I am going to second this request. Any help?
This site uses an external bbPress install, and is not the conventional BuddyPress method for setting up forums.
An example of the conventional BP method can be found here: http://testbp.org/forums
If you like the way the bp.org forums look, you’ll have to integrate WordPress with bbPress.
One guide to integrate WP and bbPress can be found here:
http://theeasybutton.com/blog/2009/07/17/integrating-buddypress-wordpress-mu-and-bbpress/
Other WP/bbPress guides are available over on:
https://bbpress.org/forums
Thanks for the guide link, r-a-y, was incredibly helpful in getting my forums to work properly. Yay! 
Thanks for this r-a-y.
Would you suggested tutorial also apply also for single WP installs?
–>http://theeasybutton.com/blog/2009/07/17/integrating-buddypress-wordpress-mu-and-bbpress/
or is there a better one?
and
Is there a way you know that would allow me to limit forums to roles beyond just the default “member”…
I have additional roles setup and would like to limit specific forums to those roles.
@craig sunney
I’ve used that tutorial in the past and it has served me well.
The only thing is the tutorial is a little outdated. Omit step 22 (optional) and steps 38 through 41.
—
Not sure about custom WP roles.
The Easy Button tutorial is very straightforward. Unfortunately, I don’t think that posts made from the external bbPress will appear in the site Activity Stream.
There was a plugin to do that, but it’s a little out of date now, and you’d have to do some custom coding to get it to work right. The plugin author is not developing or updating it at this time.
If there’s any other way to get externally made bbPress posts to show up in the Activity Stream, I don’t know how to do it.
It should be quite simple to add to the activity stream if you’re using a deep integrated install (loading WordPress into external bbPress). Because then you’d have access to WP’s (and consequently, BP’s) functions.
R-a-y.
Just realized that I had run the integration process that comes with BP 1.2.3. before copying over bbPress file, renaming it as forums etc. and the bb-config.php file was already there.
So, when I got to step 4. i.e. browse to http://yoursite.com/forums/, there was not request to add in database information from wp-config.php file. It just asked be to add topic to a group etc. i.e. it seemed all setup already.
Am I on the right path, or do I need to backtrack (i.e. delete some files and start again) to get the forums to look integrated like they are here?
[WP 2.9.2 BP 1.2.3]
EDIT: ooops just noticed I posted without reading. 3Sixty: on my version of BP, there is an option to integrate and external bbPress, but since I did not have it installed, when I installed BP, I am not sure if I should backtrack to get the integration you are referring to.
Just checked DB: There are six lines all prefixed with wp-bb_ at the top of the list. So looks the internal integration has already happened before I began this process (above tutorial)
Back track.
Do you intend to use group forums? If not, login to the WP backend, navigate to “BuddyPress > Component Setup” and disable forums.
Then go back to your bbPress URL and install bbPress.
—
If the answer is “Yes”, then add the following to wp-config.php:
define ( 'BP_FORUMS_SLUG', 'group-forums' );
Change ‘group-forums’ to anything you like, then proceed to yoursite.com/forums to install bbPress.
Keep in mind with this this approach, you’ll have two points of entry for forums.
The /group-forums/ URL (for BP group forums) and the /forums/ URL (for the bbPress forums).
If you want to keep things simple, just deactivate the forums component for BP.
I think the answer is YES for the following reason:
I do want to investigate the possibility of limiting access to certain forums to “groups” and then investigate how to link those groups somehow to “roles” from the WordPress side.
..is answer still to add line of code to wp-config ?
You have to add that line of code in wp-config.php otherwise how are you going to access your external bbPress folder if BuddyPress uses the same /forums/ slug as well?
I just want to say that by using the dual forum route, there are a few issues you should know:
– You’ll have to create a bbPress theme to match your WP/BP site
– Your users will be confused from a UI perspective – two points of entry for forums?
–> you’ll also run into other issues that I won’t list here for the sake of trying to simplify things
Thank you for the reply r-a-y and apologies for the stupid question.
OK. I tried backtracking to set up BBpress as separate forum.
-dropped all db files with bp_ prefix
-deleted bb_config file that was in public_html
bowsed to mysite.com/forums
but I keep getting “page not found”.
Tried
-resetting buddypress setup…..
-re-installing BBpress file over the top.
– manually configuring the bb-config-sample.php file like a manual install of WP.
Alll give page not found..what am I missing in my backtrack to manual install of seperate BBpress?
Did you add the line in wp-config.php to define the BP_FORUMS_SLUG?
Did you actually upload bbPress to mysite.com/forums?
Good questions.
Uploaded to /forums/ [yes]
Add line to wp-config
Well if you don’t want to use BP forums, disable the forums component.. login to the WP admin area, navigate to “BuddyPress > Component setup” and disable the forums component.
Then go back to your bbPress URL to start the install.
Forums are disabled as per your previous instructions.
Groups are enabled. (should this be off too?)
Install url definitely is domain.com/forums …correct? If so, what could I do to push the install if it wont accept the URL?
Groups can be left enabled.
No idea why you can’t access the folder.
Silly question, are you sure you uploaded the contents of the bbPress .zip package to the /forums/ directory.
I took “load into root of domain” to be public_html folder….
so it is in public_hml/forums/
is this correct location?
If it’s on the same level as the /wp-content/ folder, you’re in the right location.
yes it is.
Do I maybe need to drop additional tables? I dropped all ones prefixed with bb_
I was wondering about attempting a manual install using “install Plugins” to see if it would force a freestanding install.
bbPress is not a WP plugin yet, so that wouldn’t work.
Just to be clear in your “mysite.com/forums/” directory, do you see a bunch of files in there like bb-config-sample.php, bb-post.php, etc.
