Major Additions - Links and Downloads Manager

What this is and does

LDM is a general-purpose tool for managing libraries of links and files, and handling uploads and downloads in a flexible way, while tracking and control user access. It has a range of integrated media players and a large library of 'plugin' extras.

Installation and Usage Explained in the on-line Wiki, with a brief explanation in the file instructions.txt in the release zip.

Please use carefully and always backup your database before upgrading. Post reports of problems and suggestions for enhancements in this thread. You can also find extensive discussion of this mod in the VB3.7 mods section.

14.06.09 Version 2.3.0 is the the officially-supported version. Works with 3.7 and vb 3.8.

14.02.10 Post-1 version uploaded with minor bug fixes, including dealing with PHP 5.2.12


Staff Note: Sadly, Andrew D, the developer of the Links and Downloads Manager has passed away after a long period of illness.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by duocbienhoa

help

Unexpected critical failure
Document Root not set: Refer to the LDM wiki for information on how to edit local_links_init.php
=======================================

Exactly as it says - there are instructions for dealing with this situation in the online wiki at http://www.eirma.org/wikis/index.php/Site_Configuration,

I imagine you are using the IIS web server with PHP configured to run in CGI mode.

[Daky]

Hi

Is it possible to import files from Downloads II into LDM?

[nohuhu]

AndrewD,

i'm not quite sure i've looked through all the wiki but is there any way to make force_accept option usergroup based in addition to category based? for example, i'd like to except unregistered users (and spiders too) from having to accept the agreement 'cause they have no access to files anyway.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by nohuhu

AndrewD,

i'm not quite sure i've looked through all the wiki but is there any way to make force_accept option usergroup based in addition to category based? for example, i'd like to except unregistered users (and spiders too) from having to accept the agreement 'cause they have no access to files anyway.

force_accept is a setting rather than a permission, which means that it applies to all user groups. I recall discussing this with the people who originally requested this feature.

I don't think it would be much work to make it a permission, but it would require some modifications to the code.

[nohuhu]

AndrewD,

well i'm glad to hear it's not that complicated but i'll definitely wait for you to fix it. frankly, i'm afraid even to try touching LDM code, it's too big for me.

and another bugreport: after installing and opening LDM to my users it started to mail me sporadically with messages like this:

-------------------------------------------------
Database error in vBulletin 3.8.4:

Invalid SQL:

UPDATE session
SET lastactivity = 1255541199, location = '/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=10&id=80&token=M TI2MDcyNTE4OSMxODU2IzE4OC4xMzQuMzYuMTA4IzNkOGE2ZTQ 2YjZiOTg4YjdiODkzZmZiZGI5ZGY3MDkw'
WHERE sessionhash = 'f2176c383e82a857ae03127700eb4bda';

MySQL Error : MySQL server has gone away
Error Number : 2006
-------------------------------------------------

it doesn't happen with any other pages and it's not too consistent, i.e. not every user accessing LDM pages generate this error. can you recommend something?

[nohuhu]

AndrewD,

follow-up to this error: i talked to my hoster techs, they say mysql is "going away" because such an update query takes more than a minute to complete and their cron script just kills mysql process. while i think it's a problem on mysql side - i cannot imagine why simple update request in a memory table could take this much time - i tried to replicate this problem and found that it appears after an user downloads some file and stays on the entry page for some time. can it be of any help?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by nohuhu

AndrewD,

follow-up to this error: i talked to my hoster techs, they say mysql is "going away" because such an update query takes more than a minute to complete and their cron script just kills mysql process. while i think it's a problem on mysql side - i cannot imagine why simple update request in a memory table could take this much time - i tried to replicate this problem and found that it appears after an user downloads some file and stays on the entry page for some time. can it be of any help?

As far as I know, this is actually a configuration setting in MySQL - a few people have reported it over the years. I think it is *wait_timeout*, which by default is 28800 seconds. Some sites set this to a much smaller value, and this is when the error message starts to appear.

I think you are almost correct with your diagnosis - if the physical download takes longer than the timeout setting, then the database connection has gone away before vbulletin can carry out its close down procedures. Maybe there's some fix I could apply inside LDM - there is a warning message generated if the value is less than 10 seconds - but it has not seemed serious.

[jhale1966]

When I go to add files en masse I want to remove the default description that's added. It says I can do this by 'Template used to describe entries created during directory synchronisations and scans: links_scantext' - but where is this template? I went thru the settings but can't seem to find it anywhere. Thanks!

[chick]

wow this is quite the in depth script. Could someone tell me what goes in this space (in red) or where to put something here? Thanks

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by chick

wow this is quite the in depth script. Could someone tell me what goes in this space (in red) or where to put something here? Thanks

Various things appear here

- if you are inside a category, the category's description appears
- in addition, a range of other information will appear, depending on user/options selected/etc:
o a list of moderators
o if you have created a "linked forum" for the category, the name of that forum
o if posts are auto-created when you add new entries, the name of that forum
o if the "starred nominations" feature is enabled, some information on the current user's nomination
o if the allowances system is operational, the user's allowances/consumption
o a warning if the setting *must_rate_download* is on
o ditto *must_rate_play*
o if the category is "autosynchronised" with a filesystem directory, information on the state of synchronisation
o an RSS link if the RSS feed setting is on

If none of these apply, e.g. in the base category with none of the above options, you simply get an empty box as your image shows.

If you want to add further information, you need to edit the "links_main" template.