This is one of the features I love in Xenforo as you can click on the IP associated with a user and it redirects you to WhatIsMyIpAddress with the report on the IP.
I frequently use it when I notice guests hitting error returns on the site (XF gives you a little triangle to show that they are trying to go to content they cannot access). Generally I find that these are data center related and then I can place the ASN into CloudFlare and require them to go through a challenge. That way, if they are real users, they can access the site but bots have issues.

I've used Xenforo since 2012. In all that time, I've only used this function a few times. And it was not just based upon user, but on an IP. Of course, the user apparently was not smart enough to know about TOR or willing to get a VPN.
It's an OK feature, but easily gotten around. Users that are aware of it will just create new accounts. If it's IP based then they will use a VPN or TOR to get around it... unless you block TOR at the firewall level.

@Developer.this said in Some general help with NodeBB:

So the plugins are OK yet there is one specific plugin that prevents the save function?

That was what I ran into. It may have involved the plug-in load order, but the ones I had installed were not need to haves, but want to play withs.

@Developer.this said in Some general help with NodeBB:

the google SSO does work after i added the .env vars manually

Sounds like something is interfering then as I did not need to do the environmental variables.

@Developer.this said in Some general help with NodeBB:

I've added it manually for now but the save menu here (google-sso) and on some other plugs doesn't work.

I have had this issue recently with some plug-ins. It ended up being resolved by filtering through some new plugs-ins I had added and then removing them one by one. I don't remember which exact ones they were that were causing issues though.
I know the Google-SSO plug-in works on my site.

There is no "click a button and install" option available AFAIK.
But there is fantastic Ubuntu installation documentation available on this site itself (then centOS one is lacking sadly but I may grab another VSP to play with AlmaLinux and NodeBB on).
https://docs.nodebb.org/installing/os/ubuntu/

You do have to be familiar with working on the command line of Linux (like in the old days of DOS) as it does make some assumptions about the knowledge level of the installer.
If you aren't, then it will be difficult for you to even with cut & paste use as you will probably run into issues.
And if you aren't, then it will probably be difficult to keep the site up and running.
If someone has gotten it up and running for you, it is your job to keep it running usually. Most people are not going to volunteer to maintain your VPS instance for you. That is usually a paid option with many VPS providers.
If you are not familiar with Linux, I encourage you to install it on spare PC (if you have one) to play with, or if you have a decent PC for use then install Oracle VirtualBox on it and set up a Ubuntu instance in it.
I do encourage you to use Ubuntu 24.04LTS if your CloudPanel offers it as an install option. It has a longer period before it is no longer supported than 22.04LTS has (04/2027) vs 04/2029). It also has a longer support cycle than 22.04LTS has (12 years vs 10 years).

Google is easy to do with the SSO add-in. Twitter and FaceBook now have a mountain of hoops you have to jump through to use their SSO sign ins so I and many other admins I know have gotten away from using it.
FaceBook requires you (for certain permissions) to submit business documentation. Not really worth it if your site is a hobby site and you don't have a business. Yes, you can use your home address information I am sure, but many would rather not give FaceBook even more data to sell.

Just a note for those that are using CloudFlare. You may find your site CSS gets wonky after removing some plug-ins. Mine was some that dealt with the editor. No matter what I removed/added back in and rebuilt the editor was really displaying in bad form.
Then it dawned on me that CloudFlare does caching. Flushed the CF cache and the editor looks like it is supposed to.

You should have console access from your VPS providers web console.
Log in and look and see what is set there.
It should not be dependent upon outside connectivity other than to your VPS provider.

@darkpollo said in [nodebb-plugin-2factor] Two-Factor Authentication:

Pretty sure you were the one that commented about them not being techy. I know zero people that admin a website (and I know a lot since I've been around doing them since around 2010) that the admins and even the staff do not have phones. In fact, on several of the sites that I am friends of the admins of, they now require their staff to use TOTP at the least for their staff accounts. If they can't do that, then they cease being staff.

But see what you want. The point was, the excuse that YOU gave this description:

I agree it is not the best for security, but I am comparing having an email 2fa for websites vs not having anything because the admin is not "techy" enough to use which is much worse.

I simply commented that if they were not techy enough to use a cell phone and install a simple app to use then maybe they have no business administering a website. And no, that's not talking down. Certain positions require certain skills. Sometimes they also involve having certain equipment. For those that don't have those skills, they maybe they should not have that position. It works that way in the world of business generally.
The point with the spouse was she is a FAR cry from being "techy" and is still able to use a TOTP app. And if she can, anyone should be able to.
I was not tryin got be offensive.. but I am rather blunt. Bad security is bad security and I never try to encourage it.

@darkpollo said in [nodebb-plugin-2factor] Two-Factor Authentication:

@Astro-What
TOTP is not 2FA for start.

If you are going to start insulting people, I will go somewhere else.
This is not the way to discuss a functionality, you have your opinion. I have mine, I offer you a link from an important security guy and another link within that from 1password (https://blog.1password.com/totp-for-1password-users/)

If you want to comment on that, fine, if you prefer to keep insulting, bye.

2FA does useTOTP, and it is regularly used by those "non-techy" types you are talking about. Google Authenticator, 2FAS, Authy are all used as 2FA via the TOTP ability. You then can progress into the arena of device keys like the Yubi Key (which I use as an admin on all my sites), the cell phone itself and similar.
Again, the feature that I am using either uses a Yubi Key type or the TOTP apps.
2FA is simply requiring two forms of identification to access data (either a website or similar).
Simply put, email 2FA is not secure and is not considered acceptable by most security experts. BTW I was in IT as the IT manager for a mid-sized city for around 10 years and was heavily involved in IT for several years before that.
As I noted, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to be able to use TOTP 2FA. Sorry if you felt offended, but suggesting an insecure method just because it's "easier" goes against the very nature of security.
If you are going to use SMS, then why not use the TOTP apps since generally you are already going to have a device to receive those texts on that can use the TOTP apps.

@darkpollo said in [nodebb-plugin-2factor] Two-Factor Authentication:

I agree it is not the best for security, but I am comparing having an email 2fa for websites vs not having anything because the admin is not "techy" enough to use which is much worse.

If the website admin is not "techy" enough to have a phone, be able to click on an app, click on an add button and point a camera at a screen... maybe they don't need to be an admin of a website?

Even my spouse, who is not computer literate, can use a TOTP app.
I mean it's really not rocket science to use a TOTP app. The hardest thing is deciding on which one to use and to make sure that it stores (encrypted) your data in case you lose your device. The one we use stores the data in our Apple iCloud account. Lose the phone, get a new one, restore from backup and you are good to go.

And I've been enjoying playing with NodeBB so much I just started another site with it.
Still learning the ins & outs of getting multiple sites on one VPS instance, but I think I may have it.
The site is for the open and friendly discussion of politics and religion, the thing banned on most sites.
I figured it might get some traction with societies the way they are today.
Ideology Central.

@abcabc123 said in Please help me, I can't install:

Let's use it for the time being, you can help me install the nodebb forum first. If you can fix it, by the way help me fix it thoroughly, thanks

I have mentioned to you in chat several times that it could probably have been fixed if you would have provided the web console access for the VPS. Generally VPS providers have a terminal client access for the VPS configured.
Since that information was never provided it stopped me from being able to help you as I could not check the status of the VPS upgrade instance.
If you are going to want people to help you, you are going to have to be willing to provide the information they ask for to do so. Even installing something like TeamViewer on your desktop to allow them to remote access your system while you control the VPS console login would have worked.

This is why I don't think you got the issue fixed.
PING <IP removed for security> (<IP REMOVED FOR SECURITY>): 56 data bytes
Request timeout for icmp_seq 0
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
Request timeout for icmp_seq 3
Request timeout for icmp_seq 4
Request timeout for icmp_seq 5

Until you allow someone better access they are not going to be able to help on your install since odds are they cannot access the actual VPS instance itself. It is highly possible a firewall locked me out and if that's what it is, the web console access is needed or you need to have the knowledge to fix the issue yourself.

@phenomlab I'm scaring 62 this year.
I cut my teeth on this type of stuff back when QuickBBS/RemoteAccess/Maximus/WWIV were the "in thing" for participation. First round was using MS-DOS 3.1 and DESQview to run my QuickBBS site then progressed to OS2 and Maximus/2 with Binkley on the the front end for FidoNet. Ran a 3 line BBS and had a 4th line devoted strictly for mail delivery since I was a NEC and also a HUB in the DFW area.

Yeah, just getting access to the web console of the VPS controls and using their console to try to connect would help resolve the issues. It's not like I'm new to Linux. Been running it since Slackware came out on 3.5" disks.

@phenomlab said in Please help me, I can't install:

@Tracy could well be behind a firewall or iptables.

yeah, and without the panel (web) access (which I never could get) there is nothing I could do.

@phenomlab said in Please help me, I can't install:

@Tracy I'm in contact the site owner and have login details as root.

He gave those to me also. But when trying to connect to the IP he provided via SSH it did not connect (times out). It did before processing the 24.04LTS upgrade.

Doing a ping of the site results:
PING <IP removed for security> (<IP REMOVED>): 56 data bytes
Request timeout for icmp_seq 0
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
Request timeout for icmp_seq 3
Request timeout for icmp_seq 4
Request timeout for icmp_seq 5

So for some reason from my location it does not connect to it.
With 22.04LTS it was giving a MongoDB dependency warning, and I'm not that familiar with MongDB (usually use mySQL or postgreSQL).
Best of luck!

@phenomlab said in Please help me, I can't install:

@Tracy yes, I too have seen similar over on Sudonix. I've put myself forward but yet to have any response.

Just so you know if you do start helping, the upgrade to 24.04LTS was ran and now the system is non-responsive for remote access. Trying to either get the user to provide the web console access to their VPS or have them resolve that issue themselves and no luck so far.

@phenomlab said in Please help me, I can't install:

@abcabc123 https://sudonix.org/topic/693/please-help-me-i-can-t-install-nodebb

They are getting help, but if they want to go there that will work also. I'm about to head off to bed after dealing with it for a few hours already and getting slow responses.

I think it's actually astro_what_forum