18 July 2012, 9:30

Hello again,

we have a short question.

Our configuration:

Mahara 1.4
Moodle 2.3

Mahara as the host system SSO out to Moodle

We configured the integration following the PDF
https://wiki.mahara.org/images/7/75/Mahoodle-updated-en.pdf

In there it is described like "[...] create an institution in mahara called mahoodle and set up XMLRPC Authentification for this Institution...[...]" (p. 15ff)

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The question now is why is the Link to get to Moodle availble for ALL users? Also those who are not in the institution "Mahoodle" (which we set up before). Their authentification method is set to the institutions they are in which have internal authentification and no more.

Maybe one could explain us why this link is available for all.

Thanks a lot.

Cheers,
Bjoern

19 July 2012, 4:46

Hello Bjoern,

I don't get all the details of your question but I think I can give you directions to answer some the aspect of Mahoodle.

First it is a bit complicate if you already have users using Mahara with Internal auth method and then want to let them connect from Moodle. To solve this difficult (sensitive) bit, I recomand you read the Mahara manual about the special config feature called "usersuniquebyusername" (http://manual.mahara.org/en/1.5/site_admin/experimental.html#usersuniquebyusername-variable point 8.7.3). With this option, you should be able to access Mahara with different methode of authentication. But read the manual and the forums carefully, because this feature has drawbacks as it can solve some problems.

Second, when setting up a Mahoodle server, I personally thing it is better to start from scratch with no users in Mahara. You asked in your message "Why all the users are seeing the link in Moodle to land on Mahara", if I understand you well. In fact, you can change this behavior in Moodle, creating a special role you could call "Access ePorttfolio" and based on the role "Connected users" for example. In this role you add the Moodle network property. Then you give that role, on system level, to every Moodle users you want they access your Mahara server.

Hope this helps

-dajan

19 July 2012, 9:14

Hi Dajan,

thank you for your answer.
Maybe I did some mistakes describing my problem.

Again, our configuration is at follows:

Mahara as the host/main/managing system (whatever u wanna call it) and our users on mahara SSO OUT to moodle. So there is no question why there is a Link in Moodle.

The question was why there is a link IN mahara TO moodle.And in addition the question ist why is this link (in mahara (to get to moodle)) visible for ALL users in mahara.

The question came up, because if I am right, I just configure XMLRPC for ONLY one institution in Mahara. In my understanding this means, that only the users of the Institution I configured XMLRPC for IN mahara can use this authtenfication and only this users of this one and only instituttion in mahara I configured XMLRPC for can see the link. At least this is what I would expect from configuring XMLRPC in mahara for only one institution.

So the question is, again, why all users in mahara can see the link to get TO moodle even when they are NOT in the institution I configured the XMLRPC for.

To your other question of alread existing users, it doesn't make a difference wether we have a mahara with user or a fresh set up mahara without any users.

Cheers

Björn

19 July 2012, 12:12

Hello again,

Sorry to have misunderstood your question.

I see you are doing the other way round, from Mahara to Moodle. I personally have never experienced this solution and then I don't have any advice to give to you in that matter.

Sorry. I hope other people in this forum would be able to help you on this.

Regards,

-dajan

19 July 2012, 19:53

Hi there,

from my experience, Moodle handles this in the same manner. A block becomes available and all users see it. There is not access checking on who see the block. The link is simply available but only upon clicking it will there be a check if the users has the proper permissions. Maybe think of it as a door that only certain users have the key to.

You could place some text above it such as 'Moodle users click here' perhaps to cut down on confusion.

20 July 2012, 4:05

Moodle handles this in the same manner. A block becomes available and all users see it. There is not access checking on who see the block.

Not so :-) Moodle actually checks if the user has the right capability (permission) before displaying the remote servers block.

What may be happening is that the permission has been granted to all authenticated users (that's what tutorials usually suggest as the easiest way to configure it). So that may explain why everybody sees the block.

But if you create a new role in Moodle, assign the roaming capability to that role only (removing it from the authenticated users role) and assign the role to a few selected users, only those users will actually see the block.

Saludos.
Iñaki.

20 July 2012, 8:25

Hello Bjoern,

I tested it and also see the same as you that any Mahara user can go to Moodle and have an account. I don't know why that happens, but the only explanation is that this method hasn't been implemented well yet for Mahara sites having multiple institutions. Usually, the other way around is used (Moodle to Mahara) and that works fine with the authentication plugin. It seems that a check is not made to not display the network block in Mahara when you are not in the institution that has MNet set up.

You are welcome to file a bug at https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+filebug or fix it yourself and propose the solution if you are a developer.

Cheers

Kristina