The hiring process, how does it work?

I am not looking for technical help in this thread or to hire anyone.

I am trying to figure out the process of how to obtain technical help from someone and what access they need to fix an issue.

Like most forums my forum contains information that really should not be made public. If I hired someone, or even got someone to agree to help me for free, what access do they need to help?

Specifically upgrading from vB 3.7.2 to 3.8.2, I did that and my custom template broke. Eventually I could probably get it working but it could take me a long time whereas someone that knew what they were doing could fix it in a few minutes.

• I downloaded a style from vB.org
• Spent a lot of time tweaking it in a few areas.
• Want to upgrade to 3.8.2

1. Do they need access to the hosting account?
2. Do they need the admin password of the database?
3. Or delete the huge amount of private data, and ship them the database that contains the template? Then restore that information when I get the database back that contains the 'fixed' template?
4. I have a test copy running in a testvb directory (password protected in case someone is reading this from vB), can I just delete the sensitive information from that, create an admin account for that database only and have them use that copy? Then try to merge the 2 databases somehow?

What do people normally do?

 

If you're really adamant about keeping things secure, you should be able to export the style and backup the files. Send these to your worker and let them work on them on their own test boards or whatever.

When they're done, they send the style .xml back to you along with the style images, and you just upload them and voila.

That should be all, but don't take my word because I haven't stopped and thought about it. I'd wait until one of the vB Mentors chimes in, to be safe.

 

Upload all the files needed to the appropriate place. Give them Admin CP access to the Style Section of your test installation. DO not give them query or plugin permissions. They shouldn't need anything else to fix the issues.

 

AdminCP -> Styles & Templates -> Download / Upload Styles -> Download:
Select: Style, Product, Title, Filename (custom style.xml), Options
Click "Download"

And it will download all relevant information which can be sent to someone to fix, and then I can:
AdminCP -> Styles & Templates -> Download / Upload Styles -> Import Style XML File
"EITHER upload the XML file from your computer" (then browse for style on local computer), "Import"

And start using the new style?

Can it be that easy?

 

Wayne! Missed your post while typing.

How do I not give them query or plug in permissions? Give them admin access but restrict all admins not to have those permissions, just super admins?

(I'm a little lost here)

 

If Wayne's method is better than mine (I guess it's easier - but if your workers mess up your theme, your screwed without backups), then you can control many individual administrative permissions here: AdminCP -> Usergroups -> Administrator Permissions... and just deny all permissions except "Can Manage Styles".

 

This is scary, I'm actually beginning to understand what is going on.

I added myself to the super admin list in the config.php file a while ago, and have never noticed the admin permission settings before.


Assuming someone has those bare minimum permissions. They spend some time working on the project on the separate/independent backup database where no posting is taking place. When done then that database has a style that works correctly. But that database is out of date. edit: also the sensitive data would have been deleted from that copy prior to the work being done

So then download that corrected style, shut down live board, update that board, and Import that new corrected style? Possibly running another test on a new testvb copy on a different copy of the database (to be sure).

Does that work?

edit: I mean is this how things are normally done? Have a working/edited copy of database & software for someone to work on in the password protected testvb directory with the minimum permissions needed, then export the work and import it to the working site? Styles, plugins, etc?

.

 

Once you want to install the style on your live site, you would FTP any images over and place them in the locations specified by the designer. Then you would export/download the style from your test environment in an XML file.

Styles & Templates -> Download / Upload Styles.

You would get a style named vbulletin-style.xml (default name, you can change it).

Now log into your live site and go to Styles & Templates -> Download / Upload Styles again. This time your going to import your style. When importing set "Allow User Selection" to No.

Once your style is uploaded and rebuilt, then go to the Style Manager if you are not there already and click on the name of the Style you just uploaded. That will open your forums in a new tab/window using that Style. Your users won't be able to use it but you can test it on the live site to make sure everything does work properly.

Once tested, set User Selection to Yes and if its going to be the new default, then update the setting under Style & Language Options in vBulletin Options.

 

Thanks Wayne!!!

You have no idea how much your post has helped me!





In case it affects anyone else my subscription seemed to have been dropped when this thread was moved into the new vB section. In case you are not getting replies might want to look around for threads of interest.