under Dev: Facebook Connect (Auth Bridge, Image Sync, etc)

[tbaker1980]

I have searched the forums and can not find where this has alredy been done, so I have begun development on full Facebook Integration.

Defining the need

• http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php/topic,60181.0.html - CPG Developers state no plans to Bridge Facebook authentication into Coppermine
• http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php/topic,48255.0.html - Reference to Facebook Canvas app http://apps.facebook.com/photographers/ where someone has converted a Coppermine install to run as a medium to share Photographs on Facebook. A Great starting point if I could find the sourcecode, but it appears to be a one-time deal. A major drawback is you are not running your own install, which is my primary desire with a photo gallery app.
• http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=5662650831&topic=6749 - A thread on Facebook requesting better integration support
• One of the major reasons to run a Coppermine install is having control of your images and the mysql database. I do not want to entrust a 3rd party website (Flickr, Myspace, Facebook, etc) to be the permenant home of all my images. I want something I have control over. However with popularity of the online social networks currently forces a lot of 'double work' if you want to share your images with your connections online. You should be able to use Coppermine as your interface and seamlessly share your Coppermine with your Social network friends, and not a single image at a time as the 'Share' buttons do.

What I have accomplished so far

• SSO Integration ('Authentication Bridge') - This is not in the same manner as the Coppermine Bridges currently work, however it is currently incompatible with a Bridged (Forum/CMS auth) Coppermine install. You still maintain a coppermine userlist, however we automatically create entries for users coming from Facebook (or link their existing Coppermine account with their facebook account). They only have to Login to Facebook and Authorize your Coppermine install, and users never have to authenticate directly in coppermine.
• Share style buttons to publish invididual pictures to the wall

What is in the works

• A bridge/link between Facebook Friends Lists, and Coppermine Groups. (only for Coppermine Administrators). -- This would enable using Coppermine Security Policies that already function for Coppermine groups and automatically apply them to different subsets of your Facebook Friends list.
• Syncronization of Coppermine new pictures/comments/ratings/etc into Facebook alerts/etc
• Two-way sync of Facebook Photo Albums and Coppermine Photo Albums
• When transmitting Coppermine Image to Facebook, if you are using coppermine Plugin Annote(http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php/topic,41715.html), attempt to tag friends automatically matching the x,y coords and note against the names in your friends list.

What I need

• Further Ideas,comments,suggestions
• Some thought on how I could integrate a bridged install with Facebook. I do not have a bridge setup and from what I understand the Coppermine userlist gets disabled. Not sure how I would establish a relationship/auto account creation to a Facebook userid.
• Some help testing

I'll be updating this thread with status, working examples, screenshots and a demo site.
I tried to attach some screenshots and the forums errored on me so leaving them out this time.
I had to retype this entire page, not too fun.

If this is not the right place for this post please advise where I should go for collaboration with the community.

[nhelder]

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of a plugin to test - thanks for taking the initiative on this one, tbaker! 

[Joachim Müller]

Most important from a developers point of view is the update-friendliness of third-party tools: we don't like hard-coded changes of our code, as it requires end users to modify code which can be the cause for a lot of grief. We're not fond of manual database maipulation neither. This being said (in an ideal world) your tool would be connecting coppermine and facebook using the plugin API and/or the bridge interface without the need to modify coppermine core files.

[volkyl]

sounds great, tbaker1980!  Good luck, I'd be happy to test as well.  I don't like giving someone else ownership of my images.  I also would like for my wife to be able to point to a gallery in coppermine that I also point to from both our facebook pages.  I hate the double work. 

[dleigh]

tbaker1980,
Thanks for undertaking this...no small thing!

Just my 2-cents worth (i.e. what I'm looking for ):

• I have no desire to post twice so I'd like to be able to choose that photos and/or albums that I post on my Coppermine Gallery be posted in my Facebook album. 
• It would be nice to be selective on this.
• I think that actually then letting the notification of the posting simply flow through Facebook would be ideal as far as all the notification goes
• The one sticking point would be that it would be nice if someone saw the pics on Facebook and that they then become aware that they really were originally posted on my Coppermine Gallery, as I'd like people to discover that as well.
• Alternatively, to the idea of using the Facebook Gallery at all, would be simply to create Facebook posts (with a few thumbnails and links, etc.) about recent additions to my Coppermine Gallery.  This is the way "Wordbook" does to integrate my Wordpress and Facebook and I find it to be the right level of integration for that.
  

Good luck with all your efforts!

[looti]

Hi Can you please update us on your development? I'm really need facebook integration working.

Thanks

[phill104]

This is an outdated thread relating to CPG1.4.x which is no-longer supported. If you are running CPG1.5.x then please look as the available plugins for that version here - http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php/board,91.0.html