forum.
-
Top page code: Any code added to this
field will be placed at the top of all pages, just below the
header.
-
Integrated ads: This is the place where
you put adverts. Those ads are displayed next counter for online
members.
-
Code placed to the right of the tree-structured menu
in categories : This code is placed at the same level
than the tree-structured menu, that is toward the top of the
forum
-
Bottom page code: Any code added to this
field will be placed at the bottom of all pages.
You can apply those changes in two ways: to the entire forums
(‘Edit the banner of one or several forums
“) or by categories (‘Edit the
banner of one or several categories of this forum
“)
Let’s detail the first method. The first field is called
“Choose forum source” where you
have to choose a forum and a category. Once this choice has been
made, the interface copies the five defined fields in the selected
category on the active window. From there, you can make your
modifications. If for some reasons you do not wish to apply your
modifications, simply uncheck the box “Apply”. Once you are done, you need to
specify the extent of these modifications. You can choose between
all your forums hosted on the server. When you are done selecting
the forum(s), click on “validate”
to save the changes on all categories of the selected forums.
You may not want to apply the same codes on all categories.
This is why we created the second method, ”Edit the banner of one or several categories of this
forum”. This interface is similar to the one that gathers
all forums, except that the source and the modifications extent will
differ. When choosing a source, you can only pick one of your
categories, the same is true for the modifications extent
settings.
3.4.5.2 Daily Intermediate Page
Here you can add an HTML page which will be displayed once a
day to each member coming to the forum. This page contains a link to
redirect to the forum homepage. This link is placed inside of a
<DIV> which ID is id="mdcentercontinue" so that you can
customize it in the CSS of your intermediate page.
3.4.6 Images Directory (super administrator)
The Images Directory is a space allocated to each member so that
they can store all their images as long as they comply with the rules
set up in this section of the interface. You can define replacement
images that should appear when a member image has been censored or
when it has been deleted.
When a member wish to upload a picture, there is no validation
process similar to the one for smileys. However a moderator can easily
delete a photo displaying illicit content. For more information we
advise you to refer to the Moderator Guide.
• First steps with the forum
• General Settings