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

[babulgogoi]

Hi,

The Gateway script is not picking up attachments!!!

http://www.asiasrc.org/forum3.5/showthread.php?t=32

The attachment is available in the pipermail archive on Mailman.. at: http://asiasrc.org/pipermail/pleasur...er/000052.html

Any idea pls?

[webspider]

I'm using this script (works great BTW) to grab emails from google alerts. Basically I have a mailbox all my alerts are sent to and the script reposts the alert into a special forum. The problem is I can't get it to strip the footer most importantly the link to cancel the alert.

Any suggestions? Here is what I'm using in the strip footer.

Strip Footer strip_footer {Alert is brought to you by Google...} {Remove this Google Alert:}

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Remove this Google Alert:
http://www.google.com/alerts/remove?

Create another Google Alert:
http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en

Sign in to manage your alerts:
http://www.google.com/alerts/manage?hl=en

[oezer]

is somebody outthere which have nntp and vbseo? my nntp hack works fine, i installed vbseo and at this point nntp didn't work. i got no error codes, have someone any ideas?

i check out the newsserver, but this works already.. can someone give me a tip?

thx..

[trancetopia]

Yes - I installed vBSEO yesterday and have just checked this hack works and it's all working great for me.

I did have probs with vBSEO working but that was because I was still running 3.5 RC3 so after an upgrade to 3.5.1 all was well.

I know this doesn't solve your problem but I can confirm that they both work together. Good luck.

[oezer]

the only thing i change was this on Custom Rewrite Rules Section:

'^gateway\.php$' => 'gateway/'
'^gateway\.php\?debug=1' => 'gateway/debug/'

did you something else?
on my server i run a cron job with w3m (not lynx) to start the gateway.php

any ideas?

[Krisekocm]

I get this error

Fatal error: Call to a member function query_first() on a non-object in /home/ocm/site/vhost/ocm/vbtest/includes/functions_hacks.php on line 6

when i try click on link on usenet ,,

[Krisekocm]

i get this working but with out advance hacking ,,,,

[oezer]

ok, have someone any ideas? i can't believe it. i have imported successful some groups, but since i installed vbSeo and at the same time i change the status of writing/posting at newsgroups there aren't importing news.

first i disabled the newsforum f.e. and post manually the first thread. after this i enable the newsgroup and run manually gateway.php but nothing is changeing.. the script is importing only one (1x) thread

Gateway version 2.3.2  1 group(s) gatewayed.

Connecting to server, server says: 201 news.f.de.plusline.net InterNetNews NNRP server INN 2.4.1 ready (no posting).

Info for linux.debian.user at news.f.de.plusline.net: 211 2755 101732 104486 linux.debian.user

Can we post? server responded: 440 Posting not allowed
Posting Message '[test] linux.debian.user' from Admin. Result: 500 What?
Getting message number 101749: 
'Re: .htaccess and .htpassword' from Meni Shapiro. New thread.
Getting message number 101750:

please can someone give a tip? i don't know why this script is not running.. before i change the write/posting status and install vbSeo it runs perfect.. and now

[Electronic Punk]

Been using this for a while to monitor 2 MS newsgroups and it is getting slow and actually slowing my entire forum down now, anyone else experience this and know how it might be fixed?

[lierduh]

Originally Posted by oezer

Can we post? server responded: 440 Posting not allowed

There is your anwser.