Solved Allow only specified users to view/post (private part of forum)

sozzeled wrote:

"Private" means private; "secret" if you like.

I'm trying to create a category that is invisible to the rest of the (registered) users on my forum. But whatever I try, I can't hide the category away..

I'm using Kunena 2.0.4 on Joomla 2.5.9.

I have first tried to use an Access Level. I created one specifically for this purpose, and although im not a member of this Access Level, I can still see the category from the forntend. (I can't create postings though, so that works)

Then I've tried to alter the Access Control Type settings to a specific user group. But even when I create a specific user group for this purpose, I keep getting the same issue:
I can not make postings or reply to postings, but i can see the category.

Could someone give me a hint on how to hide the category away at all?

Oh, and one last remarkable thing:
When i restrict viewing access to the category that I want to hide away, it is not visible until I'm logged in.

I'm sorry sozzeled,

I re-did your tutorial step-by-step. The forum category is nicely hidden away for non-registered visitors.

But as soon as a registered user logs in the category shows up, even if the user is not a member of the specially created user group (just as in your tutorial).

I hope you can give me a further hint.

Perhaps you could give us some further hints about how you have defined your category permissions and how you have defined our Joomla user groups? Then we may be able to advise you better about what you have done incorrectly.

OK, sorry, I 'll try give to give full details here...

I'm using Kunena 2.0.4 on Joomla 2.5.9.

The website I'm running has a Kunena Forum for a community-supported component. We would like to organise the discussions between the developers away from the Support Forum, so I tried to create a category called "Developers Forum" which is only visible to the developers.

I did as follows:

I created a user group called "devs". The group is a subgroup of "registered". See attached image.

Then I created a Kunena Category called "Developers Forum" and set the category permissions to only "devs", so only users in the "devs" usergroup can view the category. (image attached)

Then I have tested with myself as a member of only the "registered" usergroup, but I can still see the Developers Forum category. Also, when I add myself to the "devs" usergroup, nothing changes really.

Two things are probably important to mention:
1. I can see the Developers Forum, but when I click on it I can't add/edit topics
2. Before I log into the frontend I can see all categories, except the Developers Forum, so there is certainly some restriction that applies.

So, is there a way to keep the Developers Forum completely hidden from registered users...?

Thanks in advance!

... I hope this is enough info. If not, please let me know what else I can report.

Friendly bump....

I'm just wondering if it is possible at all to hide a category away. Or could it maybe be a bug in this version?

I cannot say if it's a defect or if the problem lies elsewhere at this time. Can we please see your K 2.0 configuration report?

My suspicion is that you've changed the permissions on the Kunena component, itself and you allowed all registered users to use "developer" view permissions when they login. That's my guess.

Hi Sozzeled,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, off course I have read your guide. I guess I've read it more than 15 times, trying to copy the steps as concise as possible.
I'm quite relieved you say you "do it all the time". Now I don't mind how much time I have to invest, at least I have the peace of mind that it CAN be done..

Oops, I see you changed your post between the initial one and my reply.
This is my confoguration:

Database collation check: The collation of your table fields are correct

Legacy mode: Disabled | Joomla! SEF: Enabled | Joomla! SEF rewrite: Enabled | FTP layer: Disabled |
htaccess: Exists | PHP environment: Max execution time: 30 seconds | Max execution memory: 128M | Max file upload: 32M

Kunena menu details:

Warning: Spoiler!

ID	Name	Menutype	Link	Path
111	Forum	kunenamenu	view=home&defaultmenu=113	forum
112	Index	kunenamenu	view=category&layout=list	forum/index
113	Recent Topics	kunenamenu	view=topics&mode=replies	forum/recent
114	New Topic	kunenamenu	view=topic&layout=create	forum/newtopic
115	No Replies	kunenamenu	view=topics&mode=noreplies	forum/noreplies
116	My Topics	kunenamenu	view=topics&layout=user&mode=default	forum/mylatest
117	Profile	kunenamenu	view=user	forum/profile
118	Help	kunenamenu	view=misc	forum/help
119	Search	kunenamenu	view=search	forum/search
120	Forum	mainmenu	Itemid=111	2013-02-09-16-20-38
166	ForumAnnouncement	mainmenu	view=home&defaultmenu=111	2013-03-25-14-47-08

Joomla default template details : eris | author: RocketTheme, LLC | version: 3.2.19 | creationdate: April 2, 2012

Kunena default template details : Blue Eagle 2.0 | author: Kunena Team | version: 2.0.4 | creationdate: 2013-01-18

Kunena version detailed: Kunena 2.0.4 | 2013-01-18 [ Pharmacopoeia ]
| Kunena detailed configuration:

Warning: Spoiler!

Kunena config settings:
board_offline	0
enablerss	1
threads_per_page	20
messages_per_page	6
messages_per_page_search	15
showhistory	1
historylimit	6
shownew	1
disemoticons	0
template	default
showannouncement	1
avataroncat	0
catimagepath	category_images/
showchildcaticon	1
rtewidth	450
rteheight	300
enableforumjump	1
reportmsg	1
username	1
askemail	0
showemail	0
showuserstats	1
showkarma	1
useredit	1
useredittime	0
useredittimegrace	600
editmarkup	1
allowsubscriptions	1
subscriptionschecked	1
allowfavorites	1
maxsubject	50
maxsig	300
regonly	0
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floodprotection	0
mailmod	0
mailadmin	1
captcha	0
mailfull	1
allowavatarupload	1
allowavatargallery	1
avatarquality	65
avatarsize	2048
imageheight	800
imagewidth	1024
imagesize	250
filetypes	zip,txt,doc,gz,tgz
filesize	200
showranking	1
rankimages	1
userlist_rows	30
userlist_online	1
userlist_avatar	1
userlist_name	1
userlist_posts	1
userlist_karma	1
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userlist_joindate	1
userlist_lastvisitdate	1
userlist_userhits	1
latestcategory	0
showstats	1
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popusercount	5
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popsubjectcount	5
usernamechange	0
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trimlongurlsfront	40
trimlongurlsback	20
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ebaylanguagecode	en-us
sessiontimeout	1800
highlightcode	0
rss_type	topic
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rss_excluded_categories
rss_specification	rss2.0
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ordering_system	mesid
post_dateformat	ago
post_dateformat_hover	datetime
hide_ip	1
imagetypes	jpg,jpeg,gif,png
checkmimetypes	1
imagemimetypes	image/jpeg,image/jpg,image/gif,image/png
imagequality	50
thumbheight	32
thumbwidth	32
hideuserprofileinfo	put_empty
boxghostmessage	0
userdeletetmessage	0
latestcategory_in	1
topicicons	1
debug	0
catsautosubscribed	0
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showpopthankyoustats	1
popthankscount	5
mod_see_deleted	0
bbcode_img_secure	text
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topic_subscriptions	every
pubprofile	1
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email_recipient_privacy	bcc
captcha_post_limit	0
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image_upload	registered
file_upload	registered
topic_layout	flat
time_to_create_page	1
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hold_newusers_posts	0
hold_guest_posts	0
attachment_limit	8
pickup_category	0
article_display	intro
send_emails	1
fallback_english	1
cache	1
cache_time	60
iptracking	1
rss_feedburner_url
enablepdf	1
jmambot	0
annmodid	62
changename	0
userlist_username	1
rules_infb	1
help_infb	1
onlineusers	1

| Kunena integration settings:

Warning: Spoiler!

Kunena - AlphaUserPoints Disabled
Kunena - Community Builder Disabled
Kunena - Gravatar Disabled
Kunena - JomSocial Disabled
Kunena - Joomla Enabled: access=1 login=1
Kunena - Kunena Enabled: avatar=1 profile=1
Kunena - UddeIM Enabled: private=1

| Joomla! detailed language files installed:

Warning: Spoiler!

Joomla! languages installed:
en-GB	English (United Kingdom)

Third-party components: UddeIM 2.9

Third-party SEF components: None

Plugins: None

Modules: Kunena Latest 2.0.4

I will investigate your suspicion about changes made on the Kunena permissions, although I'm quite sure I haven't changed anything there...

...as for the "viewing" permissions:

I can't find any setting for that in the Kunena component itself. Under the Options button I can only find a setting to enable/disable configuration and administration access per user group (see attached)