FAQs Access-Manager
Installation / update
Error: 'Could not create directory, Warning! Failed to move file'
Check your directory premissions:
'help' > 'System info' > 'Directory Permissions'
All least these folders should be writeable:
- administrator/components/
- administrator/language/en-GB/
- components/
- plugins/
- plugins/system/
- tmp/
You can also enable the FTP layer and try to install again.
Error: 'Path does not point to a valid folder' 'Could not find a Joomla! XML setup file' 'File...does not exist'
You are probably dealing with a corrupt download. Both Symantec and McAfee are known to corrupt downloads with certain settings. They can also corrupt the extensions send and received by email. So try this: go to the download area, disable the firewall/virusscanner, download the file, enable the firewall/virusscanner.
How to update?
- Download the component.
free- and trial-version
pro-version - Install the component over the old component (no need to uninstall first).
This will also install the Access-Manager system plugin.
Do I lose my settings and configuration when updating or upgrading?
No. All configuration and settings will remain in the database.
If you are updating from free- to trial-version, or trial- to pro-version, just install the new version over the old version.
End faq
Configuration
Can I set restrictions for users instead of groups/accesslevels?
No. Rights can only be applied to these groups/accesslevels and not to individual users.Not all of the restriction/configuration-settings are saved?
You saved restriction-settings or the configuration-page, but not all settings are saved.
This happens when you have a PHP-plugin on the server which limits the number of post-variables being parsed. For example, there are 60 input fields on a page, but it only parses 50. So some fields get saved, others are not. A PHP-plugin known to cause this behaviour is 'suhosin'.
How to check if you have this plugin:
- login as a super administrator on the backend of your site
- go to 'help' >'system info' > 'PHP information'
- Search for 'suhosin'
Solution:
Disable this plugin or change settings so it allows large numbers of post-variables.
Changed parameters in suhosin.ini to:suhosin.post.max_vars = 300 (default 200)
suhosin.request.max_vars = 300 (default 200)
What might also work is to set:
SecFilterEngine Off
SecFilterScanPOST Off
in .htaccess
Users get 'no access' when they should have access
First check if the user is really assigned to the correct groups/accesslevels on page 'users'.
Second. Check which restriction type is restricting access and double check the rights settings.
Check in the Access-Manager configuration which of the restriction-types are activated. Disable one and try again. If the user still has no access, disable another restriction-type. Keep going untill the user gets access. Keep enable/disable-ing restriction types until you know which restriction-type is preventing access.
Double check if the group/level has the correct rights.
Note that rights can be reversed per restriction-type. So that a selected content-group/level become a restriction instead of a access right.
There could be overlapping restrictions ('article access' and 'category access'). So read carefully in the configuration for the restriction type.
Note that users can be assigned to more then one group. You can configure per restriction-type how Access-Manager should deal with access in those cases. So read carefully in the configuration at 'multigroup access requirement'.
Where do I start? I don't understand how to start configuring this.
There are so many different ways you can configure Access-Manager, it is just impossible to create a step by step manual for each of them. Start with only one restriction-type ('article access') as access rights can overlap and get really complicated. So build up rights one at a time and read the configuration options very carefully. It is easy to totally disable your site with a few clicks. However, this is a basic example to see how this works:- Go to the frontend of the site and view the frontpage when not logged in. Take note of the title of one article.
- Go to 'configuration' and set 'based on' to 'usergroups', if that is not set already and click 'save'.
- Go to 'article access'.
- In the configuration-slider, enable the access-type and select 'reverse access' and click 'save'.
- Select the one article from the frontpage for usergroup 'public'.
As access is reserved, the group will NOT have access to the article. - Go to the frontpage and refresh the page (F5). Note that the article is not displayed anymore.
End faq
Pre/post sale
On how many websites can I use the pro-version?
There is no limit. Use it on as many sites as you like.
Is the pro-version encrypted?
no.Does the pro-version need Ioncube?
No. The pro version is un-encrypted and does not need Ioncube. Only the trial version is encrypted. The free and the pro-version are not encrypted and do not need Ioncube on the server.
Is there a trial-version available?
Yes. You can download the trial-version on the project page. You can use this extension unlimited on localhost. If used online it can be used for a few weeks.free-version pro-version, what is the difference?
| free | pro | |
|---|---|---|
| frontend viewing access | ||
| menu-item/page access | x | |
| component access | x | x |
| module access (hide modules when user has no access) | x | |
| article access (specific articles)(hide article when user has no access) | x | x |
| articles by category | x | |
|
parts of articles and templates |
x | x |
| backend editting access | ||
| component | x | x |
I purchased this extension, how to download?
After payment is confirmed you login and click in the right column on 'my extensions'. Then click on your purchase and download the files.Joomla 1.6/1.7/2.5 has some ACL. Why use Access-Manager?
Because in 1.6/1.7/2.5 you can only set access for ONE accesslevel per article/module/menu-item/etc. In Access-Manager you can assign those to as many groups or levels as you like. The classic workaround would be to create double content, which is a nightmare for administrators and for users assigned to more then 1 accesslevel (as they will see double content).
What is the difference between Access-manager and Frontend-User-Access?
Access-Manager overrides the Joomla accesslevels, FUA does not.
FUA only restricts the viewing of content. To view content, the user needs Joomla viewing access. FUA thus creates an extra viewing-access-level underneath the Joomla levels, whereas Access-Manager overrides the Joomla accesslevels.
Access-Manager uses native Joomla usergroups and accesslevels.
FUA uses its own FUA-usergroups.
End faq
Known issues
What are the system requirements?
- Joomla 1.6/1.7/2.5 fully and correct installed
- No restrictions in the number of posts (read more)
- PHP 5 or later
- Cache needs to be disabled in Joomla global configration
Your server might be configured to limit the number of posts
You saved restriction-settings or the configuration-page, but not all settings are saved.
This happens when you have a PHP-plugin on the server which limits the number of post-variables being parsed. For example, there are 60 input fields on a page, but it only parses 50. So some fields get saved, others are not. A PHP-plugin known to cause this behaviour is 'suhosin'.
How to check if you have this plugin:
- login as a super administrator on the backend of your site
- go to 'help' >'system info' > 'PHP information'
- Search for 'suhosin'
Solution:
Disable this plugin or change settings so it allows large numbers of post-variables.
Changed parameters in suhosin.ini to:suhosin.post.max_vars = 300 (default 200)
suhosin.request.max_vars = 300 (default 200)
What might also work is to set:
SecFilterEngine Off
SecFilterScanPOST Off
in .htaccess
404SEF access to no-access menu-items
In 404sef check for double sef-urls to the same page, but with a different "Itemid"-value in the url. Delete those with the wrong or no "itemid".
Conflicts with other Joomla extensions
There are some Joomla extensions which conflict with the AM system plugin. If you get an error like:
'Fatal error: Cannot redeclare class JModuleHelper'
that is because the AM system plugin has loaded some class first, and another system plugin is trying to load it again. If you disable the FUA system plugin and the error goes away, that is likely to be the case.
To solve these conflicts you can contact us and we will see if there is a workaround or a fix.
Or
- Try and find which plugin is conflicting
Go to the plugin manager, filter on 'system'-plugins. Then click on 'ordering'. Reorder so the AM system plugin goes 1 step down in order. Then check the frontend of the site if the error is still there. If not, order one down again. Keep going untill the error goes away. When the error is gone, the plugin loading above the AM system plugin would be the plugin with the conflict. (at this point the AM access rights might not work at all). - Fix the plugin
Open /plugins/system/plugin_name.php and find the code which is loading the file (which contains the class). Comment those lines out. The plugin does not need to load those files, because AM has already laoded their classes.
AM conflicts with just about all extensions which deal with hiding modules.
Conflict with plugin emiIE6warning
This badly programmed plugin causes other system plugins to crash. Here is how to fix that.
