Multiple Osclass Installs - Here is information that may help

[tomshaft]

I see posts scattered throughout the forum discussing this topic. Seems for one reason or another none have clean workable asnswers. This post is no exception, just additional information in the hope you can pool all the information and knowledge and make what you want work.

This is not a "Fix All". Just another tool in the tool box.

The topic of multiple Osclass installations seems to come up weekly so I decided to offer my limited knowledge about this subject.

The short answer is yes it can be done in a few ways. The best way is database combining known as database integration. I will not go into this because it is difficult if you do not understand sql. There are many sites explaining this such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_integration
Database combining allows each site to have it's own database but integrated to other sites. This would be the ideal setup.






Another way is to have multiple installations of Osclass sharing the same database. This works fine if you want all categories, users and item listings to be on all sites. Each site can have it's own theme and use different plugins with a few exceptions. The themes and plugins can generally be modified for each site with no effect on the other sites within reason. This can be structured to use one admin or an admin for each site.

 
Similar to above would be using a simple gateway site. This gateway site allows access to any site or site page such as by region, city, item catagory or sub-catagory. There can be an unlinited number of these links. Links can be represented by text or images. This would allow for each site to have it's own database or all sites sharing a database. If using seperate databases then each site could have categories, item listings, etc. independent of the other sites but easily accessible through the gateway. Another advantage of having a gateway site and several independant linked to sites is a huge gain in SEO and internet exposure.

Here is an example of a gateway site: http://www.lenaweeproperty.com
The above is fully functional. The gateway  linked sites above are using separate databases but could have been setup using the same database. Note that I own the domains but I downloaded (Borrowed) and modified the gateway theme page from Osclass.

If you want just one site but multiple themes then install the plugin - demo_themes.
This allows each visitor to view the site from a theme they chose. The same theme will load each time they visit IF they accepted cookies.



There is much more that can be said but if you are serious about having multiple sites then expect to spend substantial time researching and learning or hire someone that knows how.


Though this is quite basic information, I Hope this helps answer the almost weekly question on how to setup mutiple installations.
Tom
 

[Donsor]

Hi Tomshaft,

I want to make sites like http://www.lenaweeproperty.com

I want to make multi subdomain with different databases and share de user between the databases. I have good knowlage of databases but basic knowlage of PHP and webbased applications.

Can u share the code of gateway page?


thx,

Donsor

[tomshaft]

hello,
The gateway page downloaded  ("borrowed") from Osclass here: http://www.osclass.org/page/demo then placed in the domain, http://www.lenaweeproperty.com
All I did was add some text and link the images to the domains.
The linked domains can be on the same or different host. They can be primery domain or sub-domains.
Create a database on any host. Link to the database in the config.php of each installation.
 

If I was going to use the technique shown I would have all on the same host as the database. The primery site ( like www.lenaweeproperty.com)  would be in a folder on the root and the others would be in sub-domains. All Osclass installations would be in folders just to keep it all neat and clean.
 
Hope that answers your question.
Tom
 
 
 
 

[Donsor]

Dear Tom,

Its very kind of you.
Would u send me the gateway.

At this moment i am looking for a nice and powerfull theme to use for the sites. I am fucus on "tatiana theme" and "Tuffclassified". Do you have any idea?

But I can work on the site and the gateway parallel. I appreciate your help.

Greets,

Donsor

[tomshaft]

Ok. Those are nice premium themes. Osclass has approx. 24 free themes that are basic but can be customized. If your into specific sites such as cars I suggest the free autobilekas, For employment, jobsbilekas or masjob, for news site then, newscorp. These work nice for seperate sub-domain sites. For realestate there is realestate but though this is a nice looking theme it is tricky to modify. Of course there is always the popular bcute. this theme accepts modification reasonably well and can be a decide looking after changes.
 
Good Luck
Tom

[Donsor]

Hi Tom,

I used the osclass gatway to make a gateway as u said. www.kofeiti.nl
I like to make the gatway so simple as possible.

I want to begin with Realestate. I made a installation of Realestate theme of Osclass. Bus this theme isn't what I want. its not user friendly en don't realise my meeds. Thats why i want a new theme.

I am a ICT specialist but not a programmer. I like sites like  Better by a good one then make a bad one ;-). I like the sites like http://www.kapaza.be/

I want to focus on integration and translation en design. My idea is a user have to registration to use all the site.

If u like we can work together.

regards,

Donsor

[tomshaft]

Your one (or more) up on me cause I'm not a developer. I'm a PHP "player". Been around since before DOS so have done a lot of stuff but not one you want to align yourself with for developement. I do know tricks and happy to share so ask anytime.

Retired Process engineer. Currently VP -  IT and Internet director for large real estate firm.
 
Tom

[tomshaft]

I would give my suggestions and ideas but I have read your past and present posts and I do not understand your request.
You use the term "sub-domain". This tells me you are trying to point a sub-domain name such as  http://cars.mytinymall.com/ directly to the city search page. If so then I do not understand the problem. Point the domain or sub-domain to the approperate page be it by country, region or City. The above sub-domain could easily be pointed to any page.
Here is an example of a link going Directly to a search CLICK= Though this link does not go directly to "Cities" it still should show that it can be done. this link IS a sub-domain  http://www.realestate.mytinymall.com
 

If the problem is you are only able to enter the sub-domain as www.yoursite.com/city and are un-able to enter as www.city.yoursite.com then you are likely on a MS host. You should consider switching to a linux based host. Your provider may even offer this chose.

You may also want to read this post. The jmenu discussed in this post can be linked to sub-categories:

 http://forums.osclass.org/general-help/multiple-categories-here-is-information-that-may-help/msg44971/?PHPSESSID=a16a6da12ac99c7d62996e9f0eab96ca#msg44971

I can not help. Possibly the great ones will jump in with better advice.
Tom

[tomshaft]

There are several ways.
One example is www.lenaweeproperty.com Though this site has NOT been set into a theme. Users still CAN login from any part and be logged into it all.
 
You can install Osclass into a folder. Then point (re-direct) the sub-domain to ANY page of that installation. You can do this as many times as you like using the same database. Because the same database is used. A registered user CAN access any one of them because their registration information is stored in the database.
 
You Can:
Point a sub-domain to a city. Example:www.sub-domain.com/city
Using your MAIN website. Navigate to the city page you want the sub-domain to  point too. Copy or write down the enter link shown in the browser address bar.

Log into your website HOST provider control panel. Navigate to the area  showing your domains and sub-domains. In the domain area find the setting for  re-direct. Open the sub-domain you want to re-direct and paste in the link from the browser address  bar into the re-direct bar. Click save. Now when that sub-domain is accessed it  leads direct to the city link.

Here is a working example of a link you would copy from the web browser  address bar:
http://www.kathyfarnsworth.com/index.php?page=search&sRegion=Michigan The  name of the sub-domain does not matter. Just so long as it is pointed  (re-directed) to the page you want linked. The example above is to the state of Michigan  search page but it can be to ANY page including a city.

Without actualy logging in and seeing your host provider control panel, I am  unable to tell you exactly where the domain and sub-domain settings are..

You do not change the DNS.

Understand this:
MS hosting - Some hosting providers - The sub-domain must be entered like this = www.subdomain.com/city
Linux Hosting - All hosting providees I know of - The sub-domain can be entered like this = www.city.subdomain.com

Tom

[tomshaft]

Hi Legion,
The gateway page is just the Osclass "Live Demo" main page located here:http://osclass.org/page/demo.
You can take the source code from www.lenaweeproperty.com if you want.
The source code can be copied and pasted into your editor. Then saved as  index.html or index.php but is easier to edit if saved as an html document. Then  just add, edit and remove whatever you want. place any text or image into the  page then link the text or image to any page on any site.
You can place a link to any site login, register, search results page(s) or  anything else you want.
If you look at the example at: www.lenaweeproperty.com you will see images for "JOBS", "REALESTAE" and  "CARS". Each image is linked to the index.php of a seperate installation of  Osclass. All three could had been just linked to one installation but different  search results pages such as if you have a cars catagory, chevrolet, impala then  the cars image could be linked to the resulting impala page.
 
Once all the text and images are added and a linked on the gateway page, you  should never have to edit them because the search result page link will always  be there even if the content changes.
Being the gateway page is nothing more then html it is easily edited at any  time. Best design would be a Jquery menu containing Main, sub, sub, sub  catagories with each linked to a search result page. Using Jquery would allow  for every possible link you could need.
An example of this menu can be seen here:http://demos.myjqueryplugins.com/jmenu/
Hover over catagory 1. Slide mouse down to the 3rd. catagory 1.2. Now slide  down to the 2nd. catagory 1.3. Notice yet another catagory 1.4 opened. There can be unlimited number of "Sub_catagories". ALL these  can be re-named and linked to any page so in reality you end up with multiple  catagories and sub-catagories.
These links can go to any page located anyplace. If using the same database  then only one Osclass installation is needed.

This is the easiest, simplest way to get mutiple catagory type results using  Osclass.
Tom

[tomshaft]

 kmrpt1

I also know little sql and php so am not the one to turn to for guidance. I posted a few suggestions and ideas and created a sample site to experiment with, then posted my ideas with links to my samples hoping to generate workable ideas and solutions with no breakthrough so far. This surprised me because there are some very knowledge'd people in this forum.
 
 Installing multiple Osclass for each sub-domain and using separate databases or same with separate table prefix (db, oc, etc.) will force users to have to register for each installation unless using database combining, it is difficult to do as you want in the database. This would also be time extensive and use a lot of resources. You may want to look into database combining.
 
 Using multiple Osclass installations but using same database would not allow for separate user logins, items or categories.
 
 With my weak understanding of both sql and php, I see only one logical way which is having one Osclass install and one database. Pointing each domain/sub-domain to a specific category. I.E., newyork.mysite.com to the category of newyork ads. - california.mysite.com to california category. This is the only way I know of to keep user on same database for login, etc. purpose.
 
 If not using database combining then the only alternative I know of is to have a main landing page (Gateway page) with domain / sub-domain linking to the individual categories.

 I.E. A text/image linked to the new york ads category. Text/image linked to california category.
 On my sample site: www.lenaweeproperty.com I inserted a house image, then linked it to a specific city (Onsted Michigan) and category (Real Estate) search result page. A domain or sub-domain could just as easily been pointed (re-directed) to that same page. Being it lands on the OSClass main site, the viewer would be able to do all the things any visitor can do. Though I did not use any particular theme page for my sample, it would be easy to modify one to do the same. The point of it was to show it can be done and get people thinking about better ways and ideas.
 
 I've seen posts like yours scattered throughout this forum with no answer or explanation on doing it any other way such as changing or insertion of code.
 
 Sorry for such a long post not having answers you need.
 Tom