4
meh....
I would ask over on one of the many phpbb support forums for an integration script.
Chances are Northern is dead on. There was a phpbb module in developement, however the project has not been active for about 1.5 years. Even when it was "active" it didn't really recieve any support. XOOPS doesn't really do to well with outsourcing.
I dont think that it is a bad thing to have the option, infact I think you will see it active in XOOPS again. It's just not likely until XOOPS regains its footing at the 2.3 release.
2.3 is expected to go live at the begining of the new calendar year.
There was talk in the past about a VBB integration. (Which according to VBB never came to pass because of us, not them. Now they wouldn't touch us because they have their own portal being released. Missed that chance...)