Multiple domains, different skins

[Berek]

I've been using IPB, though I'm considering a switch to vBulletin for my next website service.

Though the switch will have its own concerns, the primary on my mind is the use of one central login system and database for multiple URLs with also multiple skins. This way users can keep their profiles, but have choices as to which type of site they would visit from the start.

For example:

SITE 1 = Database A, URL A, Skin A
SITE 2 = Database A, URL B, Skin B
SITE 3 = Database A, URL C, Skin C

Thanks

[Reeve of Shinra]

By default vbulltin does not support this.

[Berek]

But by doing... something hopefully, it does? I'm really hoping this is possible in some fashion, though I hope a raw unstable hack is not what I want.

[Jasper Aguila]

I've been using IPB, though I'm considering a switch to vBulletin for my next website service.

Though the switch will have its own concerns, the primary on my mind is the use of one central login system and database for multiple URLs with also multiple skins. This way users can keep their profiles, but have choices as to which type of site they would visit from the start.

For example:

SITE 1 = Database A, URL A, Skin A
SITE 2 = Database A, URL B, Skin B
SITE 3 = Database A, URL C, Skin C

Thanks

Hi Berek,

vBulletin 4 does not have a built in "central login system" for multiple different URLs nor for the database, but it does give users options to choose different styles.

[Zachery]

As an FYI if you're trying to pass site A B and C off as different websites, you'll need to purchase 3 different licenses to cover the software.

[Berek]

As an FYI if you're trying to pass site A B and C off as different websites, you'll need to purchase 3 different licenses to cover the software.

Unfortunate that the software doesn't allow this by default . So if I'm understanding correctly, the system could plug into multiple URLs, but it wouldn't know which skin to choose beyond the default, since the back-end is still choosing a default from wherever you're coming from.

It's the same "system" we're setting up, but we're trying to style the same login and forums under the domains due to the different configurations. It would be pretty cheesy if we required three licenses on the technicality that someone is coming from URL A instead of URL B and nothing else is different other than the skin.

Thanks for the help on this one, I guess I was hoping for a magic "yes you can!" hehe. I mean, what if someone wanted to run multiple URL/Skins but have a common database? That's certainly not unheard-of.

[we_are_borg]

Well it is possible there a few sites out there that do just what you want but you need to make sure that you read http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showt...ense-agreement and understand the licensing for multiple domains.

[Berek]

Well it is possible there a few sites out there that do just what you want but you need to make sure that you read http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showt...ense-agreement and understand the licensing for multiple domains.

Thank you, this looks like it clears up what we were considering. In any case, it sounds like it's not advisable to run separate URLs, skins, but the same database. We may have to create entirely new ones for each and separate out the communities .

[we_are_borg]

Thank you, this looks like it clears up what we were considering. In any case, it sounds like it's not advisable to run separate URLs, skins, but the same database. We may have to create entirely new ones for each and separate out the communities .

Well like i said it is possible to do http://vbfans.com/ is doing what you want but it can't be done out of the box.

[jdj]

I've been using IPB, though I'm considering a switch to vBulletin for my next website service.

Though the switch will have its own concerns, the primary on my mind is the use of one central login system and database for multiple URLs with also multiple skins. This way users can keep their profiles, but have choices as to which type of site they would visit from the start.

For example:

SITE 1 = Database A, URL A, Skin A
SITE 2 = Database A, URL B, Skin B
SITE 3 = Database A, URL C, Skin C

Thanks

I'm also interested in this for similar reasons. I want people to be able to subscribe to a central forum (with little or not advertising), but have access to a separate forum or wiki on a different TLD where there is advertising so that they can output content to this area in order to advertise their own services, or see advertising in this area, and have access to an additional site on a different TLD where there is a jobs wiki. Reason is that advertising is a turn off for some of our groups but this is context dependent: Often they see it as intrusive unless they want to sell something of their own, or go and buy something, in which case it becomes a positive reason to engage.

Clearly I'd like them to be able to do all this from one database and manage their own preferences.

I don't have a violent objection to having to buy more than one site license to do it although my preference would be to be able to buy plug ins that I know are robust and will work with the next version of vB.

[jdj]

Well like i said it is possible to do http://vbfans.com/ is doing what you want but it can't be done out of the box.

Looks like he's doing it by using new tabs attached to different TLDs. I seem to recall seeing a thread about that on vBulletin.org (adding new tabs). I would have thought having custom skins wouldn't be a problem because you can do that in the vB4 CMS or on a forum anyway.

Seems to boil down to adding new tabs then...

[we_are_borg]

Looks like he's doing it by using new tabs attached to different TLDs. I seem to recall seeing a thread about that on vBulletin.org (adding new tabs). I would have thought having custom skins wouldn't be a problem because you can do that in the vB4 CMS or on a forum anyway.

Seems to boil down to adding new tabs then...

No Floris said it was a script that made it possible it only 5 lines long to.

[jdj]

OK...supposing then I'm prepared to buy more than one site license and have a redundant one just so that I can pass site A B and C off as different websites. At the end of the day if I do this and just accept that I've had to pay for a redundant extra license...maybe I just have an extra test forum and I make that explicit in the customer area so IB can check that I'm not abusing my license...I get what I need and IB or whoever now owns it makes more money.

How do I do it?

Edit:

Sorry this was a reply to Zachery's post saying you'd need more than one license. And my answer is supposing I'm prepared to pay the money (thereby doubling IB's revenues from me) how do I do it?

[we_are_borg]

btw a staff member said there where working on something that could do the same thing.

[Alfa1]

Yes, its in a very early alpha phase.