I'm just starting to work on restricting access rights, so as an experiment I created a new user, 'test_user', and set the level to 'Authenticated User'. Then in another browser, I went to 'http://localhost/couch/' to bring up the login page and attempted to log in as this new user. I'm immediately presented with an 'Access Denied' dialog: "You do not have sufficient privileges to view the page requested. To see this page you must logout and login with sufficient privileges.".

This is a bit baffling. What 'page requested' is being referred to here, and why might this new user not have privileges to view it? I've not tried to go to any actual page, just /couch/.

[KK]

That is expected behaviour as only admins and super-admins are allowed access to the admin-panel. The other groups (authenticated and authenticated-special) are meant only for granting your registered users controlled access to the front-end (i.e. your site).

You can find all details here - http://docs.couchcms.com/concepts/users.html

Hope this answers your query.

So does this mean that I cannot provide a simple login page for an unauthenticated user, then? That hardly seems right. Surely I don't have to switch to something like the extended users module to accomplish this?

[KK]

Since you are creating authenticated users, I think I can assume that there would be certain resources (specific pages or all pages of certain templates) that you wish to grant controlled access to these users.

If you were to set access restrictions on these resources (e.g. as shown here http://docs.couchcms.com/concepts/users ... vel-access), whenever a non logged-in visitor tries to access such pages, she'll be show the login box automatically. You don't need to code anything for that.

If, however, you do wish to create and show your own custom login box, then you'll have to use the extended-users module (use only the 'login/logout' part of it - no need to use the other sections).

Ah, so that's how it works. What I actually want to do doesn't fit so neatly into that model, but I imagine it can be made to do so. I would like to have a menu item that only appears for authenticated users, not the general public. Obviously with authentication working the way you say, I would have to display it in order to get the login screen to appear, but what I would rather do is have the users log in via a Login button, whereupon the extra menu appears. Is this doable using the standard setup? I have no problem using the extended users module but don't want to if it isn't necessary.

[KK]

Not sure why you are hesitant in activating extended-users. Anyway, it has to be done if you require functions made available by it.

Please see the following post for a note on the login link - viewtopic.php?p=24427#p24427

[trendoman]

I went to 'http://localhost/couch/' to bring up the login page and attempted to log in as this new user.
...
I've not tried to go to any actual page, just /couch/.

Going to /couch/ you actually request /couch/index.php And this page is restricted to either logged-in superadmins or not-logged users. As long as you have identified yourself as neither of the two, you've seen a proper message.

Not sure why you are hesitant in activating extended-users. Anyway, it has to be done if you require functions made available by it.

Only reason was that I would prefer to stick with the basic CouchCMS if it's capable of doing what I want. If I need to use extended-users, I'm happy to do so.

I'm using Couch for a running club website. How feasible would it be to do a bulk creation of authenticated users from a members list, rather than have to add them all individually? I've used the CSV import facility elsewhere and I'm wondering whether it could be used for users.

[trendoman]

Recently I was auto-creating thousands of users with extended users setup and CSV importer here http://www.couchcms.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8803