Major Additions - Links and Downloads Manager

Version 2.3.0 of LDM is now the official release. This works with both VB3.7 and VB3.8. You can obtain it here

Version 2.2.8 remains available here, with limited support.

04.02.08: patch-cat.xml 'extra' uploaded - see first post for information

27.10.07: Version 2.2.8-post1 uploaded
French translation of product installer uploaded (other language translations are in the main release zip)

Remember to back up your current database tables before upgrading.

What this is and does

LDM is a general-purpose link and file manager, which handles user uploads and downloads in a flexible way. A range of media players is integrated into LDM and others are included as plugin extras. LDM is described below in the first post of this thread, which also contains a brief list of the currently-known bugs.

This release of LDM works correctly with all VB versions 3.6.x and recent versions of vbadvanced.

Documentation, screen shots, etc, are provided as a Wiki at http://www.eirma.org/wikis/index.php...nloads_Manager

Thank you to everyone who has tested, given suggestions, helped with the translations, etc.

[Regenerate]

Hi,

I have a (imho bizarre) problem with the downloads:

On http://forum.dutchjoomla.org/local_links.php?catid=3 you can see 5 different downloads. Administrators can download all files, but registered users can only download 'Taalbestanden backend' but are restricted to the download of all other files (while the should be able to download them all).
When I try to download the files directly (putting the adress of the files in the browser instead of trying it through the above page), there's no problem en the download goes as usual. I checked the permissions on the files and tried to find any difference between the file that c?n be downloaded by users and the others, but I cannot find any difference. The "can_access_link" option is enabled for all registered users, for all files (I use the same permission settings for the whole download section).

All files on the server are CHMOD 0644

I tried deleting te files and adding the same ones again, but that has failed as well...

I then searched the database table 'local_linkslink' and in the column 'linkforum' I found that all files have the number -999, except for the 4 files that cannot be downloaded bij normal users. To me, this seems to be causing the problem. Can anyone explain to me how to fix this (exept for just changing it in the database which is just a fix, no solution).

Thanks in advance!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Regenerate

Hi,

I have a (imho bizarre) problem with the downloads:

On http://forum.dutchjoomla.org/local_links.php?catid=3 you can see 5 different downloads. Administrators can download all files, but registered users can only download 'Taalbestanden backend' but are restricted to the download of all other files (while the should be able to download them all).
When I try to download the files directly (putting the adress of the files in the browser instead of trying it through the above page), there's no problem en the download goes as usual. I checked the permissions on the files and tried to find any difference between the file that c?n be downloaded by users and the others, but I cannot find any difference. The "can_access_link" option is enabled for all registered users, for all files (I use the same permission settings for the whole download section).

All files on the server are CHMOD 0644

I tried deleting te files and adding the same ones again, but that has failed as well...

I then searched the database table 'local_linkslink' and in the column 'linkforum' I found that all files have the number -999, except for the 4 files that cannot be downloaded bij normal users. To me, this seems to be causing the problem. Can anyone explain to me how to fix this (exept for just changing it in the database which is just a fix, no solution).

Thanks in advance!

LDM has a VB forum-based permissions system built into it, and your problem is related to this.

Every entry and category has an 'associated forum' held in linkforum column (and catforum columns in the linkscat table). Users are only allowed access to an LDM entry/category when they have *both* can view forum and can view other's threads permission to the corresponding forum.

Values of -999 tell LDM that these entries are 'open', i.e. only LDM's own permissions are used, not the forum-based method.

When there is another value, LDM checks the access permissions for your corresponding VB forum.

The forum association is set explicitly on the 'add/edit entry/category' form by users who have LDM's *can_set_permissions* permission. These users see a drop-down list of your VB forums, and can accept the default associated forum, select another forum of choice, or assign the 'open access' value. New entries from other users always take the default value. The default value for categories is set on the main LDM admin settings page (default_forumid); the default value for entries is the value for the category in which they are being placed.

So, I think you have created four entries which are associated with a forum that has restricted user access. You can correct it by editing these entries and changing the associated forum to 'Open Access'.

Let me know if this does not solve the problem.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

I want my entire LDM as a module in vbadvanced. So that even as you click on a category, there will still be vba blocks around LDM. Is there a module for this?

I have tried to apply vba to LDM, but that does only work for the main page of LDM. (Unless I apply it to every possible page of LDM, which is not feasable) And on top of that, this gets lost with LDM upgrades, so I gather it needs to be done the other way around: a vbadvanced module for the entire LDM.

This is not a small task...

[mauro1947]

Hi!
@AndrewD: Any news about release 2.2.7?
Thanks
PD: Did you read my PM? Thanks!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Gwendolin

Hi, very good modification, I like it very much

But I miss one or I just don't see it.

At the setting of a download limit under local_links_admin.php?set=bandwidth I can just add a limit by usergroup.

It is possible to set a limit on categories, I don't want add a limit for usergroups, just a download limit for 2 categories, all other categories should be unlimited.

Is that anywhere possible or could add?

Thanks for the suggestion - this was not possible before, but it is easy to add, and will be available in the next upload of version 2.2.7 (the release candidate).

Basically, there will be a new per-usergroup, per-category permission, called *can_bypass_bandwidth_limits*. So you will be able to set overall limits on bandwidth use, and then turn it off for all but your two categories of interest.

Note that the calculation will be based on the *total* consumption from those two categories. It is not straightforward to change the code to allow different bandwidth usage per category.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by amnesia623

Just curious - is there a way to get an upload status indicator? like bytes or percentage uploaded?

Thanks

I've looked into this several times.

It is not possible to provide an upload status indicator with php versions earlier than 5.2.0. You can do this with a mixed php/perl approach, but I'm not sure I want to start learning all the consequences.

Php 5.2.0, released late in 2006, has hooks built in to enable monitoring of uploads. I've tested this using a stand-alone program, and it works. However, the hooks are only accessible if you also install and use the APC (advanced cache) system for php on your server. I've found that this works fine on production boards but creates problems if any code is unstable.

So my advice for the time being is 'lets not rush this'. When the basic php software becomes more robust, I'll be happy to add an upload meter.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by mauro1947

Hi!
@AndrewD: Any news about release 2.2.7?
Thanks
PD: Did you read my PM? Thanks!

The 2.2.7 RC will be uploaded in a day or so - I've just got back home. New in that code will be a 'suggest other entries I might like', which uses the downloads/favourites/keywords tables - it will need testing, but I hope it might work like Amazon's 'other users bought this' recommendation system.

Just read your PM and will reply soon.

[Regenerate]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

...
Let me know if this does not solve the problem.

Thanks, that clears up some things, I do think that was the problem, thx!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by josiespencer

Can you not create a csv file with this format:

link,"Netweaver.bmp","http://www.abc.com/Files/Wallpapers/Netweaver.bmp","Netweaver.bmp",156

and use it as an import file for the initial load of my LDM entries? All the categories already exist, so why won't this work?

That looks ok to me. Are you sure that you've got the correct category ids (the 156)?

[obmob]

Welcome back Andrew!

Did u have a nice vacation?