Security Images: THE CAPTCHA engine



virtuemart (since version 4.1.3 and Soeren new version)
The component use GD library, a lot of hoster do not have it installed. Use the forums at http://forums.waltercedric.com or
The online documentation is at http://wiki.waltercedric.com
Patches for protecting:
* Contact
* Login, register, lost password, lost user account
* Akobook
* Akocomment
Are also available for both Joomla! 1.0.X and Joomla! 1.5.X
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Joomla 1.0.X - Use Securityimages 4.X
http://www.waltercedric.com/updater.php?option=com_versions&catid=1
Patches
http://www.waltercedric.com/joomla-releases-mainmenu-269.html?QUERY_STRING=#Joomla!%201.0%20patches
Joomla! 1.5.X - Use Securityimages 5.X
http://www.waltercedric.com/joomla-releases-mainmenu-269.html?QUERY_STRING=#com_securityimages5
Patches
http://www.waltercedric.com/joomla-releases-mainmenu-269.html?QUERY_STRING=#Joomla!%201.5%20patches
This is a fantastic component. Like all the CAPTCHA based components it requires some modifications to the Joomla core files. This is a necessary evil I'm afraid and those who complain that it's too complex dont understand this.
In addition to be an excellent component on it's own, the developer has provided information to other developers on how to integrate it with other components. This means that VirtueMart 1.1.3 comes with support for Security Images 5 already baked in.
Well done! Great component.
Second, please don't try to "wing" it. There are very specific steps you must take and they are all well documented in the Documentation, including pretty pictures for all of us.
NICE JOB!
Disappointing ...
Really excellent one.
Thanks
The first zip file is installed using the Joomla Install method in the Admin back end. Too Easy. It will even tell you when installation has been completed and if it was successful.
The next part is a bit fiddly as you need to unzip the patch file in a folder and then FTP its contents to your website where some 14 Joomla files are replaced by these patched files to enable the Captcha engine to intercept the php script.
Once this is done you simply go to the Joomla Global Configuration manager and SWITCH ON the component. I must admit I did have an issue here as after successful install the option to switch on the component was NOT showing up. After a few hours researching I simply unzipped the patch file again and used FTP to upload the files again. This time it worked!!
The Security Images component has a very powerful and useful back end configuration menu which not only allows you to make configuration changes but also has very useful troubleshooting options. Also there is a range of different Captcha core or plug-in supplied that give you lots of different options to display graphical letters.
On the front end it works very well and integrates well with the register,login and contact pages.
I believe when Joomla V1.6 is released the installation will be even easier as the patch files will no longer be necessary.
Overall 10 out of 10 for this fine product.
I think it would be a improvement if the image could be placed over the input box, instead of alongside. I achieved that with a hack anyway.
Thank you very much for an making this package available.
I downloaded and tried for about an hour after reading the directions forward and backwards to get this up and running with no luck. I downloaded the two packages that seem to be required. The com itself and the core hacks package. Then I went through the step by step of turning the captcha on. No luck. (rinse, repeat, no luck)
As for my background I have probably downloaded and installed hundreds of different mods and coms over the years including items like CB and Jomsocial. I can't think of any others that I was unable to get working after it was installed...
This com does seem like it would be a huge asset for any web site so I will make another attempt (and review) when a new release comes out.
Also I would like to suggest keeping the files required to install the system close to each other. Not one on this page and one on the other side of the web site.
Please change it in the future!
Thanks
For whatever reason I looked in my /media folder a few days ago and noticed 2 folders in there (which should not have been there, I created that folder for other stuff, I don't know why these folders went in there?!?!?)
com_securityimages
system
Since they should not have been there and I'm not using securityimages on the site I moved these folders (I did not delete them just in case).
After I removed these two folders I was not able to use ANY of the administrator menus and it broke or changed several aspects of the site. I put these two folders back and everything is working again thankfully.
Either this is a nasty bug or it's potentially a very big problem in general. If a plug-in is removed should it not remove itself and not leave stuff behind like that? Especially things that can completely break a site.
I attempted to go to the support page to look if others also had this problem or if I could get a fix but the support site doesn't look like it's online right now.
Could be a good extension, but beware of these problems.
Hi
if you look at the installer xml (securityimages.xml) you will see that none of these directories is created in /media. (and certainly not system)
The installer create /media/logo and /media/background so the only explanation is that YOU move something there. It cant be the code that create such a mess. I would look for directory alias (linux host). All in all, definitively not an error of my component.
maybe its not the extension more easily for install and setup but i think nor is it so hard
if you can't see the caracters, you can change the text size, select another font, set the text angle to 0, select another background image or buy you a glasses
i can only claim the patch to the form to send to a friend
again thanks walter
If I was a client, I would skip from registration obviously
Installation instructions are quite explanatory, you just have to go through.
http://wiki.waltercedric.com/index.php?title=SecurityImages5.0.X
It very well might be the case with some users who live in the perfect hosting world.
Download link takes you to the general website where you have to wait for twitter, amazon links to get their responses. Than you will see a HUGE banners that is rather pointless. If you are lucky to find the file that you think you need and try to install, you will learn pretty soon, you have to get more staff from developer's website. (Why? - to read Amazon adds.) and so on and on and on.
Rather than try to fight this component, wait, captcha is a part of Joomla 1.6 (finally)
you are not judging the component quality or the ease of installation, but my website... by the way which browser do you use? chrome/opera/firefox in no cache mode dont display the bottom of my page first...
all items like twitter, amazon links are at the far far bottom, while at top there is a link joomla release, another download, another joomla extensions forums, and so on.
your review is just a personal opinion of my site...I get a lot more positive feedback overall.
Note: SecurityImages exist since 2004!
and I will have a joomla 1.6 version of course :-)
I myself a bit confuse at the starting point, but when you take a deep breath, you'll gonna love this extension. Just don't forget to refer to their forum on the Documentations.
If it produced valid XHTML I would have rated "excellent".
I can assure u that this is the best.
Works with 1.5.8 and i just installed it on 1.5.9
Works excellent.
P.S
Works right out of the box ( as long as you follow the instructions)
You can change captcha image templates as well as make it sound captcha.
What else can we ask for?
Joomla Team, this extension should be defiantly a part of Joomla core..








