@_ck_:
See https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_2.7#WordPress_Upgrader – “All file operations are performed as the user that owns the files, not as the web server’s user. All files are set to 0644 and all directories are set to 0755, and writable by only the user and readable by everyone else, including the web server.”
Regarding the phoning home “with all your install info” – according to the docs, the only info sent is your version and locale. I haven’t checked this myself.
Most WordPress users find the “automatic” upgrade very useful, and most bbPress users would too. The sooner it’s available the better, in my opinion, though I don’t know how much work is required to port it from WordPress.
I see you have finally converted to the new admin style… congratulations!
It looks really good (except the green buttons in some places). Thanks. 
Personally, I didn’t like the WP2.5 admin, and I don’t like the current BB1.0 admin.
Furthermore, I don’t think the WP2.7 admin is going to be changed significantly in 2.8 or 2.9.
I think a big mistake was made with WP2.5, and this was realised by the WP devs and replaced by the excellent WP2.7 admin. They now have a good admin and I think they’ll stick with it.
I won’t be using bbPress on a live site anyway until it integrates better with WP and shows signs of being actively developed – looks like this will be soon, due to TalkPress – but additionally, the current admin is a big disincentive for me.
Thank you so, so much, sepidol! You’ve made my day! I’ve spent hours trawling the bbPress and WPMU forums for this…
For what it’s worth, my problem was the SECRET_SALT. I’d done everything else right, but each time I logged into either bb or wp I was logged out of the other ’cause of the cookie value being encrypted differently… I thought the salt may have been the problem, but I wasn’t quite sure what it did. This is the first thread I’ve found which even mentions it!
Thanks…
Caesar
