WordPress MU

Anyone know of a plugin or hack where a user can login and reset their theme to default? Something like a http://domain/username/resettheme.php where they enter their password and it resets to the default? I want to provide a variety of themes, but allow the users to reset themselves in case something goes wrong and they can't get back in.

If you've tested all the themes before allowing users access to them, they won't need to reset. There's nothing I have ever seen in a theme that can "go wrong" to the point someone can't log back in.

Login link is always the same.

Plugins, however, are a different sort, and as I mentioned above, you should test it beforehand.

Testing themes and all of the combos of widgets and plugins and browsers and server setups can be a very daunting task. And let's not forget the periodic upgrades. I have encountered some. A simple down and dirty way for users to go back to scratch would be nice.

If a theme goes wrong, then you can usually still log back in to the admin side of things and change the theme from the design menu (I think).

Other than that a quick change to the blogs options table to change the current_theme option to "WordPress Default" should reset things.

But if you were to write a plugin to allow the user to do this themselves, then they would have to login to the admin system to run it, and they can then just change the theme in the design menu instead :)

"If a theme goes wrong, then you can usually still log back in to the admin side of things and change the theme from the design menu (I think)."

Yeah, you can.

"Testing themes and all of the combos of widgets and plugins and browsers and server setups can be a very daunting task."

That's your job as a site admin. Sorry if that comes across as harsh, it's not meant to be, but I'm not here to b.s. anyone either.

If they pick a theme and it blows up their blog, that's your fault, not theirs. Yours for giving them untested access.

There's plenty of free theme packs floating around where the themes included have all been used on an MU install. And really, with 90% of themes you won't have any WSOD issues at all. (Gemini, for example does not work on MU - so I don't put it where users can try it because I haven't fixed it yet.)

Upgrades to the core should not affect themes at all - unless you're using some really old themes with really outdated and unsupported template tags. in which case we go back to the "test it first" loop.

And usually if a theme gets borked for any reason, it should switch back to the default theme anyway. especially if you find a troublesome theme and delete the theme folder. Problem solved.

Jeez, I ak a simple question and I get a lecture.

But, Mom, I don't wanna test all of Farm's 100 and K2 and the global themes options with all the widgets and things invarying combos. I just wanna let people play and have a way out.

Lecture or not, like it or not, she's right.

With MU comes responsibilities.

Data integrity, functioning features, updates... the list goes on and on.

People trust "the site" with their data, and "the site" should take that trust seriously and step up to the plate.

In a big nutshell, MU makes you a web host. Hosting blogs or individual sites is irrelevant, you're a web host. As such, there is no shortcuts or easy ways out to provide a reliable, trustworthy operation.

"I don't wanna test all of Farm's 100 "

That's the *point* - Farm's 100 have already been tested. So you can be lazy that way.

And really, if you wanted a simple answer to the original question, the answer was no. plus my layer of "you don't have to" on top.

Yes, I make my kids think and use their brains too.

Farm's Stripedplus has never worked for me. Maybe it is my browser? My web host? My operating system?

What you say of course is basically true, but one does need all operating systems and browsers and whatnot to truly test them. Expediency rules more often than not, though. Always nice to have an easy way out for the less technically savvy and to reduce a load on me having to fix it for them. If I was making money from it perhaps I would delve into the nuts and bolts a bit more. But I ain't.

Open source software is rife with bugs because of variations in the software and hardware used to develop it. Something might work fine for one person, but not necessarily for others.

Giving standalone Wordpress installs would be easier than having to test each and every plugin, theme and widget this open source community comes up with.

I did not listen to my momma, either. :-)

It's not "basically" true, it's 100% fact.

You become a host, you get stuck with responsibilities. Profit has nothing to do with it.

There is no, "I take no responsibility until I'm turning a profit" rule. It's "I'm installing MU to host blogs for other people, so I now accept the responsibility that comes with it."

Open source or not, bugs or not, MU requires work. The more lazy an admin is, the more sympathy should be given to their users.

Like I said before, I ask a simple question and I get lectures. It is not beyond reason for such a function to exist.

BTW, I am using Vista and IE7 and on this page the first paragraph after Keep track of your changes is obscured. Like the font from a transparency is overlaying the font underneath.

http://mu.thunderlounge.com/index.php?module=Faq;sa=ShowFaq;id_cat=5

You originally asked about something for themes that broke to the point a user could not log in. There isn't because in the WP world, it's long been the advice is to just go in thru FTP and delete or move that theme's folder.

Checking to make sure it looks okay in all browsers is the theme designer's responsibility. When you get into widgets, of *course* there's no way you can check them all, that's why you support your users. They'll tell you small stuff like that.

But for small issues like that, they'll still be able to login the backend and change themes and move widgets.

But, Mom, I don't wanna test all of Farm's 100 and K2 and the global themes options with all the widgets and things in varying combos. I just wanna let people play and have a way out.

May I suggest that mu (or running any sort of webhost) may not be for you? If you're not going to take it seriously, I feel sorry for those who sign up on your site and expect good service.

Like I said before, I ask a simple question and I get lectures.

Maybe you're getting them for a reason. May I suggest you step back and listen to those with experience who are trying to teach you something?

Another thing to realize is that if you have folks who sign up for an account on your site and find something broken, chances are they're going to leave.

What you say of course is basically true, but one does need all operating systems and browsers and whatnot to truly test them.

http://browsershots.org among others.

Although most of us have computers that have a half dozen web browsers installed. We've learned from experience.

Hokay, here is an example. I have a test blog where I went in and selected stripedplus as the theme. I right click on visit site to see. It is garbled. I go back and select another, Rubric in this case. I go back and refresh and it is OK. I click logout and this shows.

"Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-login.php on line 201

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-login.php on line 213

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 576

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 577

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 580

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 581

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 582

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 583

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-content/themes/080507 100 big ones/rubric/functions.php:140) in /home/mydomain/public_html/thesoapbox/wp-includes/pluggable.php on line 701

I log back in and I get the backend and change the theme. Now, for some reason on my web host I get similar problems re the pluggable.php intermittantly, but refreshing or selecting another theme and going back usually get sthe themes to work. This has happened even with the default theme. Not insurmountable, but will drive an average user crazy. Sometimes I couldn't log back in on the above example. I suspect a database access issue with the web host. I get a slow one on occasion.

But in the meantime I have a user getting all bumfuzzled and confused and if they do get back in they may do something worse. Maybe not the problem with WPMU primarily, but just a collection of things. A nice little reset to square one listed in the user guide would make things much easier.

BTW, I had to go in and reset the theme to default before I could get back to normal.

I tried all of Farm's themes and they look beautiful and work and no problem, except for Stripedplus, even with the global themes plugin, other than the occasional glitch I mentioned. But it can escalate into a problem where I have a user that has to email me and I have to spend time fixing it, which will span a period of time. They do a reset and they can get back in within moments and I don't get bothered, unless they email me about the problem and then I will work to get it resolved.

I surely do not intend to give my users FTP access. I do not intend for my users to have to be computer geeks to blog.

So what is the big deal for asking if there was a plugin or hack to allow them to type a simple URL and enter a password that will reset there themes and/or widgets and/or plugins?

reset theme back to default? youre gonna have to code some thing to check for errors and then do what you want. I honestly wouldn't know where to begin on that one. But really, Farms can't protect you from yourself. if you've got some plugin or hack thats breaking that theme, you're gonna have to troubleshoot it yourself.

if you don't have the ability to troubleshoot it yourself, delete the theme. generally, if you googled it and got no answer, then it prolly don't exist. if you can't find it, you should code it yourself. if you can't code it yourself, you should pay someone to do it for you.

"Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by "

Whitespace at the end of a file somewhere. happens a lot, and if it's happening to your setup a lot, then I'd suggest when you're transferring or editing files then blank lines are being apended.

Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't edited any of those files, but I did upload the Farm themes after zipping a folder of them. Maybe I should download the zipfile again and upload that.

But they work fine once they are changed. Just sometimes they get hung up changing from one to the other. All of them. I think it is a database access problem. Have had a problem with that today and a couple of times in the past trying to access other software. Overloaded database. Will bring it to the attention of my web host.

It is those kind of vagaries why I would like to see such a function.

okay, but the rest of us aren't seeing those sorts of issues, which is why the function you're looking for is met with a big "HUH?". :D

Dunno what kind of web host you're on, but that may be it.

If you've tried the themes in Farm's theme pack and have issues, then it's something on your end, not the themes.

Farm's themes work very well, and are very attractive, but I have had a problem with the Stripedplus even on another server, which was a Windows Server 2003. I've done a cursory on all of them and they look right except for that one. That is using Vista and IE7 on my end. It comes out with the text all jammed up. Maybe it needs to be configured first, but I don't want to put that one up for general public use. His Edublogs in a folder marked default had me scratching my head a little. That maybe should be renamed something else.

The problem isn't his themes, it's the weirdness and wildness you get in open source that bites you in the butt on occasion. Nice to have a safety valve.

wehican, If you'd like a tip for speedy theme testing as a site admin, here's what I do:

Install an adminbar plugin: such as http://www.bigalex.it/plugins/adminbar/

Massage themeswitcher(http://boren.nu/archives/2004/10/13/theme-switcher-plugin/) into it in an "if site admin" wrapper.

Now you as site admin can flip through every theme in one click from your adminbar.

Oh, I've also mashed themepreview(http://boren.nu/archives/2005/03/08/preview-theme-plugin/) into http://wpmudevorg.wordpress.com/project/Rollover-Themes-List

Cutting down the amount of time(and clicks) needed for you to admin your stable of stable themes is key. Putting untested themes out there for users to discover is trouble.

@wic IRT MU Advanced FAQ

"BTW, I am using Vista and IE7 and on this page the first paragraph after Keep track of your changes is obscured. Like the font from a transparency is overlaying the font underneath."

Maybe because I don't pander to Vista, or IE7. Too many freely available browsers out there now that are standards compliant. It's an advanced site, and typically I'd expect the few there are bright enough to stay as far away from IE as possible.

As for your long list of errors...

I honestly can't believe you have errors being printed to the screen in a live environment.

"Putting untested themes out there for users to discover is trouble."

Agreed. And irresponsible as well.

:-)

'Twas live on hostmonster. I was using the Visit Site which logs me in automatically.

You don't pander to IE7 or Vista, eh? By God, if anyone wants to view your site they had just better use another browser and operating system. That'll learn 'em. Eh?

That site serves a purpose. Of which, the target audience isn't going to be using IE.

Don't like? Maybe you're not in the target audience of that site.

Honestly, after your comments in this thread, I'm wondering if you're even in the target audience for MU.

When you bork your install, and with your attitude seen here you will, I'm sure there are plenty of reputable hosts who will be willing to shelter the users from your site with their reputable service.

It might be harsh, but reality often is.

You take yourself too seriously.

Reality is something I am extremely familar with.

My install wont be "borked" because I tend to anticipate and account for as many things as possible before I really commit myself.

I am not in competition with anyone, as you seem to be. Perhaps that is the reason for your sniping at people on here more than helping. This is recreational for me.

On your site your rule number 2 is something about not flaming lest ye be also flamed? Now go back to read this thread from the very beginning and read with an unjaundiced eye. Then practice what you preach. :-)

Sorry, Bubba, I am half redneck and half Canadian. I don't intimidate easy.

I have the theme thing under control.

wehican - can I ask you a question? I haven't read much of this thread other than the first and last few messages.

Something like a http://domain/username/resettheme.php where they enter their password and it resets to the default?

Why? I think the main problem is, we don't see the benefit or need. You will have to code a login form to check that the person is allowed to reset the theme and then reset it - you would have to find the blog_id from the domain name, then get the right database and options,validate the user and then redirect them where? To the front end or the admin pages?
This assumes that you want the code to be completely separate from the WordPress codebase (if you don't then double why?).

All that work and you can just send them to wp-admin and they can click on Design and pick another theme. All the hard work is done for you.

cafespain, I have been playing with this for a while and have encountered many instances where things break, usually from third party software which we all like to try out. I am not the only one that encounters such as evinced by many posts on these forums. I am not a programmer and there is not a simple description, roadmap, or flow chart of how WPMU works that will allow me to follow the logic where I could delve into things a bit deeper. I just want to set up a site where people can speak their pieces and have some control and flexibility on how they present their pages. I want to provide what is available to allow them the widest latitude in their creativity. The core is very limited, that is why I and others rely on third party additions. I have encountered instances where I couldn't login to the admin area after trying to configure a page. There are just so many outdated and creative hacks and plugins and themes and server and browser setups that things break on occasion. That is the nature of open source. It is anarchy trying to become ordered. That is why I just asked a simple question if such a mechanism was available.

You have the wp-login that draws info from other sources before allowing the user to log in to their page with all their theme settings and configurations. Why can't there be a separate one that just resets their theme and widget and plugin configuration to the default of when they signed up? Give them a new slate to start with? Most of them are not computer gurus but can put something together through trial and error. Is it that difficult to program such a script?