Links and Downloads Manager
 

What this is and does

Version 3.0.2-PL1 uploaded 15th March 2010.

LDM is a general-purpose tool for managing libraries of links and files, and handling uploads and downloads in a flexible way, while tracking and controlling user access. It also has a range of integrated media players and a large library of 'plugin' extras. It has been developed steadily since the release of vb 3.0 some six years ago, based on extensive feedback from users at vb.org.

I think the 3.0.x releases have been tested enough and are no longer considered beta. However, I still want feedback on features that do not work at all or do not work properly.

Translations in Spanish, French, Chinese, German and Dutch are available as phrase files and are more or less complete.

Installation and Usage Explained in the on-line Wiki, with a brief explanation in the file instructions.txt in the release zip.

The installer will either create a new LDM database, or recognise that you already have an earlier version installed and update it.

Unlike earlier versions of LDM, this version automatically adds a link to the product on the main vb navbar.

Please do not blindly install on a live forum without being sure that you have tested it adequately. Use carefully and always backup your database before upgrading. Post reports of problems and suggestions for enhancements in this thread. You can find extensive discussion of this mod in the VB3.7 mods and VB3.8 mods sections.

Staff Note: Sadly, Andrew D, the developer of the Links and Downloads Manager has passed away after a long period of illness.

Reserved for news

6 January 2010: version 3.0.1 made available, still beta. Fixes reported problems with 3.0.0 and substantially improves integration with new vBulletin styling system.

a big thank!

The Plugin looks great but why your Script is better than DownloadsII? I am not sure which script i should choose.

I had a older version of LDM from vb3.8 that had not been upgraded once. Just installed this version fine and had no issues at all. Thanks!

I havent totally tested it yet. But it installed just fine and seems to be working on vb4 cms pl1. I will report here later.

Excellent work!

FYI: When clicking on settings under Links and Downloads, in OPERA the formatting is messed up. In Firfox it is fine.

Installed, but it tells me that I do not have permission to access LDM. And yes, I am superadmin in config.php.

Alright, fixed. We used to have a non-standard-group for the project leaders. And I forgot to set the additional usergroup.

thank you
i will test it

Language Italian??

just first impressions, the setting page via admincp just needs fixing for alignment of tables.
Settings look awefully long, guess it cant be helped.

Great work!

No-one has ever prepared an Italian translation as far as I know. The languages versions that I have been distributing (all in reasonably good condition) are French, Chinese, German, Dutch and Spanish.

I will gladly include other languages if submitted, but be aware that it is a fairly substantial piece work to make a translation - about 1,000 phrases.

Thx - excellent work!

GermaniX

I try to avoid answering this question, because it may trigger emotional replies :). Take a look at the wiki and see if the features are what you want/need.

I changed the file size in attachment manager...
But in LDM is still tells me that the file size allowed is 8M.

I have refreshed everything.

See pics attached. Can you show me how to fix it?

I am currently using a 2nd vbulletin license. i am using one for a database and now i want to switch to Downloads Manager .
Right now there are running 2 vbulletins on my server. I hope to get a better performance, because i wnat to use only one vbulletin on my server in the future.
thre are about 80 gigabyte in my current database and i am not going to upload all the files again.
I am looing for a chance to link them and put them into Links and Downloads Manager directly and erase the old database from my server later.
I am thinking about to set a link to the www files instead of the files to the local disc.
There is no registration nessesary to load the files, so a direct link won`t be a problem.
Now my question.....
Do i have a chance to realise my thinking or do i have to disclaim my plans on Links and Downloads Manager and still have to work with 2 vbulletins???

I get this error appear at the top of the page, when Block right mouse button context menu is NOT installed.
Avoid it, if you dont want the error message appearing

Thank you so much Andrew :) I just got a successful upgrade of our base forum and will now incorporate this beta to see what happens. You really are a top notch guy :)

You are probably hitting the limits imposed by your server's php.ini settings. Take a look at any of the ldm admin pages (left column down towards the bottom) or the vb admin main page, which includes a summary of main server settings. The values of the php settings post_max_size and upload_max_filesize place absolute limits on the maximum upload, and in your case one or both is probably set to 8M. Unless you fully control your server, these are not settings you can override - you need to ask your server admin. post_max_size needs to be bigger than upload_max_filesize to avoid strange errors within php.

A second point, in case you are concerned - your thumbnails show that all filetypes can be up to 8M - this only applies to admins. Other users will be limited by the individual filesizes given on the vb admin/attachments page, provided they are less than the php.ini controls.

If I understand correctly, you want to set up LDM to access files which are stored on a different part of the server filesystem than used by vb. This is perfectly possible, and is controlled by the LDM setings local_file_root and local_file_root_prefix, which you find under the 'security' section of the LDM settings.

Suppose all your files are held in directory /mydir/myfiles. Then, you would set local_file_root to 'yes' and local_file_root_prefix to /mydir/myfiles. When creating entries to the individual filenames, e.g. /mydir/myfiles/dir1/file1.zip, you would specify them in LDM as dir1/file1.zip.

Noted, and fixed for next upload.

Regarding your earlier comment on the size of the ldm admin/settings page - there have been different reactions from people over the years. It is inevitable that there are many control settings, so one tries to keep these grouped sensibly. The main vb admin /options page gives you the option of seeing all settings at once, or just a subgroup. I find that I never use the 'subgroup' option as I can't recall which group controls what I'm looking for. So I set up LDM to always show all groups. Maybe it would be better to have an intermediate page which acts as the vb/admin/options page.

Could you post a screenshot of the table alignment problem you mentioned. Thanks.

yes Andrew I do have that limit.

but I thought if I upload the file via ftp and then use a pointer to it it would work.

Okay no biggie.

I have another question but that will be another post. :) after I get the graphics of it.

Where does a file go when uploaded via the front end? What folder is that?

I uploaded a few pdf files and cant seem to find where they are sitting.

A brilliant piece of work Andrew, thanks so much.

Agree with you Shawn.

Installed! :up:
I'm looking forward to German language :)

If you have set the LDM/admin setting "local_file_root" to 'no', then uploaded files are stored in subdirectories within your webroot, underneath the directory specified as "upload_dir".

Ditto, if "local_file_root" is set to 'yes', then they are in directories underneath the file system root directory specified as "local_file_prefix".

Yup got that ^ . thanks andrew....forgot that it takes teh webroot and not the site root.

FYI

can_send_tofriend perm is enabled for admins, and a few others. but when clicking send to friend when playing an mp3 I get the following:

admin, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.


BUT the email does go through anyway .

So its working ..but just goes to a page with that error.


( I hope you wont mind me flooding this with my messages but trying to help you with testing ;))

Also when the above happens the button disappears. See attachment.

my uploads from my extern server will still stay there and will not loaded in LDM.
after erasing the files from my old database the links are not worth a straw anymore.

Installed, thanks. I don't find bugs... works very good.

How can I do for I have the same design for the categorie and entries please. If I don't want an alternance of 2 colors but I want only the color white and a small line between the entres and categories

And is it possible to change the height of categories and sises of titles ?

something like a little at design of categories's forum if possible

thanks

Is this normal ?????? All information has been submitted

This looks REALLY nice. Tagged until I go live!

Error on upgrade.. I did this "Run the Product Management System (VB admincp: Plugin System/Manage Products) and upload /release/product_eirma_ldm.xml"

And the following error came up:

Checking environment...

Warning open_basedir is set to in your PHP installation
Refer to documentation for information on this setting

Under settings...

On my live site the teamuploads and thumbs is under /forum/teamuploads and /forum/thumbs

I changed this in the upgrade so it should be looking at /dev_forum/teamuploads and /dev_forum/thumbs, but it doesn't appear to be updating. I have none of the files in teamuploads and only 1/4 of the thumbs but when I go to the download manager, all the thumbs are there and I can download the zip files.

The time for the local_links.php is a lot longer than the time for the forum/blog or cms to load. Anyone else seeing that too?

The comments sections is drastically different.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/external/2009/12/10.jpg

It expands the comments below everything, and shows 4 comments. This takes up a lot of space. Can you set it so that it doesn't expand like this?

In the admin area, you have bullet points for each category

Settings
File management
Linkbits/Catbits
Mirror Sites
Media Players

etc.

I'm old. Trying to get the mouse directly over those small bullet points isn't as easy for me anymore ;) Can the link be extended out to the word too?