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

[ullo]

I have tested the script with Attachments.
I have used the version changed by Torneval and i have also commented a line in functions_image (the line 224).
See my old post here : https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...=92588&page=25

I don't seen great problems a part the types of attachment and the dimension of them. I hate to have images of great dimension and to have videos files (clips and similar). But at the moment i can't stop to download them. I have used an .htaccess file to not upload this type of file (i hate in particular video... ).
php_value post_max_size 180000
php_value upload_max_filesize 150000

But it not work.

I think that this problem with attachments depend on the type of hack that was written for an old version of vbulletin and to download images i need to use functions_image that was thought for the old version 3.0.

Using the old version is it possible to stop attachment of video and files of great dimension ?
The old hack , if i use it with vbulletion 3.0. worked good with attachment ???

[ullo]

Originally Posted by mdevour

Dear Aylwin,

I've been trying to gain my sea legs asking about the process of posting hacks here. See this thread in vBulletin Questions.

I'm also working on another small hack as practice for some later parts of this project.

I will read over the code for this hack and make a first attempt at installing it soon. I'm ready for that now.

Mike D.

I'm also interested in the project but i have not any experience in php. For me php code and a cat are the same...

[mdevour]

Originally Posted by ullo

I'm also interested in the project but i have not any experience in php. For me php code and a cat are the same...

My php tends to resemble a little puppy, kinda fuzzy and likely to leak, but I feel about the same!! <grin>

Mike D.

[ullo]

Originally Posted by John Diver

Hey,

I'm not getting pictures, can pictures be included in posts? Almost all posts I'm getting have images.

Here is my forum for the posts: http://www.deuceace.com/forumdisplay.php?f=24

It also doesn't seem to be showing much text, am I able to change this or is it a limitation of what I am allowed to take from the sites?

Pictures can be included but it is not possible for me at the moment to apply the dimension limits fixed in vbulletin attachment setting. At the moment i have also the problem that the hack work only if you insert the photo in a database and not in a file.
An old post of KevinM contain some help for fix the dimension of the images but it not work for me now.
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...t=65152&page=9

To include the photo you need to change functions_nntp.php by following the instructions of TMM-TT in the precedent page.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...4&d=1159222924
and download the functions_image of an old version of vbulletin.

Then you need also to comment the line 224 of the functions_image.php file.

{
// $thumbnail['filedata'] = $DB_site->escape_string($thumbnail['filedata']);
}

[Aylwin]

Originally Posted by ullo

I hate to have images of great dimension and to have videos files (clips and similar). But at the moment i can't stop to download them.

Wierd. I kinda have the opposite problem. I'm unable to get large attachments. If the email size is larger than around 2.5MB then gateway.php will hang. So I need to filter out all emails larger than 2.5MB to get this mod working properly on my site.

[ullo]

Originally Posted by Aylwin

Wierd. I kinda have the opposite problem. I'm unable to get large attachments. If the email size is larger than around 2.5MB then gateway.php will hang. So I need to filter out all emails larger than 2.5MB to get this mod working properly on my site.

At the moment i think to exclude all attachment and use only "pure text", in fact my provider allow this setting. What system have you used to allow attachment ? In the original script attachment are not allowed. I have used the original functions_image and changed some code using Torneval instuctions.
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...4&d=1159222924

In any case i have not tested any attachments greater than 2.5 MB. Max is 1.5 MB.

Is it possible that your problem depend on php.ini ? Is it possible that depend on some vbulletin internal setting ? Have you contacted VBulletin support ?

[ullo]

Originally Posted by Aylwin

Wierd. I kinda have the opposite problem. I'm unable to get large attachments. If the email size is larger than around 2.5MB then gateway.php will hang. So I need to filter out all emails larger than 2.5MB to get this mod working properly on my site.

Pardon my curiosity but. ... What system have you used to filter out email larger than 2.5 MB ? If you have use it , i can solve my problem. Have you used htaccess or changed some part of the code ?

[ullo]

Originally Posted by esfron

The biggest issue in import is when clicking on the 'go to last post' button on forumhome, it says no thread specified and it leads to: /showthread.php?p=0#post0.

I didn't test export to usenet, mailing list, attachments.

Is it possible to change the template and avoid the problem, not showing this types of links in the template ? I think yes but i need to verify.



In Template Edit
Forum Home Templates - FORUMHOME: - forumhome_lastpostby
i have changed the link "goto" :

<a href="showthread.php?t=$lastpostinfo[lastthreadid]" title="<phrase 1="$lastpostinfo[lastthread]">$vbphrase[go_first_unread_in_thread_x]</phrase>"><strong>$lastpostinfo[trimthread]</strong></a>

Original :
<a href="showthread.php?$session[sessionurl]goto=newpost&amp;t=$lastpostinfo[lastthreadid]" title="<phrase 1="$lastpostinfo[lastthread]">$vbphrase[go_first_unread_in_thread_x]</phrase>"><strong>$lastpostinfo[trimthread]</strong></a>

[ullo]

Originally Posted by mdevour

My php tends to resemble a little puppy, kinda fuzzy and likely to leak, but I feel about the same!! <grin>

Mike D.

:up: :up: :up: :banana:

[KidCharlemane]

I seem to be having a problem with the hack only processing one group while the other sits empty. Has anyone else experienced this?