MyBB Community Forums

If you are refering to the "Steven's Direct Plugin Manager", this is a VERY basic plugin manager. Not even able to verify if a plugin is still activated before deleting the file, then it could mess many files doing so. It is also only able to upload a single PHP file, nothing compare to mine.

My plugin is a lot more safer for plugins management and the admins must see the readme and license files before completing the installation. This is a lot better for the plugins developpers...

What makes it better than the old fashioned FTP, chmod, activate?

Nothing I still like FTP upload I do admit a .zip way would be faster buy by what a couple if minutes that's just lazy if you can't open FTP upload it and go to admin do and activate

(2010-01-03, 06:45 AM)labrocca Wrote: [ -> ]What makes it better than the old fashioned FTP, chmod, activate?

First, because the user have the obligation to see the readme and license file content before installing the plugin!

Second, because less errors could occur by inattention or mistake. Then less support to give here and on the developper site.

Third, because there is less manipulation of all the files, everything is done in two easy steps. You choose the file to upload, have a look at its content to see the directory structure, files in them and the readme/license content. Then you decide if you want to install it, everything is done with two button clicks.

Fourth, deletion of a plugin is done in a very safe way reducing the possibility of remnants of code staying in themes or elsewere. The plugin will be verified for all its internal functions and its own state before deletion. If needed it will be disactivated and/or uninstalled before beeing deleted physicaly.

So i really wonder why so many people are fighting to keep the plugin management more difficult and unsafe?

Many users having difficulties just installing MyBB have asked other people for their help to achieve the installation for them. They have the same difficulties with the plugins, beeing real newbies and often not knowing what is FTP. I strongly believe that we should care for the less technical people here.

Anyway, as a software engineer i feel that i prefer myself to use my Plugin Manager in my AdminCP, rather than having to : Open my ZIP application to see the content of my ZIP, unzip the ZIP file, click on the readme file to see what is in it, click on the license file to know about my obligations, then open my FTP client on my computer, select the proper directory for the local and remote location, upload all directories to MyBB, changing some permissions, goto my browser and get into MyBB AdminCP to do the rest of the process.

Honestly, if i was not a developper i would prefer to pay 5$ to relieve me of the burden of the old way and minimize the potential errors of all the previous steps to install dozens of plugins.

Uploading external files that can control just about every aspect of the forum should be left to those with FTP access. Admin CP access is too high a security risk.

(2010-01-03, 04:32 PM)exdiogene Wrote: [ -> ]First, because the user have the obligation to see the readme and license file content before installing the plugin!

So your plugin will open and display text, HTML, Word, and PDF documents, where applicable?

Quote:Second, because less errors could occur by inattention or mistake. Then less support to give here and on the developper site.

What if your installer isn't coded correctly? How does it know where which files go if the structure is incorrect?

Quote:Third, because there is less manipulation of all the files, everything is done in two easy steps. You choose the file to upload, have a look at its content to see the directory structure, files in them and the readme/license content. Then you decide if you want to install it, everything is done with two button clicks.

That looks like more than 2 steps to me. FTP is the same number of steps. Upload to correct locations, install.

Quote:Fourth, deletion of a plugin is done in a very safe way reducing the possibility of remnants of code staying in themes or elsewere. The plugin will be verified for all its internal functions and its own state before deletion. If needed it will be disactivated and/or uninstalled before beeing deleted physicaly.

I don't know why someone would delete a plugin without deactivating it.

Quote:So i really wonder why so many people are fighting to keep the plugin management more difficult and unsafe?

It's only slightly more difficult, but if you managed to get the forums installed you should be able to manage just fine. Also, anyone who gains AdminCP access can now do virtually anything, because anyone can upload plugins and manipulate the database, and files too. I don't see how this is safer.

Quote:Many users having difficulties just installing MyBB have asked other people for their help to achieve the installation for them. They have the same difficulties with the plugins, beeing real newbies and often not knowing what is FTP. I strongly believe that we should care for the less technical people here.

If you can't upload your script to your web server, you should wait a little while longer and learn how to before starting a website.

Quote:Anyway, as a software engineer i feel that i prefer myself to use my Plugin Manager in my AdminCP, rather than having to : Open my ZIP application to see the content of my ZIP, unzip the ZIP file, click on the readme file to see what is in it, click on the license file to know about my obligations, then open my FTP client on my computer, select the proper directory for the local and remote location, upload all directories to MyBB, changing some permissions, goto my browser and get into MyBB AdminCP to do the rest of the process.

Each to their own.

Quote:Honestly, if i was not a developper i would prefer to pay 5$ to relieve me of the burden of the old way and minimize the potential errors of all the previous steps to install dozens of plugins.

Pay $5 to save myself 1-2 minutes per plugin, tops? No thanks.

(2010-01-03, 04:40 PM)Zash Wrote: [ -> ]Uploading external files that can control just about every aspect of the forum should be left to those with FTP access. Admin CP access is too high a security risk.

You must be a "super-admin" to use my "Plugin Manager" located in the AdminCP, so there is no safety issue as you mention...

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Scoutie44,

my plugin is mostly done for people like zDawg32, the OP clearly proove that some users would like that.

So as you said : "Each to their own."

I think that it's already easy enough, really. So I would say no to this.

To be honest, I don't see this being a massive feature for MyBB. There's a big difference between auto-upgrade and auto-installing a plugin though...

Why we need it?
Look at the phpBB mod system.. sooo hard to install, you need to do a lot of changes.
The MyBB system is the best one. Simple.