Lifestream Documentation
Getting started
First make sure your website has the minimum requirements to run Lifestream. They are:
- PHP 5.2.6+ with MySQLi support
- MySQL 5+
- Support for CURL, OpenSSL
- Joomla 1.5+
Should you not have the minimum requirements, then you should contact your hosting provider to make sure they can set this up for you. PHP4 was discontinued in 2007, so we don't support it.
Checking for common server settings
You can usually look at your Joomla site to find the necessary information. Go to Help->System Info and look at the PHP Info tab. You can search for the values below to verify settings.
Suhosin
A relatively common PHP extension called suhosin is sometimes used to block various settings or functions in PHP. This can often cause problems when hosts block things that aren't really security issues, and also limits the ability to use advanced PHP features (which Lifestream uses based on the Nooku Framework). If you search for the word 'suhosin' in your PHP Info page with your browser and find it, you will need to make sure it is configured.
Please check that if suhosin is installed that they then whitelist the tmpl:// protocol. This is done by adding the following line to the php.ini settings.
suhosin.executor.include.whitelist = tmpl://
CURL and OpenSSL
These are enabled by default in PHP, but some hosts have disabled them or modified them so they don't work like they should. If you search for CURL and OpenSSL with your browser and see they are enabled, then you should be fine. If it says they are disabled, please contact your host.
Installing Lifestream
Once you have purchased Lifestream, you will be able to download the installable package. You shouldn't need to unpack the files, you can go straight to the Joomla installer page and upload the file to install. If you run into issues, try the manual installation method below.
During installation, the Nooku framework is first installed. You will see a list of the items installed, and assuming your website can handle the minimum requirements, it will then take a few moments to unpack and install all of the different parts of Lifestream. Lifestream comes as a component, module, and numerous plugins, all of which are automatically installed for you. Do not leave this page until you see the finish message.
You can then go to Lifestream, and any plugins will be automatically enabled for you if you haven't enabled them yet. If you are missing specific network integrations, please check that they are enabled in the Plugin Manager.
Now you are able to start making new streams, collections, and menu links!
Manual Installation
If you need to do a manual installation, you first need to be able to open the tarball you downloaded. For Linux or Mac users, this should be no problem. On Windows, you may need to find an additional utility like 7zip (which is free to download and use) to open the file.
Once you can open it, extract the contents of the package to a directory. You will see a folder called 'packages', and inside you will find all of the install packages for the different parts of Lifestream. The autoinstaller takes care of installing them for you, but in this case you will have to upload and install each individually.
Once you have done this, you can go to Lifestream in the menu and it should automatically publish the plugins for you. You should also check that all plugins for Lifestream are enabled. It should now function for you.
Facebook Integration
How it works
The Facebook integration works by connection with your account and Facebook gives you an authorization token. It is best not to share this token with anyone else, because it is special for just you and allows Lifestream to request information from Facebook.
Security settings are essential
Facebook has tight security, so it will only send information based on your privacy settings. It is best to take a moment to review them in Facebook to make sure you have given access to make your News Stream public. Otherwise nothing will show!
Lifestream does not have access to change your data, it only asks for permission to get your news stream, which includes your status updates.
Also note that once you change settings globally, the settings only apply to new data created. So if you had private settings, change it to public, only the new status updates will be public. This is how Facebook operates, and the only option you have is to go and set each status item to public manually.
Facebook also often keeps your information private, so even if Lifestream can link directly to a stream item, Facebook often requires a logged in user account to browse the details. This means, if you want everything to be public, use the Page Stream as it is generally the best way to ensure Facebook will allow the information to be public.
Getting a token
When you first connect with Facebook, you will have to click on the link to connect in the Lifestream stream page. It will open a new tab or window, and ask you to login to Facebook (unless you already happen to be), and then ask you to give Lifestream permission to get your information. Once you allow Lifestream to do this, you will be redirected to Joomlashack, and given an access token. Copy this entire string into the stream page for the token value, even if there is a period at the end.
Stream Types
The Facebook integration supports 3 types of streams. They are
User Stream - This displays one users status stream
Page Stream - This displays the stream from a page
Group Stream - This displays the stream from a group
Finding the Stream ID
User Stream ID - Facebook usernames have not been around that long, so unless you recently signed up you might not know you can set one. If you go to your account settings, you will find an option to set a username. Its recommended to set this value to something you can live with, because Facebook doesn't allow you to change it whenever you like. If you already set your username, you can find it in the account settings, or it will be in the url if you login and go to your profile page.
If you don't want to set a username, you must find your user id number. If you go to your profile page, and your username is not set, you will see in the url id=######. That number is your user id, and you should copy it into the username field. Again, it is nicer to use a username.
Group Stream ID - In Facebook, you need to navigate to the group you want to link to. In the address bar, you will see group.php?gid=####. You need to select that number and enter it into the Stream ID.
Page Stream ID - First navigate to the page you want to connect to. A Page Stream usually has a normal string like 'facebook.com/cocacola'. If the url looks like this, then use the name from the URL to add to the Stream ID.
Some Pages are automatically generated by Facebook such as the pages for interest items, and they can be determined when you see a longer address like 'facebook.com/pages/The-Matrix/113401482006986'. In this case, you should copy the number into the Stream ID.
Help
Why does my Facebook feed not show anything? - Review the privacy settings in Facebook account to make sure you have given access to make your News Stream public. Otherwise nothing will show! At the least, the "My status, photos, and posts" item must be public, and we recommend using Facebook's 'Recommended' setting.
I can't get a token when I go through the process! - If you don't allow Lifestream access to your Facebook information, you won't get a token. Also, if you have removed Lifestream from your Application Settings page, Lifestream will no longer be able to access Facebook
Lifestream is now an application on my Facebook account, do I have to have it? - Yes, you need to leave it there so Lifestream has the ability to connect. If you remove it, then it will block Lifestream from getting your information. If you no longer wish to use Lifestream, you can freely remove the application.
LinkedIn Integration
First, go to http://developer.linkedin.com/ and login at the top. Its the same login for your main account. Then at the top right click Your Stuff -> API Keys. Click Add New Application. You have to fill out all of the information that is starred, but just use your own information. This is creating a unique API key for your site and only for your site. Keep Live Status to Development. Then add the application.
Then you will should see an API Key and Secret. You will need these in Lifestream. Then add a new stream of the LinkedIn type. Add your username, API key, and secret there. Save and go to the Lifestream Dashboard. It should prompt you to connect with LinkedIn, and authorize against the application you just setup. Agree to the application, and it should redirect you to your site again.
