Features: A-Z Index

A

Administration Zone

Administration Zone

B

Banners

Banners

C

Calendar

Calendar

Catalogues

Catalogues

Chatrooms and IM

Chatrooms and IM

Community features

Community features

Content Sharing

Content Sharing

Conversr Forums

Conversr Forums

Conversr Topic Polls

Conversr Topic Polls

D

Design without barriers

Design without barriers

Downloads

Downloads

E

Ease of Use

Ease of Use

eCommerce and Subscriptions

eCommerce and Subscriptions

Extendable

Extendable

F

Featured Content

Featured Content

G

Galleries

Galleries

I

Installation

Installation

Integration

Integration

L

Localisation

Localisation

M

Membership

Membership

N

News and Blogs

News and Blogs

Newsletters

Newsletters

P

Parental Controls

Parental Controls

Performance

Performance

Points

Points

Privacy Tools

Privacy Tools

Q

Quizzes and Surveys

Quizzes and Surveys

R

Rich Media

Rich Media

S

Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation

Searching

Searching

Security

Security

Spam Protection

Spam Protection

Stay on Top

Stay on Top

Structure / Navigation

Structure / Navigation

Support Tickets

Support Tickets

T

Template Programming Language

Template Programming Language

Testing tools

Testing tools

Themeing tools

Themeing tools

Third party integration

Third party integration

W

Warnings / Moderation

Warnings / Moderation

Web Pages

Web Pages

Web standards

Web standards

Website Polls

Website Polls

White-labeling (Debranding)

White-labeling (Debranding)

Wiki+

Wiki+

Newest 10 Entries

Question What are Installation Options and how can I change them?
Answer Installation Options are low-level settings for Composr, such as database details and default language.

You can access the Installation Options editor through:

  • The script: http://yourbaseurl/config_editor.php
  • The Admin Zone: Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Installation Options

Remember that you'll need your maintenance password, specified during installation, to access and modify these options.

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Question How do I open or close my Composr website to the public?
Answer By default, your Composr site is closed after installation. To open it to the public (or to close an opened site), go to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Site options > Closed site and adjust the setting accordingly. You can also configure a closed site message.

While a closed site prevents public access, it's worth noting that users can still join a closed Conversr-powered site if they have access to the join module URL. However, they won't be able to log in unless they're assigned to a usergroup with "Access closed site" permissions. You can modify the join module's permissions to restrict access further.

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Question What is the .htaccess file and how does it relate to Composr?
Answer The .htaccess file is a configuration file for the Apache web server. It allows you to define settings that apply to the directory where it's located and its subdirectories.

Composr can leverage .htaccess to enhance security and enable features like "URL Schemes." You can try renaming the provided recommended.htaccess file to .htaccess. This file includes recommended options that tighten security and ensure Composr has necessary PHP and Apache features activated.

Note that some web hosts might restrict the use of .htaccess files.

You should regularly review recommended.htaccess for changes between Composr updates.

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Question How do Composr permissions work?
Answer Composr employs a multi-layered permission system with two main types: privileges and access permissions. The system grants users the best possible access based on the combination of their usergroups.

Privileges define broad permissions, such as accessing a closed site or content manipulation abilities based on impact level (low, medium, high). You can set privileges for usergroups via checkboxes, with the option to override them for specific pages or categories. Go to Admin Zone > Security > Global privileges.

Access permissions control what content users can view. These permissions are layered:

  • Zone access permissions
  • Page (or content entry) access permissions
  • Catalogue access permissions
  • Category access permissions

To configure access permissions, you can edit the specific resource or utilize the Permissions Tree Editor under Admin Zone > Security > Permissions Tree Editor.

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Question How do I set up the system scheduler in Composr?
Answer The system scheduler is crucial for scheduled tasks like sending notifications, running backups, and processing reports. To set it up, you need to schedule a system-level task to run the data/cron_bridge.php file at least every 10 minutes. This links Composr's scheduler with your server's scheduler (like Cron on Linux).

Composr can often detect the correct command to use for your setup. You can check by visiting http://yourbaseurl/data/cron_bridge.php?query_mode=1, which should display the suggested Cron command. Note that you may need to replace the php command with the absolute path to PHP if you cannot use the php command directly.

If your hosting doesn't support Cron or scheduled tasks, you can enable scheduled tasks to run when visitors access your site. Navigate to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Performance options and check "Web requests run scheduled tasks". Keep in mind that this method relies on visitor traffic and isn't as reliable as a dedicated scheduler.

Alternatively, consider using external services like EasyCron, setcronjob.com, or onlinecronjobs.com. These services allow you to schedule calls to the data/cron_bridge.php script by URL at specified intervals.

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Question What are the different security levels in Composr's Setup Wizard and what do they affect?
Answer Composr offers five security levels in the Setup Wizard: Minimum, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra High. Each level sets various security configurations that you can later customize under Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration.

The security levels influence settings such as:

  • Content Security Policy
  • Session expiry time
  • Password reset process
  • Password expiry days
  • Minimum password length and strength
  • Login error secrecy
  • IP strictness for sessions
  • Cryptographic ratchet
  • CAPTCHA usage
  • Brute force threshold
  • Audio CAPTCHA
  • URL Monikers
  • .htaccess restrictions on maintenance scripts
  • Enquiry on new IP addresses

The higher the security level, the more stringent the security measures, with Ultra High offering the most robust protection but the most potential inconvenience to users.

Generally, you should use these settings depending on your site:
  • Minimum: Very bare-bones informational-only sites
  • Low: Sites which do not allow public registrations and do not use eCommerce but have content managed by different staff, and are not concerned with privacy or data
  • Medium: Sites with social features / public accounts but do not use eCommerce.
  • High: Sites which use eCommerce.
  • Ultra High: Sites containing very sensitive data, such as but not limited to cybersecurity sites, government departments, banks, healthcare, etc.

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Question How do I change my website's logo?
Answer You can change your site's logo manually or by using the Logo Wizard. To change it manually, go to Admin Zone > Style > Themes. Choose "logo/-logo" from the dropdown list, which represents the logo for the Welcome Zone and any zone without a specific logo. Replace the current image by uploading a new .jpeg, .gif, or .png file. Ensure that the 'Name' field remains unchanged.

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Question What are Composr addons and how do I manage them?
Answer Composr is built using a series of addons that provide different functionalities. All "bundled" addons are installed by default. Once you are familiar with Composr, it's recommended to remove any bundled addons you don't need to simplify your site and prevent accidental exposure of unconfigured features to visitors (the Setup Wizard can also uninstall these addons based on your preferences). You can manage addons by navigating to Admin Zone > Structure > Addons. Uninstalled addons are archived and can be restored later, but any associated data will be permanently lost.

Composr also offers non-bundled addons. These addons are not bundled because they are not considered mainstream, rely on third-party services, haven't been vetted to Composr standards, or don't fully conform to those standards.

You can install non-bundled addons by going to Admin Zone > Structure > Addons, scrolling to the bottom and clicking "Import non-bundled addon(s)". You will need to browse to the addon file and click the import button. Once imported, review the warnings and proceed to install the addon.

You can also download and import addons from this website under the Downloads section.

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Question What are some of the default Comcode pages in Composr?
Answer Composr includes several default Comcode pages, each serving a specific purpose:

  • home (Welcome and Site zones): The default front pages for the respective zones.
  • sitemap (Welcome zone): Displays the sitemap, typically generated automatically.
  • _rules (Welcome zone): Outlines the site rules, also displayed during registration. The "rules" page (no underscore) is a wrapper for this page.
  • privacy (Welcome zone): Provides privacy policy information. By default, this is generated automatically with Composr's privacy policy generator block.
  • 404 (Welcome zone): The page shown for 404 errors (page not found) and includes a sitemap.
  • help (Site zone): Contains general help information.
  • userguide_comcode (Site zone): A basic guide to Comcode for users.

Remember that you can edit these default pages or create entirely new ones to tailor your site's content to your specific needs.

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Question How do I hide a Comcode page from the sitemap?
Answer If you want to prevent a Comcode page from appearing in your sitemap, you can simply prefix its name with an underscore (_). For example, pages named "_test" or "_example" would be excluded from the sitemap. Note that this generally does not hide the page from your site itself (to do that, use the validation addon to turn validated to "OFF" for the pages); it only hides them from the sitemap / search engines.

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Top 10 Entries

Question What notification options are available to members?
Answer Members can choose from a wide range of notifications, including:
  • Content Updates: Notifications for new or updated content, such as news articles, forum posts, and gallery images.
  • Private Messages: Alerts for new private messages received.
  • Friend Requests: Notifications for new friend requests.
  • Administrative Actions: Alerts for actions taken by site administrators, such as account approvals or content moderation decisions.

Members can choose to receive notifications via:
  • Email: Notifications sent directly to their email address.
  • Digest Email: Combined summaries of activity sent in batched emails. This requires the system scheduler and the digest e-mails configuration option to be enabled.
  • Private Topics: Notifications delivered as private forum topics.
  • SMS: Notifications sent as text messages (requires configuration and incurs costs).
  • Web Notifications: Real-time alerts displayed within the Composr interface.

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Question Can I share content like news and banners across the M.S.N.?
Answer Yes, you can share news by placing it on the central site and using RSS blocks on satellite sites to display it. Banners can be shared by adding them to the central site and configuring satellite sites to use the central site's banner.php script.

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Question What should I consider when managing usergroups for subcommunities?
Answer
  • Rank ladders: Use the default rank ladder for main site ranks and secondary usergroups for subcommunity memberships.
  • New member status: Set default usergroups for new members to grant them initial access while allowing removal if necessary.
  • Leadership: Assign leaders to usergroups to allow members to manage subcommunities.
  • Clubs: Consider using Clubs for member-driven subcommunities with their own forums.

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Question What are Composr Clubs and how are they useful for subcommunities?
Answer Clubs are special usergroups in Conversr (Composr's forum system) designed for creating subcommunities. They come with their own dedicated forums and are managed by members, taking pressure off site staff.

Key features:
  • No special permissions by default, simplifying permission management.
  • Members can join and leave like regular usergroups.
  • Provide a dedicated forum for the club.

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Question What are redirects and how can I use them for subsites?
Answer Redirects let you create custom URL paths that point to different zones and pages within your site.

Examples:
  • Sharing modules across zones: Create a redirect to make a module in one zone appear in another.
  • Creating shortcuts: Use a redirect to point a short URL to a longer, more complex URL.
  • Moving pages: Use a redirect to ensure old links still work after moving a page to a new location.

Go to Admin Zone > Structure > Redirects.

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Question What are virtual roots and how do I use them?
Answer Virtual roots let you make a sub-category within a Composr module (e.g., downloads) appear as the top-level category. This is useful for creating separate "databases" of content for different subcommunities.

To create a virtual root:
  • Enable "Virtual root links" in the Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Feature options > Advanced.
  • Navigate to the desired category while logged in as staff.
  • Click the rightmost link in the breadcrumbs (it will be an anchor for virtual root creation).
  • Use the resulting URL in your menus to link to the "virtualized" category.

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Question Can I have subsites and subcommunities within a single Composr installation?
Answer Yes, Composr offers various tools to create subsites and subcommunities within a single installation:
  • Zones: Create separate sections under different URLs with their own pages and content.
  • Redirects: Make modules appear in different zones without actually moving them.
  • Categories & Virtual Roots: Organize content like galleries, downloads, and catalogs into sub-trees that appear as separate entities.
  • Usergroups & Permissions: Group members into subcommunities and control their access to specific content.
  • Themes: Customize the look of different zones.

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Question What is the difference between a central site and a satellite site in an M.S.N.?
Answer The central site hosts the shared forum, member database, and netlink system. It is the core of your M.S.N.

Satellite sites are the additional websites within your network. They connect to the central site for member information and forum access.

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Question What are the advantages and disadvantages of using an M.S.N.?
Answer Advantages:
  • Full control: You have complete control over each site's settings and content.
  • Administrative separation: Managing staff and content for each site is more organized.
  • Special M.S.N. features: Composr provides specific features like the 'netlink' system for easy navigation between network sites.

Disadvantages:
  • Configuration and maintenance: Setting up and maintaining multiple sites can be more complex.

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Question What is a multi-site network (M.S.N.) in Composr?
Answer An M.S.N. allows you to run multiple Composr websites (installations) that share a common forum and member database. It's ideal for website networks with shared communities but segmented content, staff, or branding. In essence, members who join one site automatically have accounts on all sites within the network.

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