Package README (CVS ver. 1.31)

CMFBoard README

CMFBoard Site

   http://www.cmfboard.org --  online demo, news, help, changes


Prerequisites

   * Zope 2.6.2+ (www.zope.org)

   * CMF 1.4.2+ (cmf.zope.org)

   * Plone 2.0+ (www.plone.org)

   * ArcheTypes 1.2.5 (http://sourceforge.net/projects/archetypes/)

   * CMFFormController (http://sourceforge.net/projects/collective/)

   * BTreeFolder2 0.5

   * PlacelessTranslationService 1.0fork-rc1+


   * Optional:

       * PortalTransport 1.1+ (http://sourceforge.net/projects/collective/)
         So users can subscribe to forums and topics and maillist functions

       * CMFMessage 1.0 (http://sourceforge.net/projects/collective):
         So users can send messages to one another, in real time

       * PIL (www.pythonware.com/products/pil/):
         So images in postings can have a thumbnail, instead of just a link
         to the image

       * PyXML import/export


Install

   * Uncompress the CMFBoard product into your zope/Products
       directory or link it there, e.g.:

       'ln -s /path/to/installation /path/to/zope/Products'

   * There are two ways to install CMFBoard: using (1) an external method
       or (2) Plone's QuickInstaller tool.  They both achieve the same
       result:

   1.  External Method:
       In the root of your PloneSite installation (within the ZMI), add an
       external method to the root of the Plone Site, with the following
       configuration values:

         * id: install_forumng

         * title (optional): Install CMFBoard

         * module name: CMFBoard.Install

         * function name: install

       Go to the management screen for the newly added external method and
       click the 'Test' tab.

       The install function will execute and give information about the
       steps it took to register and install the Forum into the Plone
       Site instance.

   2.  QuickInstaller:
          In the Plone Configuration, found under Plone Setup in Plone 2, the
          Add/Remove Products tool can be used to add CMFBoard.


Upgrade

    When upgrading CMFBoard using either package or CVS, CMFBoard should be
    reinstalled in each instance of Plone that uses it.  This can be done
    either clicking on the Test tab of the external method above (if that is
    how CMFBoard was installed initially), or by using the QuickInstaller to
    uninstall then install CMFBoard.

    Before upgrading backup you Data.fs!!!


Usage

    Forum folders contain one or more forumnbs (which stands for nothing in
    particular, but could stand for "forum notice board" if you like ;-)

    Forumnbs have different states, depending on what permissions to view and
    post the forums should have:

   1. public1 - members can post, anonymous can view

   2. public2 - as public1 but anonymous can reply to topic

   3. open - like public2 but anonymous can start topics and reply

   4. members - only members can view or post

When a forum folder is created, by default two forumnbs are created: public1
    and member.  You can modify these, or delete them.

    One possible way to organise a discussion forum system on a plone site
    is to create a top level forum folder, and then forum folders under that
    which will host the actual forumnbs.  Using this approach, no forumnbs are
    hosted by the top level forum folder.  This is how the CMFBoard web site is
    organised.  But it does not have to be done this way.

    A useful feature is to link discussion on plone content types to a
    particular
    forumnb.  Think of this feature being used with a news item, for instance.
    That way, any news posted will automatically be discussed in the discussion
    forums instead of seperate threads throughout the site.  This feature can be
    enabled by checking "Use CMFBoard Discussion tool" in CMFBoard Setup in
    Plone Setup.  The CMFBoard Discussion tool settings contain settings for
    which
    forumnb discussions should take place in for each plone content type.  A
    sensible choice choice here is "Only for published content".  Please note
    that
    discussion must be allowed for the content, which is configured either
    through
    the  ZMI (in portal_types select content type and check "allow_discission")
    or
    through the metadata properties of an plone content instance.  Also please
    note
    that while this works well with stock Plone content types, testing it works
    with
    ok with other products you may have installed is highly recommended.

Use of Emoticons in Business and Other Public Environments

    The emoticons that come with CMFBoard contain images and descriptions that
    may
    be of offense to some people, and not all are recommended in a business
    environment.  It is recommended you examine the available emoticons and
    remove
    those which may cause problems.  It is easy to do this: check the
    skins/cmfboard_icons/fcIconsExt directory.  It contains icons packages. Each
    time you start zope CMFBoard rereads this directory and regenerate icons,
    so you simply need remove the subdirectories you wish to not have icons in.