user tip CometChat - How To Guide

There have been a lot of long threads on CometChat and since I just had to redo mine I thought I would share some information. I had the custom version for about two years and my server took a dirt nap. I took the opportunity to download the Jamroom CometChat Module and install it. It took me a few hours to wrap my brain around their bad/missing instructions but I finally have everything working.

1. I downloaded the module from their site

2. Read their install file and add these files/folders to chmod to 777
/modules/ccCometChat/config.php
/modules/ccCometChat/contrib/cometchat/colors folder & files
/modules/ccCometChat/contrib/cometchat/modules/chatrooms/config.php

I think that was all!

3. Make the module active

4. On the install tab, click Install CometChat

5. Run Integrity Check

6. Go to ACP > Developer Tools > Database Admin. Make sure you have roughly 10 cometchat_* tables. When I installed I only had jr_cccometchat_cometchat_jamroom_users. If you only see one cometchat table or no tables, in a browser go to http://yoursite.com/modules/ccCometChat/contrib/cometchat/install.php. This will install the database. You will also get a message to copy and paste some values to your meta.tpl file. More on that in a bit.

7. go back to the database and make sure your tables are now visible

8. Open your meta.tpl file and make sure this is displayed below the head tag


9. Refresh your browser cache

10. You should see the chat module on your index page now. If you see it for a split second and it disappears, go to the comet chat admin panel and click on the settings tab. Click on the Change Base Url link on the left. Mine looks like http://www.site.com/modules/ccCometChat/contrib/cometchat/ . If the base url is wrong, cometchat will not work.


Good luck

updated by @dazed: 05/18/16 02:28:23PM

It's great of you to post this. It'll be helpful to many.

Just curious- Can you tell me what the difference is between your previous custom version of CC and the $49 JR CC module basic version? What did you decide to give up when going to the cheaper basic version? (I have a premium type version for almost a year now)


--
...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

From what I have seen there is no difference. I still have the premium version and I did not purchase the jr version. When I went to their site to download it again, I had the option to get whatever I wanted. I am not using video or anything like that and I have another chat room I use that is more robust.

I am not sure if it is any easier to use being wrapped within Jamroom but it does automatically setup the database associations.

I think with the premium version you might get more support? (you'd think so, with the difference between $49 and $250... !)


--
...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

My support ended awhile ago and we use this chat more as a shoutbox so I just could not see renewing it. The concern I have is that their docs are not complete so support is almost a requirement. By design maybe?

We recently upgraded to Platinum and they have been working for weeks on getting the video chat up to par. I will say that support does work a little nearly every work day of the week on our issues. The basic chat and announcement functionality works great ... now we are in the process of getting all of the other production items working properly.


--
The Patria Company - patriaco.com / quality-trades.com / a-t.life - doing Jamroom since v3

I have had pretty good results from the CC support people. They are located in India so I have to update my ticket info and then see what/how they've responded after I get up in the morning...but they do work every day at the issue. And on stubborn issues I've found they'll stick with me for a long time if needed, to find the cause and solution.
I don't feel they are intentionally creating insufficient docs- my guess is that the language thing might be at least one factor.


--
...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015