I need help with access rights [solved]

[Amicus]

First I want to say that I', using jDownloads for years (since Joomla 1.5. and jDownloads 1.8.) and I have always been satisfied with jDownloads.
I have done translation to Bosnian languge.
But, since i have migrated to Joomla 3.x and started to use jDownloads 3.2. I'm frustrated.
I can't get permissions for downloads. I can allow to EVERYBODY to download EVERYTHING or only REGISTERED users can download EVERYTHING.
I'm using Joomla 3.4.1. and jDownloads  3.2.32.
I have imported more or less all data from Joomla 2.5., but now I CAN'T set download rights for downloads.
Can someone please, please help me with this?

I have following category structure:

On category and one subcategory for unregistered users (and registered):
- Download for all
- -  Translations

Downloads in these two categories are accessible to ALL users (guests and registered)

On category and one subcategory for registered users:
- Download for registered users
- - Translations

Downloads in these two categories are accessible ONLY to REGISTERED and logged users (beside superuser)

How can I do that?

I have been setting permissions in Joomla global configuration, jDownloads Categories, User Gropup Settings, Downloads, but I can't get on simple thing that I have been able to do last 4 years ? I want to have some downloads available to everyone and some available only to registered users.
It seems that I'm totally missing permission logic here.

P.S.
I want everyone to SEE downloads from categories for registered users but not to be able to download.
Instead of download button should be message.
I had that before, but now I can't sort it out.

[Arno]

Hi Amicus,
we had to change the permissions functionality for the new jD series, because we wanted to be full compatible with the Joomla permissions structure.
This can be a little bit difficult be when users migrated old data to the new series.

So it is the best to read at first the examples in the jD documentation. Have you doing this?
Here a few example links:
http://www.jdownloads.net/documentations/item/permissions-problems-after-migration-to-new-series
http://www.jdownloads.net/documentations/item/controlled-access-to-categories-and-downloads
http://www.jdownloads.net/documentations/item/notes-on-permissions

When this does not help we can check this for you in your backend.

By the way, the permissions and view access handling is in jDownloads 3.x the same as in Joomla self.

[ColinM]

Amicus
I wrote the articles on the Permissions and would also be glad to help.  Permissions in jDownloads cascade down from category to sub category and so on down to the Downloads.
One point that many people find a little confusing is that Joomla! has implied membership of User Groups (UGs).  For instance if you set up a user as a member of the Author UG then they are automatically implied members of the Registered and Public UGs as well.  The moral here is not to set any permission to Deny.  If for example you set Deny permission for Public UG for say Category 'Download for All' then no one except the super user will be able to download anything from that category, its sub categories and so on. When you change any permission you need to Save to see the resultant calculated permission.  Whilst it is a bit tedious I would suggest that until you become familiar that you do  a Save after changing a permission to see the result is what you expected (hoped?).  If it is not then most likely there is a Deny somewhere.

I also find it better not to set any permissions in the Joomla! global set or in the jDownloads component set (accessible via the Options button jD Control page).  Set all permissions for all UGs to Inherit.
I set permissions on the jD Categories, specifically the top level categories, as that is the most flexible way.  So at this point no one, except super users, will be able to download anything.

Now in Permissions section of Cat Download for all choose Public UG and set Download to Allow.  Because everyone is a member of the Public Group, either explicitly or implied, and because of the cascading then everyone will be able to Download from Download for all and its sub cat Translations If this is not the case then check you have not inadvertently left a deny somewhere.

So far so good.  Next go to cat Download for registered users and this time go to the Registered UG permissions.  Set Downloads permission to Allow.  Now only Registered UGwill be able to download from cat Download for registered users and its sub cats

Users in the Public group will be able to see the description and so on of Cat Download for registered users but they will not be able to download.  If you do not want the Public UG to see those categories the set the Access Level of Cat Download for registered users to Registered.

You do not need to set up the User Groups Settings unless you want to impose download limits or you want to permit uploading from the front end.  If you do want to allow front end upload the create a new UG called say Uploader with parent Registered.  That ensures the new UG can Download.  Go back to Cat  Download for registered usersand select permissions for UG Uploader. Specificaslly set permissions for Create, Edit and Edit Own to Allow.  Then you need to setup User Groups Settings with a high ranking, say 123, and set what questions you want the uploaders to answer.  We can be a bit more sophisticated and have two or more UGs with different capabilities.

Hope this helps

[Amicus]

Thank you very much for this explanation and example.
Finally I have managed to sort out my downloads.

Now I again like jDownloads

So, I made small PayPal donation.
I encourage everyone to do the same to keep jDownloads alive.

Thank you again ColinM.

[hurged]

It is really very great to make donations to some of hte tools which are providing some services for free. I will also try Jdownload and will share my contributions for sure.