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

[nintendo]

If you ever get the

Could not connect to NNTP-server. (Connection timed out (110))

Not connected
Not connected

message via gateway.php?debug=1 it's a message from the NNTP-server...you're screwed...go look for another NNTP server. (For those of you in Rio Linda, they banned your server!!)

For a simple way to find out if you've been banned with a server, via SSH...

telnet SERVER 119

if you get...

Trying 202.177.16.121...
telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection timed out

you're banned. If you get

telnet msnews.microsoft.com 119
Trying 207.46.248.16...
Connected to msnews.microsoft.com (207.46.248.16).
Escape character is '^]'.
200 NNTP Service 6.0.3790.1830 Version: 6.0.3790.1830 Posting Allowed

Guess what!!! You're not banned...atleast not *yet*!!! Quick, download a few million threads before they do ban you!!!

[kermitklein]

Still getting only this message:

Getting message number 339:
txt extensions are not accepted, as currently set up in the control panel.

I'm sure I have the permissions right... at least I think so... I can post this extensions using my username and password.

I'm trying to import a yahoo group at:

http://www.forexforums.org

Any ideas?

[squishi]

This mod sounds great. But I can't get it to work.
I am testing it with a free-to-use university usenet server.
I am sure the newsgroups I tried out exist. No typo or anything.

But I get this error:

Connecting to server, server says: 200 news.XXX.de InterNetNews NNRP server INN 2.3.5 ready (posting ok).

Info for alt.test at news.XXX.de: 411 No such group alt.test

[sdsvtdriver]

the news server does not have a group called 'alt.test'. pick one it does have

[squishi]

Originally Posted by sdsvtdriver

the news server does not have a group called 'alt.test'. pick one it does have

Negative. It DOES have this group! I can read it just fine in my newsreader.

I tried all kinds of combinations with this prefix that one can define in the settings, like prefix="alt.", group="test" etc.
But that did not work, either.

As I said, the group is there.

[tyler3]

Been going through this thread for awhile now and can't seem to figure this out...

I have the mod installed and setup.

I run 'gateway.php' and it just displays a blank page..

When I run 'setlastmsg.php' it gives the following error:

1 group(s) gatewayed. Could not connect to NNTP-server. ( (1)) Logging in to , group freetext.usenetserver.com: Not connectedNot connectedMax: Min: Not connected

I got the newsgroup from a post in this forum saying it was free to access, no login / pass require. I've also tried a couple of microsofts groups and the php.net group with no success (always gives me the same error as above). Anyone know what might cause this??

Thanks in advance!

[arkadia]

hello tyler

do you use microsoft or unix ?

[David_R]

Not connected
Not connected
Could not connect to NNTP-server. (php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known (0))

We just moved our server and started getting this problem.

[TMM-TT]

Originally Posted by nintendo

telnet SERVER 119

if you get...

Trying 202.177.16.121...
telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection timed out

you're banned

Umm.. No?

[HappyAndyK]

Hello,

I am trying to implement this under a b installation, running 3.7.1.

How ever I am stuck at the place where I am suppose to edit the admincp/index.php file as I am unable to locate the side piece of code,

construct_nav_option($vbphrase['vbulletin_options'], 'options.php?null=0', '<br />');

can any one shade some light

thank you.