[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by TosaInu

My data folder contains some 87 sitemap-x-.xml.gz now and googlebot just started downloading them. It has downloaded over 260 files though (duplicates). Is that normal?

No. Why do you have all those duplicates? Updates to the sitemap should overwrite the old files, not create brand new ones.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

Our forum is stored on a subdomain: http://forum.mysite.com The forum is located inside its own directory: http://forum.mysite.com/vb

I installed this version like instructed by the manual. So, the .htacces goes to http://forum.mysite.com/vb and the whole vbseo_sitemap directory and contents to http://forum.mysite.com/vb. Folders are CHMOD 777. In the ACP VBSEO settings search engines are notified automatically.

I ran the sitemap script and sitemaps are generated and stored inside http://forum.mysite.com//vb/vbseo_sitemap/data/

If you created a subdomain for your forum, why would you then create a subfilder in that subdomain to install it? It would seem far more logical to install the forum in the root. You're making things unnecessarily complicated.

Second, the instructions as to where to find the sitemap need to be in the root directory unless you otherwise specifiy where to find them using the sitemap declaration in a robot.txt file in the root directory. In your case, the root directory is forum.mysite.com/ not forum.mysite.com/vb/.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

According to the report list in the ACP, the search engines are notified (confusing again, because Yahoo has to be notified manually?).

I believe that was only when Yahoo was using the text format. Now that they're using the XML format like everyone else, it's all automatic. I've never done a manual notification.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

According to the sitemap download log, the files are downloaded by googlebot. They were downloaded more than once yesterday after having installed the hack (shouldn't that be just once?).

It depends on how often you run the sitemap generator. Check your cron files.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

Today there still is not a single sitemap file in google webmasters tool. I guess something is still wrong?

Any errors will be noted in your Webmaster Central account - check there to find out what's wrong.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

This also confuses me. In the ACP/VBSEO settings it reads:

By default the vBSEO Sitemap files will be located in your forum root. Use this field to specify a different location, for example, your site root: http://www.yourdomain.com

NOTE: You must edit the .htaccess file of the folder in which you want to locate your sitemap files. More information here. Leave this setting empty to use default vB url.

I thought the files are stored in http://forum.mysite.com//vb/vbseo_sitemap/data/ by default?

They are. Ignore this part for now. You have enough to figure out already and you certainly don't want to complicate it any further by messing with that setting.