Integration of Invision Community with WordPress SSO

Introduction

In this article you will learn in detail how to install Invision Power System (also known as IPBoard or IPS) and the WordPress SSO plugin on a shared hosting plan.

What you will need

1 – Invision Community System

2 – WordPress SSO 1.2.2 Plugin

Installing IPS on your hosting

Before installation, you have to make sure that your hosting meets all technical requirements.

In the current IPS 4.4.4, they are as follows:

• PHP version 7.1 or higher
• MySQL database version 5.5 or higher
• Hard disk space (a few gigabytes should be fine)
• The permissions to write and edit files and folders in the installation directory
• Apache or other web server

You can also use this checker script to make sure your hosting meets the minimum requirements:

http://community.invisionpower.com/files/file/7046-get-ready-for-ips-40/

*Please note that most of the well-known paid hosting plans meet all of the stated requirements. If you are not sure about your hosting company’s server specs, then simply contact their technical support and ask if your server meets these requirements.

You can learn more information about our recommended hosting providers in our best membership site hosting article.

Installing The Invision Community Forum

1 – Download the latest version from the client area by selecting Manage Purchases then your purchased license.

2 – Unzip the download and upload the contents to your server in the directory where you want your Community to run.

3 – Simply visit http://yoursite.com/ips_70687/admin/install in your browser to view the directory where you uploaded.

*Replace “yoursite.com” with your actual domain.

Starting IPS4 Installer

1 – At this point the installer will make sure all your directory permissions are correct and prompt you to correct any issues.

You will then be asked for your MySQL database issues and various other information the system may need to proceed.

*Note: You can find this info in http://yoursite/wp-config.php file.

2 – Your license key can be found on the same page in the client area where you downloaded the software.

3 – Visit /admin/install:

4 – Click on the black button “Start installation”, then go to the window “System check”, where the system will be checked by the characteristics of your hosting.

If all is well, then each line will be green:

5 – Scroll down, click “Continue”. We will throw in the agreement window:

6 – Enter your license key in the “License Key” field.

Click the check mark, then the button “Continue”. 

7 – If disk space allows, leave all modules ticked. You never know what may be needed during long-term operation of the forum.

Here is a brief explanation of the various modules:

• Downloads: A multifunctional module that helps to organize “Downloads” on your forum. Many different tools and features.
  
• Calendar: From the options it is possible to track the members’ birthdays, receive notifications about these birthdays, etc.
  
• Gallery: Allows you to upload beautiful pictures and receive feedback from users.
  
• Forums: Main module.
  
• Converter: Module for working with currencies. Needed when organizing sales on the platform.
  
• Blogs: Users can write articles, publish them, get feedback from other users.
  
• Commerce: Store module. Very versatile.
  
• Pages: Allows you to create static pages with specific content.

8 – In the “Default application” select the default module.

9 – Сlick on the button and proceed to fill in important data.

For example:

10 – Once all the data is entered – click on the button “Continue”. Go to the window create an admin account:

11 – After that, the installation will begin. Upon its completion, we will be able to go to the admin panel to further configure IPS Community Suite 4.

12 – After the installation is complete, this window will appear. If you have the same, then you did everything right:

13 – You can now log in by clicking on “GO TO THE ADMINCP” button.

You will see something like the following:

Your self-hosted license allows you to have one live installation (your actual community) and one test installation.

Invision Community also allows an unlimited number of installations on “localhost” domains so you can test locally without restriction.

If you are installing on a test install, enter your license key with -TESTINSTALL added to the end.

If you are installing on localhost (it must be “localhost” specifically, not “127.0.0.1” or any other alias), this will not count towards either of your installations. However, if you are installing on any other domain, it will count as your test installation.

This means that if you already have a test installation at a different URL, you will receive an error message that says “A test installation has already been activated for this license key. Your license key entitles you to one test installation only.”

There are three ways to overcome this:

1 – You can delete your current test installation and reinstall at the same URL.

For example, if your Test URL (as shown in the client area) is “example.com/test”, you can install at example.com/test (meaning of course you’ll have to delete whatever is there first) and you will not get the error message.

2 – You can install on a localhost installation.

Localhost installations do not count towards your allowed usages.

3 – You can reset the licensed URL associated with your license.

The test url is a one time url, so use something you can retain for future testing. To prevent abuse, IPS only allows this to be done once every 6 months, so do not use this option unless for example, you no longer have access to the domain where your test installation was previously.

To do this, click “reset URL” on the same page in the client area.

Also you can try a 5 Day free Demo to test everything before purchase visiting this link: https://invisioncommunity.com/clientarea/demo/

Installation of the WordPress SSO Plugin

This plugin replaces the default IPS4 front-end login/registration system with WordPress for automatic login of users who are in the database on the WordPress site and the IPS forum.

This plugin contains the following features

• Role syncing: The ability to move users into IPS4 groups dependent on the role assigned to them in WordPress;
• Account Management: Relevant account management pages are redirected to the WordPress counterparts
• Login/Register/Logout redirection: After clicking the login/register/logout links, the user will be directed back to the IPS4 page they were on
• Invision Community 4 compatibility.

Installation

1 – Go to the Plugin menu in dashboard:

2 – Click “Install New Plugin” button, find *.ZIP archive with the Plugin and click “Install” button:

3 – Now the plugin needs to be configured.

Find the plugin in the list and click “Edit”:

4 – The configured window has two tabs, in the first we will set up a connection to the WordPress website:

5 – Edit the included wp_api.php file to add your customised API Key, then save the file (replace the highlighted text with your API Key, make sure that there are not any spaces at the beginning or end of the API Key).

6 – And upload the wp_api.php file to your WordPress installation:

7 – Go back to your IPS4 window where you were ‘editing’ the WordPress settings and click “Save”. If these details are wrong, you will see an error.

8 – Now that IPS4 has now successfully been set up to use the API, you can edit the plugin once more to configure Role to User Group mapping (Second Tab).

Click ‘Add’ to begin, select the WordPress Role name in the left input, and the IPS4 group that they should be assigned to, on the right:

Now you only need to save changes and the setup will be completed.

In conclusion

As you can see, the installation of IPS4 is pretty simple. This manual is suitable for any other hosting, but may, of course, differ in some of the details since hosting providers configure their servers somewhat differently.

If you run into any issues or have any questions, let me know in the comments and I’ll help!