port to BLOG:CMS

[doc-dj]

I am running BLOG:CMS and wish to replace the Singapore PG support with Coppermine. I would like to see a port for BLOG:CMS or a set of instructions to modify some version of CPG to run under BLOG:CMS.

[Joachim Müller]

We don't create ports. We don't like them, because in the past they have caused us only grief. We maintain and develop a standalone app instead that can be bridged with other apps (in terms of user-authentification, not in visual terms). The solution would be writing a bridge for that particular app (posting links helps btw., so I guess you're refering to http://blogcms.com/). You have to understand though that there's a myriad of web apps that people ask for bridge files to be written. We (the coppermine dev team) simply can't do this, just because of the sheer numbers of possible candidates. Bridge files that come with coppermine are those for the major web apps or the ones coppermine devs have a personal interesst in. For the vast majority of apps, we have to rely on user contributions. In other words: if you need that particular bridge file, you will have to write it yourself (or hire someone to do this, or suggest someone of your community should do it). We (again: the coppermine dev team) won't. We're looking forward to your contribution though.

[doc-dj]

Thanks for the quick reply. I fully understand your position. I am, unfortunately, a newbie to PHP anf my full-time job doesn't give me time to do an honest job of creating a bridge for others. I was hoping, though that you could give some hints on what had to be done to create a bridge (at least for myself). Maybe a "bridge-creation" tutorial??? Others may find it useful too.

[Joachim Müller]

If it was that easy, we would do so. Alas, it isn't. You have to understand both Coppermine and the other app you're bridging with, and you need PHP skills to accomplish this. If it just was something that could be put into a tutorial, we could easily come up with a bridge file in a matter of seconds or minutes. Although writing bridge files is not rocket science, you can't ask NASA to write a tutorial how to fly to the moon and back .
Best bet is to take a look at the existing bridge files to understand what bridging does. Simplest bridge file available is the one for punBB. Basically, you have to "tell" coppermine what database tables of the other app is being used to store user account data, what database fields contain what piece of information etc.
Coppermine then drops the user management it comes with in favour of the user management of the bridged app - that's all (sounds easy, doesn't it ).

[doc-dj]

Maybe you just helped me do it. One of the plug-ins in BLOG:CMS is PunBB, which I have running. Would the PunBB bridge work? And if so, where can I find it (and the other bridges you reference)?

[Joachim Müller]

I don't know if the punbb bridge will work if punbb is embedded into your blog app - find it out and then tell us. Download coppermine (link at top of page), unzip it, read the docs and install as suggested there. The bridge files reside in a folder named "bridge". Please understand that we have a strict "no support in feature requests" policy, while this thread is more and more becoming a support thread.