Testing New Forum Ideas....

**ArnyVee** · 10-11-2008, 02:33 PM

Guys and gals,

Whenever you have a new idea for a forum (I get them like every other day

) and you'd like to 'test them out' rather than paying for a brand new license and domain name, etc.... what do you do?

I'd love to test out new skin with a new header and start the process on a forum by adding a couple of mods and then sit back and look at it to see if it works for me. But, I have my funds tied up at the moment and I'd rather not put the money out there if I'm not sure if it's an idea that is going to fly or that I know 'has legs'.

Any ideas on this? What can or should I do? What would you do?

**valdet** · 10-12-2008, 01:34 AM

Arny, I believe you may install the same license on one of your subdomains, providing that it won't be available to the public.

That means protecting your subdomain with htaccess user/password so only you and any of your testers can actually use it.
Check with vB support guys though..

Good luck.

**ArnyVee** · 10-12-2008, 05:36 AM

Really? Wow, that would be perfect.

Is it best to post somewhere in particular on vBulletin.com or is there an e-mail that I should be sending to someone specifically?

**Nick R** · 10-12-2008, 03:55 PM

If you have a valid Software license, you may set up an additional test forum in order to test code, template and database modifications. To make this clear to Jelsoft and the license verification procedures, place it in a directory called 'testvb' and be sure to password protect it. It must not be accessible by the general public.

Password protection with .htaccess:
.htaccess Tutorial - Part 3
.htaccess Tutorial
Comprehensive guide to .htaccess- Redirects
http://www.webmastersguide.com/htacc...s.htm#password

**ArnyVee** · 10-12-2008, 04:09 PM

Thanks Nick!

Now, I have to find a 'how-to' in building the 'test' site. I think we had something somewhere here on the site, so I'm off to search!

**ArnyVee** · 10-12-2008, 08:49 PM

Woo hoo! Got it done!

Did my first 'fresh install' of vBulletin all by myself (while taking some tips from the videos that Chase and Dave have made

) and got my 'test' site up!

Now, gonna try some of those new skins and things and see what I like and don't like.

**Magnumutz** · 10-12-2008, 11:45 PM

I usually do it on localhost... it's easier that way.

**glennybee** · 10-13-2008, 12:24 AM

Go here and hit CTRL + F and type in 'testvb'.

vBulletin - License Agreement

**ArnyVee** · 10-13-2008, 04:21 AM

So, everything was working last night (early this morning, actually

) and now it doesn't prompt me for the user/password. So, I might've actually done something wrong with the password protect. Gotta check on that.

Glennybee, that's what I noticed in the terms, so I did it that way.