An avatar is a small picture that can be set to appear next to a username to give the user a visual identity. Users can choose from a set of preloaded avatars, or the administrator can allow custom avatars to be uploaded.
To control avatars, click on Avatars in the AdminCP to expand the options, and then click on Avatar Manager.
You will then be able to use the avatar manager to control avatars, in much the same way that you use the smilie manager to control smilies.
We will now see how to add and store avatars.
Just as with smilies, there are two ways to add avatars—use avatars already on the server or upload new avatars. You can either add avatars singly or in batches, depending on what information you provide.
The only difference with this process compared to the smilie upload process is that you have to provide a number for the Minimum Posts field. This is to control who has access to which avatar. So, for example, if you supplied an avatar and you only wanted people with 250 posts or more to be able to use it, you would enter 250 into the minimum posts field.
There are two places in which avatars can be stored: either in the file system or in the database.
- The advantage of storing avatars in the database is that the storage system is more efficient and they are easier to back up (because you just have to backup the database and not individual files). However, storing them in the database can add a considerable amount of data to the database, making it grow in size dramatically. It also adds a greater load onto the database in terms of data access.
You can change where the avatars are stored using the Avatar Storage Type screen.
Before moving the avatars from the database (where they are stored by default), you will need to set the chmod permission of the folders receiving the avatars to 777 and make sure that there is enough space on the server for all the files. If you fail to do this, then the process will fail and the avatars will remain in the database.
If you change your mind later, you can move the avatars back into the database by reversing this process.