[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
Hi,

Does anyone have a recommendation for a robust, easily cutomized forum solution?

We're currently using vBulletin and would like something more flexible.

Our requirements are as follow:
* It must be written using PHP and MySQL
* The code must be secure.
* The software must allow for arbitrary customization:
o Modifying the user authentication, enabling us to use a single sign-on.
o Adding non-forum user data.

* Support for categories & subforums
* Formatting of posts, ideally allowing both BBCode and/or graphical emoticons
* Multiple levels of disciplinary action, including warnings, suspensions, bans and IP blocking
* Variety of thread types, including "sticky" and "important" threads
* Robust search feature
* Unicode support

Any ideas are most welcome. A forum solution as nice as CodeIgniter would be ideal!

[eluser]Ploutou[/eluser]
PHPBB3 is better than VB, easier to manage, VB forums have far too many confusing settings, plus they get spammed a lot too, phpbb3 ones dont.

there's a phpbb3 seo plugin that you can use that rewrites the urls, like the vbseo one.
Demo : forum hosting

[eluser]Phil Sturgeon[/eluser]
Agreed with Ploutou that phpBB is a better forum solution than VB, but it is not as "nice" as CodeIgniter in respect to the code.

I did a LOT of work hacking, integrating, improving and bug fixing between phpBB 1 and 2.(something) and it was very messy procedural code. It may have got a little better since then but it is nothing like the code we have come to know and love in CI.

[eluser]syntax error[/eluser]
It's all opinions, and IMO, VB is a lot better than PHPBB3.
Yes, PHPBB is easier to manage, but it does get spammed a lot and is fairly insecure. (If you don't keep up to date with the patches.)
VB is highly customizable and more secure but has a huuge learning curve.

If you're going for simplicity perhaps take a look at Vanilla http://getvanilla.com/