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

[Rik Brown]

Originally Posted by Nacman

Thanks for picking up the ball. I have incorporated many of the mods to this, and even done a few of my own. I am a just above a noob with php, but learning more and more each day. If I can help I will.
Nacman

So far, I've gotten the script (without changes) to connect to the gateway server and try to import messages. If the messages are killfiled, it bypasses them as expected (as seen in debug mode). But once it comes to the first message it should truly import, it stops. I haven't figured out why.

I hope someone with more php experience than me has some ideas. -- Rik

[TMM-TT]

I forgot something in this post.

I'll be back with that...

[TMM-TT]

This is the story:

My newsservers motherboard died in november, so I had to order a new one. This server has now been reinstalled from scratch so the Xref, which gateway.php uses is reset. Lastmsg in the nntp_groups-table therefore got useless, especially when the server resynched older posts again.

Fetching all posts again after resetting the lastmsg will result in duplicate messages. This has been fixed with a small patch.


Find the row:
$message =& $nntp['message'];

Add this code after that row:

PHP Code:

                          /*
                           * Find duplicates by message-id against the forumid!
                           *
                           * Matching against forumid, so crosspostings to other groups
                           * can proceed to posting.
                           *
                           */
                          $isduplicate = false;
                          $msgid = $message['message-id'];
                          $msgdupe = $db->query_first("
                                  SELECT p.postid,p.threadid,p.msgid,t.forumid FROM post AS p
                                          INNER JOIN thread AS t
                                                  ON p.threadid = t.threadid
                                          WHERE msgid = '".$db->escape_string($msgid)."'
                                  ");
                          if ($group['forum'] == $msgdupe['forumid'])
                          {
                                  $isduplicate = true;
                                  logging("Skip, Message-ID already found.");
                                  // No continue should be used here, since the lastmsg-counter must work
                                  //continue;
                          } 


Then go find the row for the post-insert (it?s actually the thread-insert), it should look like this:

$postid = insert_post($threadid, $forumid, $foruminfo, $subject, $from_name, $from_email, $date, $parentid);

Before that line, add?

PHP Code:

                                          // If this isn't a duplicate
                                          if (!$isduplicate)
                                          { 


Then, after the line ?
exec_send_notification($threadid, "0", $postid);

Add this:

PHP Code:

                                           } // Isduplicate Finish 


Right after this, you have to add similar code to the insertcode for posts, so directly after

} else {


?add this again:

PHP Code:

                                          // If this isn't a duplicate
                                          if (!$isduplicate)
                                          { 


?and finish this with an ending ?}? after the line

logging("'$subject' from ". $from_name . ". New thread.");


Now, the gateway should?nt post a message with the same Message-ID twice?

[Rik Brown]

Originally Posted by alis

The script run in vb 4.0 beta 4, but with the Automatic Similar Thread Search activated i get this error:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function fetch_similar_threads() in gateway.php on line 547

Sorry that I can't help with a Gateway code fix, but your message solved my importing problem mentioned above (message #671) by letting me know to turn off the similar thread search:
admincp -> Message Search Options

Now the Gateway is importing threads on a 4.0 installation. Thanks. -- Rik

EDIT: You can still display the similar threads:
admincp -> Thread Display Options (showthread) -> Show Similar Threads = Yes.

Since similar threads aren't being updated during the import, I expect (unless they are somehow updated as one of the scheduled tasks) one has to update them regularly with:
admincp -> Maintenance -> Updated Counters -> Rebuild Similar Threads

[someguyonline]

Anyone gotten this to work on 4.0 gold?

[toibs]

Guys,

Would just like to thank you for spending time getting this mod to work on V4. I havent installed yet, however i'm just setting up a test forum based under 4.0.2.

Just wondering if one of you guys might be able to assist by passing on current working files, with any patches added to allow it to work (esp under v4).

I could trawl through the thread and apply patches, however there's so many "try this" - then - "This doesnt work, this does it better" that i think i may be here for days/weeks just taking the original files and altering code! It's like re-inventing the wheel!!

If anyone could assist, it would be much appreciated

On a side note, i would be happy to contribute alongside others, to a developer polishing this up or rebuilding it to work under 4.0.2 nicely, as it did back in the early days!!

Paul

[scottct1]

This mod is the only thing holding me back from going to 4.0.

I have a few services which email me information and this is the only hack I know which can check mailboxes and if new messages are found post them to the forum as new threads.

If anyone know a program which does the same thing let me know. I dont really use the usenet portion of the program.

[Eric]

I've been messing around with this, and If I can get it cleaned up and working Ok (and can somehow get ahold of the developer, to request permission to take over) I'll see about releasing a 3.8 (and 4.0) version. That's IF I can get it worked out, and permission from the developer.

[toibs]

Originally Posted by SecondV

I've been messing around with this, and If I can get it cleaned up and working Ok (and can somehow get ahold of the developer, to request permission to take over) I'll see about releasing a 3.8 (and 4.0) version. That's IF I can get it worked out, and permission from the developer.

SecondV,

I posted this yesterday in Paid Mods.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=236324

Not sure, however i suspect there's a fair few people on the list that would contribute maybe $20 each to get a decent supported working version. I know i would!!

It's the one thing that (like others) is stopping my forum migrating!!!

Paul

[someguyonline]

id drop at least 60 bucks to see this happen on 4.0