Feedback on issues found with 2.1.7-b3 installation

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Hi,

We've been looking around for a nice open-source, Java-based forum implementation, and it seems that JForum beats the others hands-down, so first off congrats on a great-looking project. I especially applaud the idea of having an "installer.jsp" take you through the (most common) installation options, including running the DB scripts for the various DB types, and the fact that you've included the DB model as a gif is very thoughtful.

Having said that, I came across several issues during the installation of version 2.1.7-b3. I'm sure you're aware of these, and I've seen fixes to some mentioned in other posts, but since the "feedback" link on http://www.jforum.net/download.jsp seems to be dead, I thought it might help someone else (be it a dev or a fellow "installer") if I wrote down my findings (from a first-installer-point-of-view, so to speak) and posted them here.

1) Log error:

[...]
11:33:38,875  INFO [FileMonitor         ] Watching [tomcat...]\webapps\jforum-2.1.7-b3/WEB-INF/config/SystemGlobals.properties
log4j:WARN No appenders could be found for logger (com.mchange.v2.log.MLog).
log4j:WARN Please initialize the log4j system properly.

Seems the MLog is referenced as a fallback log by c3p0-0.9.1-pre9.jar (under /jforum/WEB-INF/lib). (Looking at log4j.xml, I noticed that the log file is hardcoded as "c:/tmp/jforum.log", by the way, not sure whether that's intentional; maybe that file's location could be chosen during installation as well?)

2) First call
Calling http://localhost:8080/jforum-2.1.7-b3 or http://localhost:8080/jforum-2.1.7-b3/index.htm doesn't do anything initially (may be confusing for people who haven't read the installation guide page at this stage). Perhaps a redirect to install.jsp if it's not installed yet would be nice?

3) Encountered the known write access error
I saw https://coderanch.com/t/576958 for the fix and copied the __index.redirect file into jforum's directory, which fixed the problem. But without trying to sound disrespectful, it's a zip that's being downloaded and it seems the problem has been known for quite some time - is it really that hard to add the missing file to the zip so that future downloaders won't have the same problem? ;)

4) Eclipse project
Created new Eclipse jforum project (from the download with source code) and noticed that there are 5 jars that are being referenced but which haven't been included (should be under /jforum/WEB-INF/lib): jboss-cache-1.2.4.jar, jboss-common.jar, jboss-jmx.jar, jboss-system.jar, and jgroups-all-2.2.9-beta2.jar. We don't use JBoss (we use Tomcat), but since the project can't be built until they're present, I placed the closest matches I could find in the lib directory, though I had to use an older version of jboss-cache and jgroups-2.2.7. (Wasn't easy finding those without having JBoss installed...)

Guess that's it for now, hope it can be of some help to someone...

Cheers,

Amos
[originally posted on jforum.net by Amos]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

Hi Amos,

Thank you for reporting this in detail. We are aware of the issues. The case is that we are doing a complete rewrite of JForum now (v3). I think most of these problems will not be a problem there. But I will have it in mind.

/Jakob
[originally posted on jforum.net by lazee]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

So, should we understand that due to version 3 development, none of the existing issues with version 2.1.7 will be addressed?

Those missing 5 jars can be obtained from the CVS. That's what I did.

Then, I tried to implement the cookie-based SSO, and there is an import of a deprecated file in the example code. I have reported this in detail elsewhere, more than once, and gotten no response whatsoever. I've even offered to pay someone for some support - all to no avail.

This is becoming really troublesome, as I have to go live with something on a commercial website in another 2 weeks. So, I guess troublesome is an understatement at this point.

Can someone at least acknowledge that they are reading these posts?

Jennifer
[originally posted on jforum.net by jenamon]

[Migrated From Jforum.net]

lazee wrote:Hi Amos,

Thank you for reporting this in detail. We are aware of the issues. The case is that we are doing a complete rewrite of JForum now (v3). I think most of these problems will not be a problem there. But I will have it in mind.

/Jakob

Hi Jakob,

Thanks for the reply - I'd almost given up hoping for one . (The "notify when reply is posted" option didn't seem to work, btw, I never received an email.)

Glad to hear you're aware of the issues and busy working on the new version. Any ETA on version 3 yet? Sounds like it's almost not worth trying to get SSO working in 2.1.7 if everything is going to be overhauled. I'm now several man-days into the attempt, though (working on integrating JForum with our existing framework whenever other projects allow for a breather), and it sure would have been nice to know what you said when I started.

Would it really be that hard to a) post a sticky note in this "Downloading/Installing" forum, saying that development on version 2 has ceased and to wait for version 3 (assuming it's not much longer), or to b) at least include those missing files in the zip that's being offered for download and update the SSO-related pages for the current version?

I know exactly what it's like to work on a new version of software, being reluctant to spend time on the "old, outdated stuff" because it's not going to be used much longer anyway. Yet I can well understand the frustration of Jennifer and other posters who sort of feel as though they're talking to a wall....

I'm now downloading the latest beta, very uncertain what to expect, though. Incidentally, the link on the "Beta releases" page near the bottom, reading "installing the latest beta release", leads to http://www.jforum.net/doc/UpgradingFrom2.1.6To2.1.7 - doesn't sound like it's what I'm after. The other link, where it says, "Other advices and upgrade instructions are available at Installing the latest beta release", leads to a page with the following:
"InstallingTheLatestBetaRelease
This page does not exist. Why don't you go and create it?"

Some sort of encouragement that I haven't completely wasted my time with JForum would be nice right about now...
[originally posted on jforum.net by Amos]