Creating usernames/password

[justafriend]

Hi.I need to offer my users a way to login to my site. Any body knows how to set up user accounts? Im guessing im gonna have to use sql databases but..any one knows how exactly? Thanks

[omes]

I do, but this depends on what you want, what you're going to use it for, and how you're going to make it. Could you give some more information on that? :)

[gcleveland]

i found one that was fairly easy to implement without a database. Do a google search for .htaccess. I am sure that there is much more secure things out there but i could not figure out how to create a database either so i played around with this one.

[RDM]

i found one that was fairly easy to implement without a database. Do a google search for .htaccess. I am sure that there is much more secure things out there but i could not figure out how to create a database either so i played around with this one.

If you want to do it this way, cPanel offers a much easier way of doing this.

login to cPanel >> Find 'Password Protect Directories' and then follow the instructions.

[kesowul]

The "Password Protect Directories" is great if you the webmaster is creating all of the users and their passwords. I would like to find something that will allow the user to create their own username and password to access their own section of my website, such as previous orders they have made. If anyone knows how to make this possible, I would love to hear from you.

[justafriend]

I do, but this depends on what you want, what you're going to use it for, and how you're going to make it. Could you give some more information on that? :)

Well, a basic form to create an account, from which they have access to protected areas of the website. If possible, a template for them to create a little profile page a-la-myspace type of thing.
Thanks!

[Hot DesignZ]

Well, a basic form to create an account, from which they have access to protected areas of the website. If possible, a template for them to create a little profile page a-la-myspace type of thing.
Thanks!
Some Content Management Systems have this feature . I prefer joomla over any of the others.

[shadmego]

I agree with Hot DesignZ. If you want to allow your users to create their own profiles, then you should install Joomla with the Community Builder component. This will be the cheapest and quickest way to set up what you want.

~regards

[enstorstark]

Hmmm, I'm also looking to do what justafriend is asking about. I tried joomla, and had trouble learning it- Wordpress is much easier for me to use.

Is there any way to implement this with Wordpress instead? I'd like to allow users to sign up, create a username/password account and pay a fee to get access to a product- a certain area of the site.

[omes]

Hmmm, I'm also looking to do what justafriend is asking about. I tried joomla, and had trouble learning it- Wordpress is much easier for me to use.

Is there any way to implement this with Wordpress instead? I'd like to allow users to sign up, create a username/password account and pay a fee to get access to a product- a certain area of the site.

For that you can use .htpasswd

[enstorstark]

For that you can use .htpasswd

Great, thanks! Will look into this.

Have a few tips for the quickest way to get started- is it offered through hostmonster's control panel or is it an app I must install separately?

[omes]

Great, thanks! Will look into this.

Have a few tips for the quickest way to get started- is it offered through hostmonster's control panel or is it an app I must install separately?

It's a function of the web server.
Create a file named .htaccess and paste this into it:

AuthType Basic
AuthName "Protected Area"
AuthUserFile /home/domain/public_html/securearea/.htpasswd
Require valid-user
AuthName is the name that will be in the auth box,
AuthUserFile will be the file containing the passwords.

Then create a .htpasswd file and add your user and password. You can get the user/password from shell by typing "htpasswd -n <USER>" then typing the password twice, or by using some password generator on the web. Google can help you.

My example
.htaccess:

AuthType Basic
AuthName "TEST"
AuthUserFile /home/omesorg/public_html/test/htpasswd/.htpasswd
Require valid-user

.htpasswd:

test:JfgxkOAg5LIIs


You can try this out by going to my htpasswd test page (http://omes.org/test/htpasswd/).
Username: test
Password: testpassword

[enstorstark]

It's a function of the web server.
Create a file named .htaccess and paste this into it:

Thanks, a few more questions...

When you say to "Create a file named .htaccess" and paste the code you supplied in it- where should this file be created, if I use file manager within Hostmonster's control panel, for instance?

Also, how would I allow users to pay a fee, then be allowed to create a username/password to access the "secure area"? Or maybe this is not possible with this solution..

[omes]

Thanks, a few more questions...

When you say to "Create a file named .htaccess" and paste the code you supplied in it- where should this file be created, if I use file manager within Hostmonster's control panel, for instance?

Also, how would I allow users to pay a fee, then be allowed to create a username/password to access the "secure area"? Or maybe this is not possible with this solution..

Yes, the file manager would do. But remember that it has to be a separate folder. like http://mysite.com/members. if its not in a separate folder your whole site would be password protected.

Place new users on a new line in the .htpasswd file when you add them.

You could have them pay then send you what username/password they would want. That way you can confirm the payment before they get access to the site.

[enstorstark]

Yes, the file manager would do. But remember that it has to be a separate folder. like http://mysite.com/members. if its not in a separate folder your whole site would be password protected.

Place new users on a new line in the .htpasswd file when you add them.

You could have them pay then send you what username/password they would want. That way you can confirm the payment before they get access to the site.

This part confuses me- I don't see a line in the code you gave as an example that would allow me to enter users (names and passwords).

Oh, and if I'm creating the usernames and passwords, why not just use 'password protect directories' within the control panel?

Sorry for all the questions- just trying to get going with this!

I would love to find a Wordpress plugin for this- the one that looked promising - wpboard seems to no longer be offering the plugin...

[omes]

This part confuses me- I don't see a line in the code you gave as an example that would allow me to enter users (names and passwords).

Oh, and if I'm creating the usernames and passwords, why not just use 'password protect directories' within the control panel?

Sorry for all the questions- just trying to get going with this!

I would love to find a Wordpress plugin for this- the one that looked promising - wpboard seems to no longer be offering the plugin...
I don't know about any cpanel ways simply because i use cpanel for as little as possible (it works against me 99% of the time). I'm used to doing everything from the console. From writing my own zone files from scratch to tweaking the web server. Use whatever works best for you, but i can only provide advise based on my own experience. im sorry if that seems complicated or in any way misleading. Hope youll forgive me :)

A new line as in pressing the enter button
.htpasswd:

test:aZdiWLv9EZ
test2:Vfi4SdiFo2S

[enstorstark]

OK, thanks omes!

[omes]

OK, thanks omes!
No problem. :) Hope i helped, and that everything works ok! :)