3.7.1. More than one PHP-Nuke sites

The variables in the config.php file allow for quite some flexibility when it comes to installing more than one PHP-Nuke sites that have to be related in one or the other way:

3.7.1.1. Different PHP-Nuke sites from the same database

If you have two (or more) PHP-Nuke sites, located in different Web URLs (or different local directories), that you want to operate from the same database, you have some handwork to do, but it is not difficult. From the point of view of the database server, what differentiates one PHP-Nuke site from another, is the name of the table(s) used. In PHP-Nuke, all tables come with a prefix: the users table uses the $user_prefix prefix from the config.php file(Section 3.7), while all other tables use $prefix.

Thus, you don't need a second database to operate a second PHP-Nuke site. A different database helps keep the installations separate by providing a kind of "container" to put each installation's tables in, but apart from this, there is nothing special to it. To use only one database for two PHP-Nuke installations, proceed as follows:

3.7.1.2. Different PHP-Nuke sites with the same user base

There are situations that you might want to share users among your PHP-Nuke sites. For example, if you have a site about cars and another one about car insurance, your users will probably be interested in both. But requiring them to enter two different logins and passwords is not going to make them happy - that's where $user_prefix comes into play.

The idea behind a separate prefix for the users table in PHP-Nuke is to enable you to keep all other tables separate, but use the same users table across different PHP-Nuke installations. By using a different $prefix for each site, but the same $user_prefix for both, your users will require only one login and password - nd will be recognized by the second site, while logged in in the first one and vice versa.

To use the same user base in two separate PHP-Nuke sites, proceed as follows:

Tip Using nukesql.php
 

If you use nukesql.php (Section 3.5) for the installation, you should change the prefixes as above and point your browser to each instance of nukesql.php (one for each installation, located in the respective PHP-Nuke root directory). It will then create the tables with the right prefixes for you.


Help us make a better PHP-Nuke HOWTO!

Want to contribute to this HOWTO? Have a suggestion or a solution to a problem that was not treated here? Post your comments on my PHP-Nuke Forum!

Chris Karakas, Maintainer PHP-Nuke HOWTO