NNTP Gateway for Usenet ( Newsgroups ), Mailing Lists

The latest version: V3.5.0Alpha 1 (21 Jul 2005)

What is it?

This hack provides a gateway from vBulletin forums to the USENET. It allows forum members to read newsgroup messages as well as to send posts to the newsgroups. In a nutshell, it turns vBulletin forums into a basic function news reader.

For an added bonus, this package also supports mailing list archive and forum to mailing list gateway. The software retrieves messages from a pop3 account and import them into the forums threaded. It also allows a forums user to send messages to the mailing list by the forum posting interface.

Why?

The gateway will be appreciated by forum members who do not know how to set up a news reader, or people who do not have port 119 open in their network. A forum interface to read and post news are often considered to be better than a news reader.

The gateway adds more contents to your forums and allows the members to interact with wider audience. It is common to see new users signing up to use this feature.

History

This hack was originally coded by Gilby for vB2. I modified the hack to work with vB3 and have been maintaining and improving the hack. I have now done the modification for this to work with vB3.5.

The very original hack by Gilby can be found here:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...7&page=1&pp=15

The vB3 version can be found here:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=65152

Features

Some of the features and improvement include:

• Handles both newsgroup posts and mailing lists.
• Handles MIME encoded messages and attachment.
• Handles UUEncoded messages.
• Two Admin Control Panels for all settings.
• Automated installation.
• Correct thread implementation. All imported messages and posts sent to newsgroups will be threaded correctly according to References and Message-ID headers.
• Optional setting to thread by subject for mailing lists that strip references header.
• Imported messages will be searchable just like normal forum posts.
• Similar threads are built when the messages are imported if the system setting is on.
• Multiple attachments importing.
• Save attachment to database or file according to vB setting.
• Thumbnail created while importing image files.
• Multiple attachment post to newsgroup is also supported.
• Selectable X-No-Archive header honouring system.
• Light on system resources.
• Global Killfile to filter out unwanted messages. Killfiles can have OR and AND effectiveness.
• Strip footer by setting for incoming messages. Strips out repeated message footers.
• Built options to disable signatures and footers for out going messages.

Future development

• Traditional "> " lead posting interface.

What do you need and do not need?

You do not need to edit vB php files.
No need to manually run SQL.

Installation

Basically the AdminCP interfaces take care of installation as well as upgrade in the background. Back up your database first. The scripts can modify your database without alerting you!

Please follow the instructions in the readme.txt file for more details.

It is not a must to click "INSTALL" for this hack if you use it, I do try better answering the questions from people who do.

Support

Please post your support questions to this thread. Please check the FAQ in the second post within this thread first. It may be surprising, but it is possible your question is answered in the adminCP NNTP settings.

Please always provide more details about your problem. Examples and debug messages will certainly help. Well, if you don't even try to have some effort to compose your question, the answer you get may also not include much effort.

================== UPDATES ======================
Jul 21 2005 (release version 3.5.0 Alpha 1)

AdminCP xml file is written by Kadence.

• Ported to work with vB3.5.
• Existing bug fixes.
• Debug message can be sent by email or logged in vB Tast Scheduler.
• Known problem: image attachment thumb nail creation still needs work.
• Needs to be done: Documentation.

Quick installation instruction:
1) Upload files to their correct directory
2) Enter AdminCP, click on NNTP Settings once to install/upgrade. Change settings to your like.
3) Click on NNTP Groups once to install/upgrade.
3a) For new install. Run once
http://www.yourdomain.com/setlastmsg.php

Delete this file afterwards.
If you are upgrading from an older version. There is no need to upload this file. Actually this file should not be there except brand new install.

4)
Manually run in debug mode: http://forums.yourdomain.com/gateway.php?debug=1

[lierduh]

Reserved post position for FAQ.

Q: How come there is lack of response for my support problem?
A: Perhaps it is something that is so obvious, or perhaps something should be known by reading readme file or even just go through your nntp settings. ...or if you don't even try any effort to explain your problem, you won't expect others do much to help you. If you have been using a hack, you should click 'INSTALL'. A hack author will be reluctant to help if they see you are not even acknowledging using their hack.

Q: New threads created instead of merging into the existing thread.
A: There is a setting in adminCP to find the thread by subject. Some messages/emails may not contain reference in the header for the usual threading to work.

Q: Why some user name or subject show up as =?Utf-8?B?S2ltYmE=?=
A: You need 'imap_mime_header_decode' php function. Ask your host if not sure.

[tamarian]

Great to see it for 3.5 :up: I'm still using the old perl script, but will give this a try.

[AWS]

Thanks lierduh. I won't upgrade to 3.5 until it is out of beta, but, it is nice to see this one is ready when I need it.

[ART]

Thanx lierduh, for now installed it locally but seems to work ok, the upgrade went pretty smooth

[klaus]

lierduh,

1st, thank you for taking the time bringing us this nice add-on.

I just installed this on 3.5RC1 and it works fine other then the admincp is somewhat screwed up, no big deal.

I did a test with the news.microsoft feed as suggested in the readme. Works fine (haven't tested posting yet). i was able to fetch thousands of posts and most of them find the reference thread (Thread found by References.).

However I am having issues with majordomo mailinglists. I am fetching from two lists. One actual busy list with about 50 new posts per day and one test majordomo I setup.

The problem is that posts don't find there reference thread and start new ones. So I end up with 5 threads on the same subject. All have the same subject line. RE.:123, RE.:123, RE.:123, 123 etc.

Is this a known issue? Is there some tuning I can do?

[lierduh]

What is the actual issue with admincp?

There is a setting you can set to use matching subject to find the thread instead of using reference in the header.

[klaus]

Thanx for the quick response.

Never mind the admincp error. I screwed up. Its fixed.
I am playing with the setting on matching subject next.

[klaus]

The Subject deal worked perfect for Mailinglist.

But attachments are ignored.
My settings: "Skip attachments no_attach 0"

"Thread found by Subject.
This forum does not allow attachments, therefore attachment ignored."

If I post in the forum I can post attachments fine. I use filesystem for my attachments by the way, not sure if that matters.

[dodgez]

admin <admin.1svs8r@test>, UNEXPECTED_DATA_AFTER_ADDRESS@.SYNTAX-ERROR.