Contributors: A-Z Index

A

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Allen Ellis Image Founder

Original designer for ocPortal

Also conceived and coded the Theme Wizard and Point Store

Son of one of the early inventors of Internet protocols (Usenet, aka Internet newsgroups)

Token non-brit

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C

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Chris Graham Image Founder

Original developer of ocPortal, former lead developer of Composr CMS

Masters degree in Computer Science from The University Of Sheffield

Undertaken work for over 15 FTSE-100 companies, as well as many small and mid-sized organisations. Includes a number of banks and major brands.

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Chris Warburton developer for ocProducts

Made some key contributions to ocPortal

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H

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Haydn Maidment project manager for ocProducts

None available

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J

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Jim Davidson contributor

written many tutorials via Arvixe

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P

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Patrick Schmalstig Image Lead Developer

Joined Chris Graham behind the scenes in the development of Composr CMS in 2016.

Took on the lead developer role in 2023 when Chris Graham stepped back to attend to his new lifestyle changes.

Spearheaded the development of Composr CMS v11 and the new website, Composr.app.

Formed the company PDStig, LLC to take on professional support and development for Composr CMS users especially after the discontinuation of ocProducts, Ltd.

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Philip Withnall Early Developer

Coded the chatroom, blogging support, the analytics system, and OcCLE (now Commandr)

Masters Degree in Computer Science degree from The University Of Cambridge

Other work has included helping out with Firefox, and ongoing work on GNOME

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R

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Robert Goacher Image Founder

Ran some of the early websites where ocPortal came from

Technically the original developer of ocPortal, in that he wrote the first few lines of code

Heavily involved in the feature design process

Hosted some of our early meet-ups

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S

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Steve Jarvis project manager for ocProducts

Wrote many tutorials via Arvixe

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Newest 10 Entries

Question What is rate limiting and how can I enable it in Composr?
Answer Rate limiting prevents server overload by restricting the number of requests allowed from a single IP address within a specific timeframe. To enable Composr's built-in rate limiting, add the following to your _config.php file:

Code (PHP)

$SITE_INFO['rate_limiting'] = '1';
$SITE_INFO['rate_limit_time_window'] = '10';
$SITE_INFO['rate_limit_hits_per_window'] = '5';
 

This configuration limits each IP to 5 requests every 10 seconds. This feature generates soft errors early in the process before Composr fully loads.

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Question How can I reduce disk activity to improve performance?
Answer If your hard disk is slow, you can implement the following settings in your _config.php file to minimize disk access:
  • $SITE_INFO['disable_smart_decaching'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['no_disk_sanity_checks'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['hardcode_common_module_zones'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['prefer_direct_code_call'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['charset'] = 'utf-8';
  • $SITE_INFO['known_suexec'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['dev_mode'] = '0';
  • $SITE_INFO['no_extra_logs'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['no_extra_bots'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['no_extra_closed_file'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['no_installer_checks'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['assume_full_mobile_support'] = '1';
  • $SITE_INFO['no_extra_mobiles'] = '1';

Note: These settings override default behaviors and may have unintended consequences. Use with caution.

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Question What is static caching and how do I enable it?
Answer Static caching drastically improves performance by serving pre-generated pages to bots and guests. This works because these users typically don't require dynamic content. To enable it:
  • Go to the Installation Options editor (yourbaseurl/config_editor.php). You will need your maintenance password.
  • Activate the static cache option.

Composr intelligently determines what to cache, and you can further control this via options within the Installation Options. Be aware that enabling static caching may disable eCommerce features for guests unless specifically configured.

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Question What are Composr caches and how do they improve website performance?
Answer Composr utilizes various types of caches to enhance performance by storing pre-calculated results and reducing repetitive tasks. These caches include:
  • Language cache: Eliminates the need to parse language files on each page load.
  • Template cache: Avoids reparsing template files repeatedly.
  • Comcode page cache & Comcode cache: Reduces the need to parse Comcode pages and general Comcode usage.
  • Block cache: Caches blocks based on their parameters, minimizing execution.
  • Theme image cache: Prevents redundant searches for theme images.
  • Values caches: Stores calculated values like member post counts.
  • Persistent cache: Keeps frequently used data in memory for faster access.
  • Advanced admin cache: Allows admins to view cached pages while the server generates updates.
  • Static cache: Serves static pages to bots and guests, bypassing much of the framework.
  • Self learning cache: Optimizes resource loading by learning which resources each page requires.

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Question How can I troubleshoot notification problems?
Answer If you're having issues with notifications, here are some troubleshooting steps:
  • Check Email Logs: View the email log (Admin Zone > Audit > E-mail queue/log) to see what notifications have been sent.
  • Use the SU Feature: Impersonate a member using the SU feature (described in the "Testing access and privileges" tutorial) to view their notification settings and confirm they are set up correctly.
  • Enable Carbon-copy Email: Configure a "Carbon-copy e-mail address" in the configuration settings to receive copies of all outgoing emails, including notifications. This helps you monitor email delivery.
  • Verify System Scheduler: Ensure the system scheduler is configured correctly if members are not receiving digest emails.
  • Check Digest Settings: Confirm that "Enable digest notifications" is enabled in the Messages configuration settings.
  • Review "Safety listing limit": If a notification has too many categories, members might not see the full selection tree. Adjust the "Safety listing limit" in the configuration settings if necessary.

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Question Can I control which notifications members receive?
Answer Yes, you can control notification settings through two mechanisms:
  • Notification Defaults: You can set default notification preferences for all members. You can enable or disable specific notifications and choose the delivery method (Admin Zone > Setup > Notification defaults).
  • Notification Lock-down: You can force members to receive or prevent them from receiving certain notifications (Admin Zone > Setup > Notification lock-down). This allows you to enforce specific notification policies and manage email volume.

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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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Top 10 Entries

Question Where are download galleries located, and can I move them?
Answer By default, download galleries (to contain screenshots of a download) are placed under the root gallery. You can move them to a different gallery for better organization. Here's how:

  • Create a new container gallery (e.g., with codename "downloads").
  • Change the "Create download galleries under" configuration option to your new gallery's codename.
  • Use Commandr to move existing galleries to the new location.

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Question Can I sell downloads on my Composr site?
Answer Yes, the download system integrates with the points system, allowing you to charge for downloads. This is particularly useful for communities where members create and share content, like game modifications. You can set prices for downloads and creators earn points when users purchase them. Additionally, you can create a subscription-based system by requiring points for downloads, which users can purchase via methods like PayPal.

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Question What does it mean to "outmode" a download?
Answer Outmoding means marking a download as superseded or replaced by a newer version. When editing the older download, you link it to the new one in the "outmode" field. This makes it clear to users that there is a newer version available. This is handy especially if you provide software.

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Question What are the different ways to add downloads to my Composr site?
Answer Composr offers several methods for adding files to the download system:

  • Uploading via web form (when adding a download in the Content Management Zone): This is the simplest method, where you attach the file directly when defining the download details. However, it's not suitable for large files and can be affected by unreliable internet connections.
  • Uploading and referencing the URL: You can manually upload the file using FTP/SFTP/SCP and then provide the URL to the file in the 'Add download' form. While this is better for large files, it requires additional
 access, and the file isn't managed directly by Composr.
  • Batch adding from an FTP server: This allows staff to add multiple downloads from an FTP server in one go using FTP URLs. It's efficient for bulk uploads but requires separate addition of descriptions.
  • Batch adding from a directory: Similar to the FTP method, staff can add downloads from a web server directory accessible by URL.
  • File/media library (filedump): Webmasters can use any of the above methods to upload a file to uploads/filedump and then reference it in a download. This is especially handy if you are going to reference the file more than once on your site.

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Question What is the Composr Setup Wizard and what does it do?
Answer The Setup Wizard is a guided process to help you configure essential settings for your Composr website after installation.

It can:
  • Generate a default theme and logo
  • Set initial site options
  • Remove predefined content and unnecessary addons
  • Place initial blocks on your pages

While convenient, be aware that re-running the Setup Wizard may overwrite existing settings and customizations if you already configured your site.

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Question How can I change the structure of my Composr website's pages?
Answer You can delete and move pages using the Admin Zone > Structure > Sitemap editor. However, moving pages between zones might invalidate existing page-links unless specified using the _SEARCH zone in the link.

To avoid issues with existing links and search engine indexing, consider setting up redirects when moving pages. This can be done through Admin Zone > Structure > Redirects.

It is recommended not to move default Composr pages as it can complicate future upgrades.

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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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