Question

Hi guys, I found the BlogPlugin to be very limited. Wordpress is the best open source tool available for blogging. Is it possible to integrate wordpress with TWiki atleast at the logon levels? This means that, users having twiki account on the system can also write new blog posts on wordpress.

Environment

-- TWikiGuest - 24 Dec 2007

Answer

What you are asking for is more of a way to share accounts between the both and probably create a SSO (single sign on) between the both.

There have been a couple of attempts to marriage blogs and wikis to create a Bliki. Odd name, yes, I know. But the basic idea goes beyond creating a SSO between TWiki and some other blogging software.

Admitted, WordPress is the blogging software in FOSS-land used most. BlogPlugin can't compete with it in that sense. There are lots of features in WordPress that BlogPlugin and TWiki don't implement. Some of them would be very interesting to port over to TWiki, not only BlogPlugin. The other way around is true also. TWiki on its own can do much much more than just WordPress.

Anyway, if you are looking for a decent blogging software, go with WordPress. If you are in need of a wiki too, then install TWiki. I have not been looking in how to share user accounts on both. But I know that this has been done for Joomla successfully. So it should be possible to integrate WordPress and TWiki on that level also.

If you are on an intranet and you already have TWiki and you need blogging now and you don't want to install YAWAP (yet another web application) on your servers, then add BlogPlugin to it.

If you decided to use TWiki+BlogPlugin and you are missing some of the WordPress features (e.g. comment approval, ping back, open id, theming, bookmarking, whatever), then contact me.

-- MichaelDaum - 27 Dec 2007

Michael, thanks a lot for answering. Where can I find more info the TWiki-Joomla SSO?

-- TWikiGuest - 28 Dec 2007

Ask SvenDowideit. He has done it.

-- MichaelDaum - 28 Dec 2007

Just a word of warning: We reviewed blogging software to add to our intranet, and wordpress is really one of the most ugly and broken piece of junk I ever saw when it comes to the implementation: php code and html is haphazardly mixed everywhere, making localisation impossible, plugins just go and overwrite distrib files, making for upgrade hell.

I would sincerly advise people to first look at better blog systems like Serendipity or Pivot. We ended up installing WPMU (wordpress blog farm) as we needed only english, and the authors were more familliar with wordpress, but it requires a lot of careful work and testing for any plugin addition, and I do not even mention the hell it will be to upgrade.

Seriously, Wordpress is one of the most usable blog system - and I advise users wanting a blog to use it. But its code should be shown in computer schools, as it exemplifies all the possible bad practice - and I advise people wanting to add features to it to stay away from it. One can say that perhaps it is the ultimate "worst is best" system? It is so broken that one do not hesitate to butcher it a bit more to add quickly features...

-- ColasNahaboo - 29 Dec 2007

Colas, thanks a lot for the comments. I will definitely look at serendipity.

Michael, thanks a lot. I will contact Sven.

-- TWikiGuest - 02 Jan 2008

Seems to be answered.

-- PeterThoeny - 02 Mar 2008

Considering it's been over 2½ years since this was discussed, I'd like to have the question re-asked. WordPress has changed a lot since 2008.

I've had a site going in WordPress since late 2007. While I am the only person authorized to publish new posts, readers are required to register for a login before they can post comments. About a year later, I decided to add a Wiki because I wanted to add some "reference" pages which "anyone" could edit. However, to minimize the risk of sabotage, I wanted logins to be a requirement for editing Wiki pages.

I went with MediaWiki simply because I figured most people were already familiar with Wikipedia's markup, and because I was able to locate a plugin that allowed existing users registered on my WordPress blog to login to MediaWiki using their WP logins and usernames.

While MediaWiki "works" for now, I've never been too pleased with the difficulty in customizing things, and the hoops I had to jump through to copy certain features (like infobox templates) from Wikipedia so they'd work on my own wiki.

I bought Mr. Thoeny's "Wikis for Dummies" book yesterday and learned about TWiki. I'd be interested in giving it a shot to replace MediaWiki on my site, but I'd like to know if any progress has been made on the "SSO" (single shared login) front in terms of plugins or add-ons which would allow users to login to TWiki using a WordPress login and password.

As excited as I am about the prospect of dumping MediaWiki for a "better" Wiki, I don't think my users will be pleased if I tell them they'll need separate logins for WordPress and the Wiki. That would also open up the arena for imposters to create Wiki accounts using the usernames of existing WordPress users. For example, a frequent blog commenter and wiki editor named "pontiac59" could wind up having his wiki identity "hijacked" if someone else registers as "pontiac59" on the new wiki before he does.

Thanks!!

-- PeterNaughton - 2010-10-31

I am not aware of the Worpress password manager. Someone with Perl knowledge could create that without too much effort. Basically create two modules:

• a TWiki user mapping manager (default is SVN:TWikiUserMappingContrib/lib/TWiki/Users/TWikiUserMapping.pm) that converts between WP login name jsmith12 and WikiName JohnSmith
• a password manager (default is SVN:lib/TWiki/Users/HtPasswdUser.pm) that authenticates users via WP.

Alternatively you can look into SSO. You basically pass over the authenticated WP login to TWiki via the environment variable REMOTE_USER. TWiki will assume that this is the authenticated user. You can use the default TWiki::Users::TWikiUserMapping user mapping manager. Use the RequireRegistrationPlugin that bumps authenticated users into the TWiki registration screen unless the are already registered. They register mainly for user mapping and to get a user profile page in TWiki, but not for authentication.

-- PeterThoeny - 2010-10-31

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