How to share user data between 2 vbulletins?

[zjs2k]

I plan to purchase another license of vBulletin and setup a second forum under the same domain. I already have a vb installed. I want another vb for a rolyplaying game section. Basically, someone start a new project/task. Then anyone interested in it will join in and post his/her adventure in the proposed project. And the project starter will evaluate how well (or bad) the others doing.

The new section will have complete different admin/supermod team, different user profile requirement and different look. I imagine the easiest way will be add another vb. Please let me know if this can all be done within one license.

I would like to have visitors to register only once for both forums. It is ok if they need to login twice, but I want to limit the login process to just one. Here is my plan, please let me know if you have a better idea:
1) When user register at forum2, he will be asked for username and password for forum1. Only if the user is valid, the user information from forum1 is retrieved and automatically filled in the registration form for forum2. The user can change the registration info, except the username. I want to restrict the user to the same username for both forums.

2) I do NOT want user to register at forum2. Instead, I require them to login the forum2 with forum1 username and password. Then, if the user doesn't exist in forum2 (meaning this is their first time login forum2), the login script will check the forum1 user data. If the user is valid in forum1, all the required user fields for registration from forum1 will be copied to forum2.

The user may change their profile including email and password in forum2, but the username remain the same in both forum1 and forum2. So a user's identity will be the same.

Can this be done? Your answer will help me to decide if I should buy another copy of vbulletin. Thank you very much.

Jin

[Dennis Olson]

If you're using the same domain, you can use the same software. What is it you're trying to do exactly? You may not need to go through all that mess.

[zjs2k]

Yes, I will use the same domain. If I use the same software, how can I assign different admins for the two forums? How can I set different required user profile fields? I imagine I can set different templates to give them different look. I do not see any other way to do the other two things.

[Steve Machol]

This requires two licenses. It also requires modifying the code. We cannot officially support code modifications or forums running modified code, however can try searching or asking for help with this over at www.vbulletin.org.

[Dennis Olson]

IF you are using the same domain (URL), according to my understanding of the license agreement, a second license is not required. What you CAN do is create various forums whose look and feel are totally different. This is easily accomplished via the Style Manager. However, if you intend to use separate URLs, a second license is required.

[Steve Machol]

If there is different content based on the domain, then this reuires two licenses. If there is not different content, then there is no point in doing any of this since the forums would be exactly the same.

As per the license agreement:

"vBulletin license grants you the right to run one instance (a single installation) of the Software on one web server and one web site for each license purchased. Each license may power one instance of the Software on one domain. For each installed instance of the Software, a separate license is required. Modifications to the software or database to circumvent the one-license-one-board rule are prohibited."

You can view the license agreement here:
http://www.vbulletin.com/order/license_agreement.php

[Rick Grunwald]

I'm missing something. Dennis was telling him he could probably do it with his current license. I have one license yet my host lets me point domains and sub domains whereever I want.

So if I have my main site up - 1 license 1 sql database and want to have a set of forums only availible to a certain user group -which the docs tell you how to do, and then have a totally different URL point to the URL for those forums I would be in violation If I wanted to have an APPARANTLY separate baord on (say) pets, created a special usergroup and only members could see the pets forums then pointed the url to http://pets.grunwalds.com or Http://jkldasjkdajs.org (if I owned such a domain)

I have different content - as in subject matter. THe pets example doesn't point to (sub)forums but if it did I would be in voilation???? Even though it is one instance of the software, one sql database??? If a relative of mine wants a private area for her friends at work - the log into the main board and are promoted to see the specific forums that pertain to that group and I register a domain and have it redirect to whatever the url would be for those forums ... I would be somehow violating propety rights? I don't think so. Installing in /forums and again in /forums2? Yep - that is against the agreement, but that isn't what I am talking about

Steve - please explain - it sounds like zjs2k could very well accomplish what he wants with one license and hidden forums and whatever domain names he might want to use to point to those forums. I am not being argumentative but don't care for my understanding of what is being said - which of course could be wrong since I just finished my first cup of coffee and am not really with it yet

[Rick Grunwald]

The issue may be that zjs2k used the terms /forum1 and /forum2 which WOULD require multiple licenses. I shouldn't think that would be needed and if done all in one fourm and redirecting a domain name to another url such as this http://tinyurl.com/3xzmp(click it) should be a problem

[Steve Machol]

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. As I said if he could accomplish this with one license and a simpple redirect then he does not need to have two user tables or make any of those modifications. Since he is modifying the software to make it appear that these are separate sites, this requires separate licenses:

Modifications to the software or database to circumvent the one-license-one-board rule are prohibited.

[Rick Grunwald]

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. As I said if he could accomplish this with one license and a simpple redirect then he does not need to have two user tables or make any of those modifications. Since he is modifying the software to make it appear that these are separate sites, this requires separate licenses:

Half the reason it was so hard to understand is that it was just after 5am and I was on my first cup of coffee.

THe issue then is modifying the software - If I purchase 3 more domain names and have them point to 3 different sub forums on different subjects all using one install of vbulletin, 1 sql data base - we wouldn't have a licensing problem. I think the "problem" would be purchasing one license and subletting private space so to speak.
Sorry to get off topic. He really could do all he wants in one forum unless there is a NEED to be TOTALLY separate (Hobby and business etc.)