Access to several Galleries via a single URL and password

[Protographer]

I am trying to provide access to several private, password-protected galleries via a single URL and password. I seem to recall seeing tips on how do do this but have been unable to locate them again.

I have, at least for the time being, created a single, private, password-protected gallery which contains no photos, just links to the other galleries. I made them all part of the same, custom, Category and gave them all the same password. It seems to work but is there a better way?

One problem is that the "empty" gallery with the links to the others still shows the message "This is a brand new gallery with no photos.". How may I eliminate this message?

Also, I'd like to use custom colours on the links to the lower-level Galleries. I have used:
a:link { color: rgb(0, 255, 0) } /* for unvisited links */
a:visited { color: rgb(0, 255, 0) } /* for visited links */
a:active { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) } /* when link is clicked -this doesn't yet work, but's that's not a big deal */
a:hover { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) } /* when mouse is over link */
in the CSS section of the customization section of the control panel but the scope of these custom colours is too wide; I really want them only on the one gallery page, say www.smugmug.com/Gallery/1234567 (http://www.smugmug.comGallery/1234567). Any suggestions

Thanks.

[richW]

You could put all of the galleries in one category. This would give you the ablility to use one url to access all of the galleries. www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)
Using the same password will help, your viewers will only have to enter it once.

ShareGroups might be another way: http://www.smugmug.com/help/share-groups

To hide the "no photos" warning, add this to your css section:
.nophotos h3 {display: none;} /* removes nophotos warning on new galleries */

To apply css to a single gallery, add .gallery_xxxxx replace the x's with the gallery number.

.gallery_xxxxxx .nophotos h3 {display: none;}

Check out the Customizing SmugMug Simplified link below for great tips...

[Protographer]

You could put all of the galleries in one category. This would give you the ablility to use one url to access all of the galleries. www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)I did that. Let's say that category MyNewCategory contains Galleries:
mysite.smugmug.com/Galleiy/0000001 (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)
mysite.smugmug.com/Galleiy/0000002 (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)
mysite.smugmug.com/Galleiy/0000003 (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)
I tried mysite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures) but it isn't password protected and since these are private galleries this page doesn't show them. Making the Galleries public isn't an option. Creating a ShareGroup, as you suggest, would make the Gallery names appear, but still, without the page itself being password protected.

What is such a page called - a Category page? How would I add my own text to that page? How could I password protect it?

ShareGroups might be another way: http://www.smugmug.com/help/share-groupsThis must be what I saw and couldn't find again. The name ShareGroup hardly seems descriptive.:dunnoAlso, the ShareGroup page seems to list the Galleries without the need for a password. This seems to defeat the purpose of having a private Gallery, except that the Galleries in the ShareGroup don't appear on the www.yoursite.smugmug.com (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures) home page.
[I am not really paranoid. Everyone only thinks that I am! :s85 Ooops, where did I go?]

To hide the "no photos" warning, add this to your css section:
.nophotos h3 {display: none;} /* removes nophotos warning on new galleries */

To apply css to a single gallery, add .gallery_xxxxx replace the x's with the gallery number.

.gallery_xxxxxx .nophotos h3 {display: none;}This works like a charm. How would I replace the "no photos" text with my own? It's the syntrax of how to do it that I want, btw, not an alternative like adding my text to the description.

Also, I have used:
a:hover { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) } /* when mouse is over link */
to specify the link mouse-over colour. What is the syntax for restricting this to a particular gallery, say gallery_xxxxxx?
I treid
.gallery_xxxxxx.a:hover { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) }
but that wasn't quite it.

Is there a listing of the master CSS file available somewhere? Again, I seem to recall running across a reference to it but cannot find it again now.

Thanks.

[Allen]

...
Also, I have used:
a:hover { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) } /* when mouse is over link */
to specify the link mouse-over colour. What is the syntax for restricting this to a particular gallery, say gallery_xxxxxx?
I treid
.gallery_xxxxxx.a:hover { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) }
but that wasn't quite it.

Is there a listing of the master CSS file available somewhere? Again, I seem to recall running across a reference to it but cannot find it again now.

Thanks.
add a space between xxxxxxx and .a
.gallery_xxxxxx .a:hover { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) }

No master list that I know of.

If you link to mysite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures) it brings up the
category page with all the public galeries showing. If all those galleies had
the same password your viewer would enter the PW for the first gallery
entered and none for the rest.

[Protographer]

add a space between xxxxxxx and .a
.gallery_xxxxxx .a:hover { color: rgb(255, 255, 0) }
Works like a charm! Thanks.

[Protographer]

Let's say that category MyNewCategory contains galleries:
mysite.smugmug.com/Gallery/0000001 (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)
mysite.smugmug.com/Gallery/0000002 (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)
mysite.smugmug.com/Gallery/0000003 (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)
1. How can I make the category MyNewCategory private?
2. How can I password protect mysite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)?
3. Once it's password and private protected, how would I make the private galleries in MyNewCategory appear there?
2. What is such a page called - a Category page?
3. How would I add my own text to that page?

Thanks.

[davidweaver]

1. How can I make the category MyNewCategory private?
2. How can I password protect mysite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)?
3. Once it's password and private protected, how would I make the private galleries in MyNewCategory appear there?
2. What is such a page called - a Category page?
3. How would I add my own text to that page?

Thanks.

Bump. I'm trying to do the same thing.

[Allen]

1. How can I make the category MyNewCategory private?
2. How can I password protect mysite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures)?
3. Once it's password and private protected, how would I make the private galleries in MyNewCategory appear there?
2. What is such a page called - a Category page?
3. How would I add my own text to that page?

Thanks.
Password all the galleries in the category and make them public. (Public is needed so they show on the category page.)
Use the hack (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=48082&page=3) to not show the category on the homepage or galleries page.
Provide direct link to category for access.

[Protographer]

Password all the galleries in the category and make them public. (Public is needed so they show on the category page.)
Use the hack (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=48082&page=3) to not show the category on the homepage or galleries page.
Provide direct link to category for access.But this still doesn't requre a password to view the Category Page (is that what it is called?), does it?

I am looking for a way to require a password to access mysite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures). Once the password has been provided, only then do I want the galleries and the text in the Category Page to be visible. Doesn't seem possible. Or am I missing something?

To recap:
I want one "page" that is private, password-protected and accessible via a simple URL like:
MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries)
which contains text and links to a number of private, password protected galleries:

MySite.SmugMug.com/Gallery1 (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries)
...
MySite.SmugMug.com/GalleryN (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries) MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries) should be accessible only via a direct link, but knowing the direct link should not be enough to see anything on that page. The password too should be specified in order to see anything on that page.

So far using a private, password protected HTML-only (no photos) gallery, with a vanity URL, which then links to private, password-protected galleries still seems to be my best bet. Thanks.

[Allen]

But this still doesn't requre a password to view the category page, does it?

I am looking for a way to requre a password to access mysite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.yoursite.smugmug.com/Pictures). Once the password has been provided, only then do I want the galleries and the textoin the Category Page (is that what it is called?) to be visible. Doesn't seem possible. Or am I missing something?

So far the technique of a private, password protected HTML-only (no photos) gallery with a vanity URL which then links to private, password-protected galleries still seems to be my best bet. Thanks. One idea is create a new passworded gallery to use as a landing page. I
have one for my family area with a slideshow on it. Provide a link in this new
gallery description to the hidden category. Name the category something
like f467g3kh309d53o4K8B so it's like a password. Password all the galleries
and make them public. You'll also need the hide category hack so it doesn't
show on your homepage or galleries page I think.

Only problem I see is if someone toggled off javascript and removed your
CSS they would see the category along with the others and when clicked
would see the sub-cats/galleries. Still couldn't get into galleries though.


So I think there's no fool proof method to hide anything but the photos.

[Protographer]

One idea is create a new passworded gallery to use as a landing page. I
have one for my family area with a slideshow on it. Provide a link in this new
gallery description to the hidden category. Name the category something
like f467g3kh309d53o4K8B so it's like a password. Password all the galleries
and make them public. You'll also need the hide category hack so it doesn't
show on your homepage or galleries page I think.

Only problem I see is if someone toggled off javascript and removed your
CSS they would see the category along with the others and when clicked
would see the sub-cats/galleries. Still couldn't get into galleries though.

So I think there's no fool proof method to hide anything but the photos.This seems very similar to what I have tried except that I set up a custom category only because each gallery needs to have a category. What are the potential security holes with this approach ...

I created a password-protected, private "landing page" (as you called it, nice term for it :thumb). Let's call it MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/Gallery0 (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001). I also created a category, let's call it MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001). So MySite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001) is accessible (but only via direct link - I can't remember why at the moment but it doesn't show up in my homepage (not even when I am logged in) and I didn't use the Hide Category hack) but, since the galleries I have created in MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001), let's say
MySite.SmugMug.com/Gallery1 (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries)
...
MySite.SmugMug.com/GalleryN (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries)are all private, they do not show up on MySite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001).

So, the only access to these galleries is via a direct link to each gallery or via the direct link MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/Gallery0 (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001) which is private and password-protected.

I haven't actually bothered with a vanity URL at this stage. It seems like too much trouble. Once I get some domain resolution problems (CNAME vs A Records) resolved I want to set up cobranding anyway.

Allen, would you be so kind as to comment on the potential security vulnerabilities of this set-up? Thanks.

[Allen]

This seems very similar to what I have tried except that I set up a custom category only because each gallery needs to have a category. What are the potential security holes with this approach ...

I created a password-protected, private "landing page" (as you called it, nice term for it :thumb). Let's call it MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/Gallery0 (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001). I also created a category, let's call it MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001). So MySite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001) is accessible (but only via direct link - I can't remember why at the moment but it doesn't show up in my homepage (not even when I am logged in) and I didn't use the Hide Category hack) but, since the galleries I have created in MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001), let's say
MySite.SmugMug.com/Gallery1 (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries)
...
MySite.SmugMug.com/GalleryN (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.SmugMug.com/OneGroupofGalleries)are all private, they do not show up on MySite.smugmug.com/MyNewCategory (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001).

So, the only access to these galleries is via a direct link to each gallery or via the direct link MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/Gallery0 (http://www.dgrin.com/MySite.smugmug.com/gallery/0000001) which is private and password-protected.

I haven't actually bothered with a vanity URL at this stage. It seems like too much trouble. Once I get some domain resolution problems (CNAME vs A Records) resolved I want to set up cobranding anyway.

Allen, would you be so kind as to comment on the potential security vulnerabilities of this set-up? Thanks.
Private galleries will not show on the category or sub-cat pages, they have
to be public. If there are no public galleries in a cat, the cat will not show
like you have now.

If you made all the PW'ed galleries public they would show in the cat page
and then could browse that cat/tree. If all the same PW you'd only enter it one time.

[Protographer]

Private galleries will not show on the category or sub-cat pages, they have to be public. If there are no public galleries in a cat, the cat will not show like you have now.Isn't this a good thing? If I cannot password protect a category page then I don't want the private galleries appearing on the Category page. (I haven't even started thinking about sub-categories. :wink)

If you made all the PW'ed galleries public they would show in the cat page and then could browse that cat/tree. But since I cannot password protect the Category page this is just what I don't want to do.

I must be missing something about Categories. As far as I can tell, for me at least, Categories are a necessary "evil" :wink, so, since I must allocate galleries to a Category and since I cannot password protect a Category page, it is just as well that the my Categories don't show up anywhere and that my private PW-ed galleries don't show up on the Category page. I think.:dunno