ElkArte Community

Extending Elk => Custom Themes => Topic started by: omBre on December 28, 2017, 08:26:58 pm

Title: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on December 28, 2017, 08:26:58 pm
one BUG question or two for me on the topic, altho I am not bot :)

Its bugging me, is it easy too have two-mode theme with button-switch ... first mode with hiden sub-forums, and the second with open in a row sub-forums, something like hide/unhide option for minimal/maximal overview i.e. beginner/veteran members enjoinment ... about the easy part again, how this will complicate the things as mess in the code, and with what kind of cloud hosting such layot playing wouldnt matter on the cache side of the forum?

In simmilar manner I'll ask about the coding again,  how heavy could be the code if here are used animated menus instead simple?
eg. https://www.jqueryscript.net/menu/Animated-Circle-Menu-with-jQuery-CSS3.html

Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on December 30, 2017, 08:55:17 am
I would go with two themes if its possible eg. one classic and one blog like menu as this of Rijitsu https://www.elkarte.net/community/index.php?topic=4819.0

could be this done like button switch addon between two templates, and is it ok for such harasment of the forum code server configuration as this 20$ option

https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/#droplet

Thanks
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: emanuele on December 30, 2017, 12:16:27 pm
Quote from: omBre – one BUG question or two for me on the topic, altho I am not bot :)
Again, if you have your own questions, it's better to open a topic rather than bump a 7 months old one that was likely posted by a spammer. ;)

Quote from: omBre – Its bugging me, is it easy too have two-mode theme with button-switch ... first mode with hiden sub-forums, and the second with open in a row sub-forums, something like hide/unhide option for minimal/maximal overview i.e. beginner/veteran members enjoinment ...
It could be doable with a simple "option" added to Settings.template.php.
And then a condition in GenericBoards.template.php to show/hide the child-forums.
For the button, it could be something like the header toggles: some javascript that changes the settings and opens/close the thing.
It shouldn't be too difficult.

Quote from: omBre – how this will complicate the things as mess in the code, and with what kind of cloud hosting such layot playing wouldnt matter on the cache side of the forum?
TBH I'm not sure what you want to know here.
More in details I'm not sure what hosting has to do with themes.

Quote from: omBre – In simmilar manner I'll ask about the coding again,  how heavy could be the code if here are used animated menus instead simple?
eg. https://www.jqueryscript.net/menu/Animated-Circle-Menu-with-jQuery-CSS3.html
Depends which menu/s you want to replace, and your knowledge of html/javascript.
Based on the assumption you would like to replace the main menu at the top and judging only by the examples given on the website you linked, I think It may be a little tricky, but likely not impossible.

Quote from: omBre – I would go with two themes if its possible eg. one classic and one blog like menu as this of Rijitsu https://www.elkarte.net/community/index.php?topic=4819.0

could be this done like button switch addon between two templates,
If you want to have different themes applied to different boards, there is already an option to do that when you create/modify a board, you can select which theme to use for each one of them,

Quote from: omBre – and is it ok for such harasment of the forum code server configuration as this 20$ option
The theme is usually one of the least relevant pieces when it comes to server requirements.
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on December 31, 2017, 02:47:31 am
QuoteIt could be doable with a simple "option" added to Settings.template.php.
And then a condition in GenericBoards.template.php to show/hide the child-forums.
For the button, it could be something like the header toggles: some javascript that changes the settings and opens/close the thing.
It shouldn't be too difficult.
This is nice to hear! simply it would make the forum more attractive and less monotone ... i'll be glad to see such plugin instead tweaking it manualy

QuoteTBH I'm not sure what you want to know here.
More in details I'm not sure what hosting has to do with themes.
The particular server configuration as cpu-ram-bandwith, do this kind of constant switching themes by more users at once will slow down the forum responce?

QuoteDepends which menu/s you want to replace, and your knowledge of html/javascript.
Based on the assumption you would like to replace the main menu at the top and judging only by the examples given on the website you linked, I think It may be a little tricky, but likely not impossible
Yes the main page to be like animated menu through wich one can choose between different areas 1.forum 2.portal 3.blog 4.gallery 5.download 6.chating 7.map 8.audio section

Quotecould be this done like button switch addon between two templates
,
If you want to have different themes applied to different boards, there is already an option to do that when you create/modify a board, you can select which theme to use for each one of them,[/quote]
Aha so every sub-board could be in different theme that is installed on the forum, if I understand good?

QuoteThe theme is usually one of the least relevant pieces when it comes to server requirements.
Yes, but again I am curious what responce will have the forum with such cloud package, probably not slow, but imagine 10k people or some bot is playing with constant switching between the themes, I guess I dont know, this could be problem with cpu and ram usage on the server, tho its some unlogical fear of mine not to complicate the things at all but in same time to have more atractiveness around ...
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: emanuele on December 31, 2017, 05:42:03 am
Quote from: omBre – Its bugging me, is it easy too have two-mode theme with button-switch ... first mode with hiden sub-forums, and the second with open in a row sub-forums, something like hide/unhide option for minimal/maximal overview i.e. beginner/veteran members enjoinment ... about the easy part again, how this will complicate the things as mess in the code, and with what kind of cloud hosting such layot playing wouldnt matter on the cache side of the forum?
Wait a moment, I think I misunderstood what you wanted here.
I now feel you are talking about show boards based on the number of posts? If so, you can already doing that without any coding required, just when create/edit a board, remove the permission to "access" to "regular members" and assign it to the groups based on posts that you want.
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: emanuele on December 31, 2017, 05:44:31 am
Quote from: omBre – Aha so every sub-board could be in different theme that is installed on the forum, if I understand good?
Yes.

Quote from: omBre –
QuoteThe theme is usually one of the least relevant pieces when it comes to server requirements.
Yes, but again I am curious what responce will have the forum with such cloud package, probably not slow, but imagine 10k people or some bot is playing with constant switching between the themes, I guess I dont know, this could be problem with cpu and ram usage on the server, tho its some unlogical fear of mine not to complicate the things at all but in same time to have more atractiveness around ...
And my answer is still the same: the theme is usually one of the least relevant pieces when it comes to server requirements. In other words: if your server has to crash under heavy load, it is likely because of SQL or other parts of the code, not from the theme.
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: radu81 on December 31, 2017, 08:18:21 am
If your forum is new you don't need a 20$/month VPS, you can start with the minimum plan 5$/month and when your forum will grow up you can always update to a bigger plan. I host 2 forums with 100.000 messages / each on a 10$/month Linode.
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on December 31, 2017, 09:03:24 am
Thanks for Your reply Radu, as moderator i'll apreciate Your advice, but still have doubts if the code get too complicated because I want to make aditional changes to the architecture i.e. double forum, double layot, download section, simply I was after choices of cloud servers with 2cpu's and as much larger storadge and badwith, I am thinking first of all about the cpu and ram alocation because I am afraid from too many spammers and bots, its sensitive matter as board in country that is almost like saudi board for human rights, so for sure there will be many side attemps for sure direct also through which all the effort in the end could end up in bin

other security concern are backup's, I am still searching for active multi archive options that would be executed alternatively through some automatic process on closed system, for now I am with one choice but manual, firefox button for archive.is, yet considering in mind email attachments as single instance archiving, but still not sure if Digitalocean has such option in their backup app Spaces ...
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: radu81 on December 31, 2017, 09:37:43 am
You are welcome, even I have a moderator role here I am not a coder or a sys admin. I have a Linode VPS and I use www.serverpilot.io to manage it because I don't have the knowledge to build a secure system an maintain it myself.

I think you are worring about an inexistent problem, don't bother with expensive vps if you will use 1% of the available resources. Like I said I host 1 Elkarte forum (170.000 messages and 3700 members 10.000 attachments and about 20 addons)  another forum based on a different software( with 100.000 messages, 6200 members and here I have galleries, download system, articles and about 30 addons) + another elkarte forum (30.000 messages and about 600 users). Rirght now I have 50 users and guests on the first forum, about 80 on second and 25 on the third forum and here are my resource usage:

(Link-5370)

as you can see this can be hosted even on the 5€/month plan, the cpu is going at max 20% and usually 1GB of RAM is enough. I use the 10€ plan just because it offers more web space, but in the next days I will "split" the vps into 2 5$/month vps, in this way I will spend tha same ammount, but I will have more web space for my files.

Regarding backups both Linode and Digital Ocean are offering a daily backup of the entire VPS, this is not included into the price. @Spuds has also published here a script that can do automatic backups to Amazon S3. I didn't use it but I will surely do, since local backups are not a good way to backup.

If you use a lot the attachments elkarte has some nice addons like: Resize Image attachments, Smush.it, and from 1.1 version there are also inline attachments into the core.

Regarding spam protection Elkarte has Bad Behaviour mod included into the core which blocks a lot of spammers and useless bots. You can also use ReCaptcha addon. To be honest in 2017 I probably got 2-3 spammers on my elkarte forum.

Let us know how big is your forum and 
Happy New Year!!!
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on January 01, 2018, 05:34:19 pm

Rady Thanks for this Holliday Greeting, its definetly eye opener, so hope this will go smootly as Forum+Portal ! still Check to see if your doctor is board certified :) ElkArte is nice but in wrong hands tomorrow thing can get stuck, thats why I am after email archiving except cloud one, I think Dig.Ocean has that option too ...

about the forum because it will be about Marijuana Legalization in 2mil. country, who knows maybe we will be on few hundred maybe few thousant, depending how big will debate goes i.e. instead going just to individual to provoke institutional talk ...

and here comes the server configuration and package, because of the matter I am mostly fearfull from ROP attacks on the software, which will clog the traffic or the cpu responce, altho this idea of mine to make this new forum as double forum (https://www.elkarte.net/community/index.php?topic=4823.msg35086) with double layot (https://www.elkarte.net/community/index.php?topic=4826.msg35063#msg35063), on top of that with download section, constantly pushing for high demand of cpu usage, dont know it will be enough supported with the lower package as you suggest Radu ...

ROP attack is main concern sure, but there are many other too, please sugest any indirect that could happen ...
QuoteAttackers inject a sequence of return
addresses corresponding to a sequence of gadgets, using
buffer overflow vulnerability. When returns are
executed, the program counter is forwarded to the location
of the first gadget. As that gadget terminates
with a return, the return address is that of the next gadget,
and so on
...
http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/return-oriented-programming-rop-attacks/
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on January 01, 2018, 05:54:40 pm
Yes this sounds logical, but its easier when asumption like mine is reseted by those who have build this forum platform ... Happy Hollidays to ya all ...
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: ahrasis on January 01, 2018, 11:34:09 pm
I would follow @radu81 advice if I were you.
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on January 02, 2018, 04:36:09 pm
I would too if only the GUI was my concern, I can try, but dont know if transfering from package to package will make mess later ...

~

aside the server configuration, if as Emanuele states in post #2 that the switch is easy, I am wondering how slow will be the forum if someone (or some bot) is constantly switching between two themes, maybe is better to have such option only for members above 10 posts, and eventually it would be nice to track any bad behavior if later someone is executing such attack ...
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: ahrasis on January 02, 2018, 09:18:36 pm
I think switching themes won't slow your forum down. And bad behaviour should already be logged by default in ElkArte.
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on January 03, 2018, 11:50:59 am
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: ahrasis on January 03, 2018, 10:37:30 pm
You could use an index.html as your main page and put all the links you want in there. Or better still, you can use Simple Portal to do that.
Title: Re: Themes questions
Post by: omBre on October 15, 2019, 09:34:29 am
Just to Say Hi All ... and ask regarding this earlier dilemma quoted bellow my question > can I integrate in the Portal Page an animated menu via php or html (https://community.adobe.com/t5/Muse/Muse-Export-Site-as-PHP-NOT-HTML/m-p/9011623#M16809) code from Adobe Muse, as easy and fast way to get animated menu through adequate muse plugin!?

Gooey Menu Widget from Muse - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgXlu_ga2QE

Quote from: omBre –
    is there option in ElkArte to have welcome page as main page through which as I said main page will be animated menu through which one can choose between different areas 1.forum 2.portal 3.blog 4.gallery 5.download 6.chating 7.map 8.audio section

    • Quote
      Quoteeg. https://www.jqueryscript.net/menu/Animated-Circle-Menu-with-jQuery-CSS3.html
      Depends which menu/s you want to replace, and your knowledge of html/javascript.
      Based on the assumption you would like to replace the main menu at the top and judging only by the examples given on the website you linked, I think It may be a little tricky, but likely not impossible.
    just to add, I dont want animated menus, but separate first/home page with slogans, friends, greetings etc. where in its center on top there will be animated menu linked to the board menu strings
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