* Forum update

[jelv]

I've now logged in as visible.

When I was logged in as hidden my name was in italics. Now I'm visible it is not italic.

Helen, do you see other user names in italics? Does the number of names shown in italics match the number of hidden?

[ColeValleyGirl]

As Jane said the answers will be in the phpBb documentation, but i dont care enough to look them up.

[NickWalker]

I'm still curious about what use people make on the 'Who is online' information.

Sometimes a question appears on the forum that I could answer but if I notice that Mike is browsing the forum then it is almost certain that he will be writing a reply to it and that if I start to write a reply it will end up being partnered with a reply from Mike that will go into much more detail and my reply will be superfluous. So I save myself some time by not bothering.

[tatewise]

I have discovered a problem with the ADVANCED SEARCH box at the top right of the screen.
It previously searched both the Knowledge Base and all Forums and yielded a special presentation format.
Now it only searches the Forums using the standard Forum presentation.

[jelv]

Mike, I've taken a look at archived pages on https://web.archive.org (e.g. 2 July 2022) and it was just a forum search then.

When you hover over the link it is https://web.archive.org/web/20220702140437/https://www.fhug.org.uk/forum/search.php?sid=b496f19c1eab52dd5d16b239f31cacf7

You only get the full search when on pages other than the forums.

[tatewise]

Sorry John, but I think you are mistaken.
The search format that does still work from the Home page also used to work from the Forum page too.

I doubt if the Wayback Machine can capture such dynamic search features.

[jelv]

The searches themselves wont work, but you can see which search page comes up, and every one I've looked at is the phpbb search page.

[NickWalker]

I must admit I thought the search and advanced search on the forum only ever searched the forum but the search on the home page did a search across the site (as it does now) but if you're certain Mike then I may be mistaken.

[Jane]

The default search at the top of the forum now uses the algolia search.
Clicking on the "Advanced search" link will search with the built in forum search.
Using the in forum search under the blue bar also uses the forum search only.

This is the same as before the upgrade.

[tatewise]

Jane, are you saying you have corrected the fault that I reported?
i.e. Both the Home page Search and the Forum page top right Search now perform the same algolia search of both the Knowledge Base and the Forum.
Whereas, when I reported the fault the Forum page top right Search did NOT use the algolia search.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Jane, are you saying you have corrected the fault that I reported?

Yes, Mike.

[jelv]

Hmm...

You said:

I have discovered a problem with the ADVANCED SEARCH box at the top right of the screen.

I said that as far as I could see the Advanced Search always searched the forums only which you disputed.

Jane has confirmed that

Clicking on the "Advanced search" link will search with the built in forum search.
...
This is the same as before the upgrade.

What seems to have confused you is that the search box and the Advanced Search link under the search box are two different things. The box and magnifying glass do the comprehensive site search (now that Jane has corrected it) and the Advanced Search links to the forum only search.

[jimlad68]

Apologies if I got mixed up, but I much prefer the "look" of the new search results. I found the old ones confusing the way they kept popping in and out more detail as the cursor was moved. Sorry can't be more explicit as I can't see the old one anymore!

[Jane]

I have adjusted the popping in and out so it only happens if you hover over a link for 1 second or so. The advantage with the full search is it includes results from the Forums and Knowledge base and not just the forums. If you want to use the forum only search just use the Advanced search.

[arthurk]

i meant it reverts to Blue every time I logout. It is only orange whilst I’m logged in

Just don't log out and tick the remember me button.

I'm finding that the forum isn't now remembering me in spite of ticking the button.

My usual entry route is via a bookmark to the FHUG home page (https://fhug.org.uk/), and from there I click Active Forum Topics, which takes me to the forum. I don't normally log out when I leave, so until recently I've been able to get straight back in each time I visit. Now, however, I'm staying logged in at the home page, but I'm having to log in at the forum each time.

I'm using Windows 10 and Firefox 118.0.2. I tried 'Forget about this site' in Firefox's history so as to flush out any old cookies that might be interfering, but it didn't help. It also seemed to remove my cookie permissions, but after re-allowing them there's still no change. I'm happy to change my settings if it would help - up to a point - but it does seem to be a result of the update, I'm afraid.

[jelv]

I'm also using Windows 10 and Firefox 118.0.2. No problems with staying logged in here.

[arthurk]

I'm also using Windows 10 and Firefox 118.0.2. No problems with staying logged in here.

That's strange, though possibly we have slightly different settings for something.

I have cookies allowed for FHUG (both http and https), and I've also just checked the tracking protection setting. Normally I have this set to Strict, but I tried it at Standard, and also with FHUG as an exception (so the tracking protection is disabled for this site), but neither made any difference.

I've only started experimenting with these settings since the problem arose, so they're not causing it. Can anyone suggest what might be going on, please?

[jelv]

I've just had to log on again using Firefox on my Android phone. It's been months since I had to do that. Something has changed!

[jelv]

Just now I had to log on again while still in the same Android Firefox session. I am somewhere where the mobile signal isn't great and I had lost signal for a minute or two. Different IP address a possible cause?

[arthurk]

Just now I had to log on again while still in the same Android Firefox session. I am somewhere where the mobile signal isn't great and I had lost signal for a minute or two. Different IP address a possible cause?

You can check the IP address in User Control Panel > Profile > Manage “Remember Me” login keys. My recent ones are all the same.

Added:
While looking into this, until now I've been closing my browser between visits to test for persistent cookies. Just now I simply navigated away from the forum and then came back, so it was still the same session. However, I'd been logged out.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Try using urls starting with https

And entering directly to the forums rather than via the home page.

I spotted this yesterday but am once again in bed with only my phone so cant investigate.

[jelv]

I have diffent login keys on the same IP address.

Screenshot_20231021-141939.png (126.65 KiB) Viewed 702 times

[ColeValleyGirl]

Dont think its ip addresses, John. I can get it to work or not work at will on the same pc just by dropping the https://www

[arthurk]

Try using urls starting with https

Thank you very much, Helen - that's the clue I needed.

On the FHUG home page (https://fhug.org.uk/) the target of "Active Forum Topics" is http://www.fhug.org.uk/forum/search.php ... ive_topics. I'm not sure whether it's by accident or design that it's http rather than https, but that does seem to be the issue.

As a contributory factor it seems that Firefox might not be saving log-in credentials for non-https sites. I don't think I've had a problem with this before, but it seems fairly reasonable that it would impose stricter security on less secure sites.

Anyway, I've found a setting in Firefox to override the http in the link: HTTPS-Only Mode. Mine was set to 'Don't Enable', but I've changed it to 'Enable in all windows'. I've tested this with closing the browser window, and I'm still logged in when I come back to the forum, so this seems to have done the trick.

Thank you again, Helen, and I hope it works for John too (hopefully in Firefox on Android as well).

[jelv]

Android Firefox with HTTPS-Only Mode set is working so far.

I wonder what has changed that made this necessary?