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

[gbechtel]

I got mine running by putting the number 1 in the field for last_postid

Now to work on the killfile, does anyone have one they are willing to share. I love the mod but the spam on USENET makes it worthless unless I can filter most of it out.

[leeherron]

It's a great mod. I was just amazed to see it hadn't been updated since Jul 05! Working on updating my old setup (installed NNTP on that one back in '02) and would love to install this on my stage box but wasn't sure if it worked on 3.6.4 - thanks for the tip.

[KW802]

Originally Posted by leeherron

It's a great mod. I was just amazed to see it hadn't been updated since Jul 05! Working on updating my old setup (installed NNTP on that one back in '02) and would love to install this on my stage box but wasn't sure if it worked on 3.6.4 - thanks for the tip.

Due to time constraints the original creator has had to give up support for it. It still works fine with the current versions of vBulletin but essentially it is now a user-to-user supported modification.

Lierduh has also given permission for people to create branch versions of the project so you may see some of them floating around as well.

[jarosciak]

Originally Posted by KW802

...also given permission for people to create branch versions of the project so you may see some of them floating around as well.

Can you point me please to download or thread of one known to work with 3.6.4?
Thanks
Joe

[KW802]

Originally Posted by jarosciak

Can you point me please to download or thread of one known to work with 3.6.4?
Thanks
Joe

Have you tried the one in this thread? Seems to be working fine yet.

[Icehawk002]

Installed on 3.6.4 appears to work ok with the mailing lists although not tested the reply from forum feature as yet.

Two issues, when the showthread does not go to the specified thread but to no such thread, despite the link appearing to be a numbered showthread and correct.

Secondly sometimes the prefix is RE:[PREFIX] and is therefore excluded can you add some value or more than one prefix for a mail list.

Any help?

[Icehawk002]

I read some of the posts in this thread reference the RE: issue.

First I think I may have set the mailing list prefix wrong should this be a reference in the subject line.

emails are sent to the mailing list as either [group]topic or RE:[group]topic by setting the newsgroup prefix in admincp to [group] gateway.php ignores all RE:[group] messages.

hope thats clearer for understanding my problem.

[Icehawk002]

OK partially sorted problem now is that RE[group] starts a new thread from.

[tpearl5]

Originally Posted by KW802

Did you try the killfile settings? (ACP => NNTP Gateway Options => NNTP Gateway Settings => Global Killfile) I have a few entries in my and it seems to be working as expected.

Ah sweet, I didn't even see that!

Second question: is anyone having issues with posts not being added to newsgroups threads if the user doesn't quote a reply? The instructions in Advanced_gateway_hacking_guide.txt are a little off. If you corrected this, how?

For example, here is a newsgroup thread looking through google groups: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.c...a47317?lnk=gst

Here it is on the forums: http://cellphoneforums.net/alt-cellu...ata-plans.html

[tpearl5]

Oh, and where do you actually put the killfile? I don't have a form to put any values in.