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Theme/plugin for specific users only

Is there a way to enable certain themes or plugins to be used by specific users only?

So, for example, if a user paid for a theme they wanted to use, I could upload it for them and only they would have access.

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 0:05:19
  • Christopher Price
    • The Incredible Code Injector

    I actually had the same sort of question: I have several customers that want to use Thesis and other licensed themes.

    If I just enable such a hugely configurable theme for a user, will it run as expected (i.e. allow each user to customize as far as the Appearance menus will let them)?

    I’ll be checking elsewhere and testing myself, but I’d like to know if anyone has already tried.

  • drmike
    • DEV MAN’s Mascot

    It should although we haven’t tried thesis specifically. Most of the time, the selections save to the blog’s option table. You probably should at least scan the theme code looking for hardcoding though.

    A bigger concern though would be the licensing. There are some premium theme developers who have stated that each blog on a wpmu install would require a license if the theme was allowed to them or have flat out said that they would not license their themes for wpmu installs.

  • JoseffB
    • The Crimson Coder

    A bigger concern though would be the licensing. There are some premium theme developers who have stated that each blog on a wpmu install would require a license if the theme was allowed to them or have flat out said that they would not license their themes for wpmu installs.

    Didn’t Automatic say that all themes on WP were GPL too. LOL — Opening a can of worms here aren’t I. LOL

  • drmike
    • DEV MAN’s Mascot

    No, I did. Automattic said that they’re supposed to be and only those that were labeled as such would be listed on the wp.org site.

    I also said that requiring additional licensing beyond what’s required of the GPL is against both the spirit and the wording of the GPL. The expert they got an opinion from and then ignored stated that the actual design of a theme couldn’t be GPL’ed but Matt went ahead and required it.

  • Christopher Price
    • The Incredible Code Injector

    I have a ‘Developer’ license for Thesis which allows me to set up as many test and demo sites (of my own) as I need. I understand I can buy additional ‘Client’ licenses for $40/pop. I’m fine with that.

    The other themes I’m looking at have a similar arrangement.

    So my question is purely about the technical feasibility.

  • drmike
    • DEV MAN’s Mascot

    Not a problem. We discussed this on the mu forums once and someone pointed out that one of the theme developers was down right gungho against their themes being on a mu install to the point of threatening legal action.

    Gotta admit that I could have sworn it was the Thesis developer but since we’re not big on premium themes for any of our platforms that we manage, I didn’t pay much attention to the discussion.

    I’d try it on a test bed first of course. I know the premium themes from here all install to the options table and the few that we have tried also do so.

    My biggest concern is the saving of options to the options table without passing through kses first. I’d try copying and pasting some adsense code in places of head over to the htmlpurifier site as he has some test javascripts up I believe and giving those a try to see what happens.

  • HorrorUK
    • Site Builder, Child of Zeus

    I’m thinking about using the Viva7 theme. They have produced a MU specific version and made it cheaper than the developer licence.

    http://www.mediatricks.com/viva7/?affiliate_pro_tracking_id=20:2:US

    I’ve also spoken with http://www.stylewp.com and all their themes come with a developer licence, which includes MU. Style WP provide my favourite themes (and not because I used to write their user guides). I am testing out their ‘Hotgoss’ theme on MU. This is my favourite magazine style theme, as it is not an obvious blog look or feel.